The best Chess variants ♟ 2025

Players control four pieces: a chick, giraffe, elephant, and lion, aiming to capture the opponent's lion or move their own to the opposite side. The game board is small, measuring only 3×4 squares, making for quick games that engage children while still being enjoyable for adults. Unique movement rules apply to each piece, and players can also use captured pieces, creating a dynamic gameplay experience.

The goal is to move two of your pieces past the opponent's baseline. This may sound simple, but your opponent is flexible and dangerous. The abilities of the pieces change from turn to turn, and success requires recognizing the advantages of four possible actions and strategically planning your moves.

Players take on the role of chess pieces in a boardless variant that captures the excitement of a chess match. Each player starts with a king and four pawns, and they draw three cards to represent other pieces. The goal is to checkmate the opponent's king, while the original chess rules are simplified and expanded with new elements, making it suitable for those who enjoy chess but find the traditional game too complex and lengthy.

Yōkaï no Mori includes two simpler versions of Shogi to introduce the game to new players and youth. In the classic version, players each have four pieces and aim to either capture the opponent's Koropokkuru or move their own to the opposite side. The expert version offers a larger board and more pieces, incorporating additional Shōgi rules and strategies for a deeper experience.

A placeholder entry for compilations of games released in a package. These typically include traditional or children's games collected in one box. Common examples include chess, checkers, backgammon, and "Ludo," among other notable titles.

Stealth Chess is a variant of chess that combines elements of chess and Stratego. Players cannot differentiate their opponent's pieces at first glance, as all pieces look identical with their titles printed on the back. The objective is to checkmate the opponent's king while employing memory skills to track movements and identify pieces, creating a unique strategic challenge. Various rule sets are included, allowing players to agree on the gameplay style beforehand.

Quick Chess is a mini chess variant played on a 6 x 5 board, featuring five pawns and one king, queen, bishop, knight, and rook for each player. It serves as both a learning tool for children and adults, and as an alternative chess experience. With fewer pieces and less playing area, the games are generally completed more quickly.

Chess is a classic two-player abstract strategy game with deep historical roots and widespread popularity. It's renowned for its blend of tactical depth and strategic complexity, played on an 8x8 board with distinct pieces for each side.

Martian Chess is a game for 2-4 players that uses Icehouse pieces and requires each player to have their own supply and a chessboard. Similar to chess, players take turns moving and capturing pieces, with each type of piece having its own movement rules. Key differences include determining ownership by location rather than color, scoring based victories instead of capturing pieces, and the ability to play with up to six players using geomorphic chessboard sections.

Inspired by Shogi and designed in an anime style, players set up two different starter armies made up of holy warriors and power-harvesting pawns. The game includes various warriors with special magical powers, and players can choose from a larger selection throughout the game. There are multiple ways to win, such as capturing the opponent's Navia or reaching the other side of the board with your own.

Tic Tac Chec serves as both a chess teaching tool and a clever strategy game. Each player has four pieces: a knight, a rook, a bishop, and a pawn. The goal is to align your pieces in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal line first. Players take turns placing a piece on an empty space on a 4x4 board, and once they have placed at least three, they can move, capture, or place another piece. Captured pieces are returned to the player and can be re-used on any free space.

Players will be able to play chess immediately. Unlike other chess teachers, No Stress Chess uses illustrated cards and a two-sided board to teach players how the pieces move. The game includes a board with pieces and a card game that helps players learn the movements of chess pieces through different learning versions, using either 3 or 5 cards to move the pieces on the board.

This is a strategy game similar to chess. The board is set up like a chessboard, but each space has printed arrows that determine the direction of movement. Players aim to capture the opponent's brain while navigating a variety of tactical challenges.

A strategy game similar to chess, featuring medieval character pieces. It includes a 16in. x 16in. game board, six armies of 14 pieces each, a divider, four screen holders, and a rulebook.

Players arrange their pieces randomly behind the pawns on the white side, ensuring that bishops occupy opposite colors and the king is situated between the two rooks. The black pieces mirror the arrangement of the white pieces, resulting in 960 possible setups. This variant is known as Chess 960 or Fischer Random Chess.

