Balaklava Chess

This variant has been created in 1994 by Gianluca Vecchi, member of AISE.

The rules are simple:

• In addition to their orthodox powers all the units (pieces and pawns) may move, but not capture, as chess knights.
• The King is orthodox (i.e. cannot move as knight).
• Instead of the knight, on the squares b1/g1 and b8/g8 there is a new piece, the Mammoth: it moves and captures two squares in any direction, leaping the intervening one even if occupied (i.e. it has the powers of Alfil and Dabbaba). As the other units, the Mammoth may move, but not capture, as a knight.
• The pawns may only move forward, and cannot move to their promotion rank with a knight move. En passant is not allowed.
• All the other rules of chess apply.

Here is a self-played sample game: it has no strategical meanings, it just shows the movements of the units and a possibility of mating series using the new powers.

1. e4 e5
2. Mc3 Bcd6
3. Qf3 Bg6
4. Bc4 Qf6
5. Bcb3 Mc6
6. Mge2 M:c4
7. M:c4 Q:f3
8. g:f3 Mf6
9. Md5 Rb6
10. 000 cb5
11. Ma5 ge6
12. fg5 Mh4
13. Bc5 Ra6
14. b4 B:c5
15. M:c5 B:e4
16. Rhg1 e:d5
17. M:e5 M:h2
18. d3 Bf3
19. Re3 Bg4
20. Mg6+ Kd8
21. Rge1 R:a2
22. Re8+ R:e8
23. R:e8+ Kc7
24. Me5+ Kb6
25. dc5+ Ka6
26. Rd6+ ac6
27. Rc8 Ka7
28. Mc7+ Ka6
29. Ra8 mate.

Alessandro Castelli (email removed contact us for address) ink.it