Chess variants are other games derived from or inspired by the game of chess. Most of these games use different pieces, have different game boards, or use different rules from traditional chess. Whether you already play and love chess or you simply can’t get into the game, just about anyone will love to play these exciting and logical alternatives to the historical game of chess.

Chess960
Chess960 is a chess variant that uses the same pieces and the same game board, but the pieces in the first rank are randomized, with opposing pieces mirroring them. This is a great game for expert chess players, because it makes it impossible to memorize opening lines.

Glinski’s Hexagonal Chess
This derivation of chess uses a unique hexagonal board instead of the standard square chess board. The board contains 91 cells in three different colors, and it uses the usual chess pieces, with the addition of one extra bishop and one extra pawn. Glinski’s chess is an incredibly popular variant, especially in Eastern Europe.

Apocalypse
Apocalypse is played on a much smaller scale than regular chess, using only a 5×5 board and two horses and five footmen on each team. The two players make their moves simultaneously, and the game is over when one player captures all of the other player’s footmen.

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