Players control stronger animals like elephants and camels to freeze, push, and trap weaker opponents while attempting to sneak a rabbit across the board to the opposite side. The first player to successfully move a rabbit to the other side wins.

Bosworth is essentially a chess variant for up to four players. The pieces are the same as in chess but are represented as discs, allowing them to be drawn randomly from a stack. Players start with four pawns in their field edge and four pieces from their draw stack in hand.

An abstract strategy game allows players to control their pieces and also influence many of their opponent's moves by managing colors. Two variations, Colour Chess and Lure, can be played on the same board with different pieces and objectives, or they can be combined for a unique experience. Colour Chess introduces a second strategic layer based on the board's colors, requiring players to adapt their strategy each time they play, while Lure focuses on blocking, manipulating, and capturing pieces with different setups.

Players choose their own "chess army" before each match, giving each player a unique set of pieces. The obstacles on the board also change position in each game, ensuring that every match offers a new challenge. It's chess, but not as you know it.

This Shogi variant, created by Shigeo Kusumoto in 1970, is played on a 5x5 board. It features standard Shogi pieces such as the King, Gold, Silver, Bishop, Rook, and Pawn, with promotion occurring on the last row. Mini Shogi is not yet solved and serves as an accessible introduction to the game of Shogi.

XiangQi is one of the most played board games in the world, often referred to as "Chinese Chess." Played on a 9 by 10 grid, it features 32 pieces per player and involves capturing the opponent's General. The game incorporates unique movement rules and is based on ancient Chinese military strategy, akin to European chess. Variants include Banqi, Giog, Mini Xiang Qi, and others, each offering unique twists on the classic gameplay.

Korean chess resembles Chinese chess and can be played on the same board with the same pieces, but the actual board and pieces look different, and there are significant rule differences. For instance, both the chariot and the cannon can move diagonally within the fortress, and during setup, the horse and elephant can be swapped. Additionally, the cannon cannot jump over another cannon or capture a cannon.

Tile Chess does not use a board; instead, pieces are represented by tiles. They move traditionally and must always be connected to another piece, creating a unique structure for gameplay. Moves that leave pieces unconnected are not allowed, adding an interesting twist as players may need to defend against multiple opponents.

Originally created as a treatise on Whist published around 1742, later editions included additional games. The 10th edition, released in 1750, featured chapters on Quadrille, Piquet, Chess, and Backgammon. At least 20 different versions have been published over the years, making it the best-selling series on games in history.

Players engage in 16 chess variations that incorporate cards, expanding the traditional game. The rules cater to both serious strategists and those who enjoy elements of chance, introducing mechanics such as bluffing and resource management. In these games, player moves are influenced by the cards available, with the ultimate objective of capturing the opponent's king.

Players take on the role of commanders in a beautifully crafted chess game that reimagines traditional chess. With a choice of fantasy-inspired pieces representing the four elements, each player can select their unique army, whether it's a small elite force or a horde of pawns. The game features modified terrain that affects movement and a dice-based combat system that emphasizes strategy and positioning.

Tori Shogi is a variant of Shogi played on a 7×7 board, dating back to the late 18th century. Each piece is named after a bird species, with the king represented by a phoenix, and the goal is to capture the opponent's phoenix. Unique mechanics include asymmetrical quail pieces and specific rules for promotions and drops within the game.

Four-player chess, often attributed to Captain Charles Verney who documented it in England in 1881, involves an expanded board and four complete sets of chess pieces in different colors. In Verney's version, players formed partnerships to try and checkmate both opponents simultaneously, while modern variants allow for various playing styles, including free-for-all and temporary alliances.

The book features around 1,400 chess variants and chess-related games, with detailed rules for non-proprietary games. It compiles a diverse range of games inspired by chess, some of which can be played with a standard chess set. The main aim is to entertain while also serving as a reference for students and enthusiasts of lesser-known variants.

3-Man Chess is a unique chess variant for three players, played on a non-standard board such as a hexagon or circle, with differently shaped cells. The traditional rules for moving and capturing pieces still apply, but the addition of a third player changes goals and strategies. Victory conditions vary, but typically, one player must checkmate another, leading to the elimination of both remaining players, ensuring a strategic game without alliances.