Check out Janggi (Korean Chess), our featured variant for December, 2024.

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Tamerlane Chess

If you had a Java-capable browser, you could play Tamerlane Chess here.
Keys "s"=save "l"=load "b"=back once

Tamerlane Chess was popular for centuries in Persia.

Most distinctive is that each pawn promotes in its own way.

The Pawn of the Pawns promotes to a blue pawn. It cannot be captured on its promotion square. It may be moved to any square where it forks two enemy units, or where it attacks a unit that cannot then be moved. In doing so, it can displace any non-royal unit.

When the blue pawn promotes, it becomes a golden pawn and goes to the original square of the Pawn of the Kings as soon as that square is empty. (That was my interpretation.) The golden pawn promotes to the Accessory King.

Only the ranking king (original, then prince, then accessory) may enter the enemy citadel. If this happens, the game is a draw.

Once in the game, the king may get itself out of check by swapping with another friendly unit. Getting stalemated loses. Only an accessory king can enter the friendly citadel. No other unit can enter either citadel, though they can check an accessory king in its citadel (my interpretation).

If you have two or three kings I have allowed you to move into check.

King As in FIDE chess
General One square diagonally
Vizier One square orthogonal
Giraffe One square diagonally, then any distance orthogonally, but must stop at least 3 ranks or files away from starting square. Still working on it.
Knight As in FIDE chess
Rook As in FIDE chess
Picket Along diagonals, must move at least two squares
Elephant 2,2 jumper
Camel 1,3 or 3,1 jumper
War Engine 2,0 or 0,2 jumper
Accessory King As FIDE king, can occupy own citadel.
Second King ("Prince") As FIDE king
Pawn of the Elephants Promotes to Elephant
Pawn of the General Promotes to General
Pawn of the King Promotes to King
Pawn of the Pickets Promotes to Picket
Pawn of the Rooks Promotes to Rook
Pawn of the War Engines Promotes to War Engine
Pawn of the Knights Promotes to Knight
Pawn of the Camels Promotes to Camel
Pawn of the Vizier Promotes to Vizier
Pawn of the Giraffes Promotes to Giraffe
Pawn of the Pawns Promotes special

Hans Bodlaender on Tamerlane Chess

Hans Bodlaender's Chess Variants

Ed's Chess Variants

These are simple illustrations rather than strong opponents.

Bug Reports -- Thank you! Keep them coming!

Written by Ed Friedlander


WWW Page Added: Sunday, December 30, 2001