Check out Balbo's Chess, our featured variant for October, 2024.

This page is written by the game's inventor, Gerd Degens.

Spider-Chess

 
By Gerd P. Degens

The game requires a board with 19 ranks and 25 files. 
Each player has 46 pieces and 2 x 5 spiders on top - a total of 56 pieces.

Spiders have their bases in the corners of the board - 5 spiders in each corner.
Only the spiders can return to the bases once they have left them - to their own or to opposing ones; if opposing spiders are gathered in a corner, they can fight each other. 

Other pieces on the inner playing area cannot reach the spider bases. Own bases are therefore a 'safe harbor' for them.
 

Setup

files=25 ranks=19 promoZone=1 promoChoice=RQACZACC graphicsDir=/graphics.dir/alfaeriePNG/ squareSize=50 graphicsType=png stalemate=win baring=0 royal=K hole::::h1,i1,j1,p1.q1.r1.g2,h2,i2,q2,r2,s2,f3,g3,h3,r3,s3,t3,e4,f4,g4,s4,t4,u4,d5,e5,f5,t5,u5,v5,c6,d6,e6,u6,v6,w6,b7,c7,d7,v7,w7,x7,a8,b8,c8,w8,x8,y8,a9,b9,x9,y9,a10,y10,a11,b11,x11,y11,a12,b12,c12,w12,x12,y12,b13,c13,d13,v13,w13,x13,c14,d14,e14,u14,v14,w14,d15,e15,f15,t15,u15,v15,e16,f16,g16,s16,t16,u16,f17,g17,h17,r17,s17,t17,g18,h18,i18,q18,q19,r19,j19,p19,r18,s18,h19,i19,j19,p19,q19,r19 pawn:P:fWfnDfnHfmF:pawn:k2,l2,m2,n2,o2,j3,k3,o3,p3,i4,j4,p4,q4,h5,i5,q5,r5,g6,h6,r6,s6,f7,g7,s7,t7,e8,f8,t8,u8,,e12,f12,t12 rook:R:R:rook:k1,o1,,k19,o19 queen:Q:Q:queen:l1,n1,,l19,n19 archbishop:A:BN:cardinal:g5,s5,,g15,s15 chancellor:C:RN:chancellor:f6,t6,,f14,t14 amazon:Z:QN:amazon:e7,u7,,e13,u13 amazonrider:I:QNN:amazonrider:j2,p2,,j18,p18 cardinalrider:J:BNN:cardinalrider:h4,r4,,h16,r16 chancellorrider:L:RNN:chancellorrider:i3,q3,,i17,q17 spider:S:RNNA7:spider:f2,t2,e3,u3,d4,v4,c5,w5,b6,x6,,b14,x14,c15,w15,d16,v16,e17,u17,f18,t18 king:K:K:king:m1,,m19

Pieces

Standard set of pieces - plus additional pieces. Details in the rule section.

Rules

There is no capturing en passant and no castling. Promotion of pawns takes place.
Bare king loses.
Stalemate is a win.
___________________________________

pawn steps one square straight ahead, slides to the 2nd square straight ahead, slides to the 3rd square straight ahead, or steps one square diagonally forward to an empty square
rook slides orthogonally
queen slides in all 8 directions
archbishop slides diagonally, or makes a knight's jump
chancellor slides orthogonally, or makes a knight's jump
amazon slides in all 8 directions, or makes a knight's jump
amazonrider slides in all 8 directions, or repeatedly makes a knight's jump in the same direction
cardinalrider slides diagonally, or repeatedly makes a knight's jump in the same direction
chancellorrider slides orthogonally, or repeatedly makes a knight's jump in the same direction
spider slides orthogonally, repeatedly makes a knight's jump in the same direction, or repeatedly jumps to the 2nd square in the same direction diagonally
king steps one square in all 8 directions

Notes

 


Spider Chess on Game Courier

 

 

 

 


This 'user submitted' page is a collaboration between the posting user and the Chess Variant Pages. Registered contributors to the Chess Variant Pages have the ability to post their own works, subject to review and editing by the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff.

By Gerd P. Degens.

Last revised by Bn Em.


Web page created: 2024-04-11. Web page last updated: 2024-08-22