Is anyone else interested in ancient chess variants and chess precursors? I recently started a club in my hometown dedicated to both modern chess as well as ancient variants. In the process of constructing my 4th Tamerlane Chess board. Tamerlane chess is a large chess variant played on an 11 x 10 board, with extra squares known as citadels that protrude from the left and right sides of the board. Played obsessively by the Turco-Mongol conqueror Tamerlane in the 14th Century. I have found it a very playable and addictive game.
Are you familiar with the Noah Gordon novel “The Physician”? One of the plot points revolves around a game called the Shah’s Game that is probably Chaturanga, or at least similar to it.
Bill Smythe is a fan of chess variants, he used to show us several of them at Northwestern Chess Club meetings.
Oh interesting. No, I wasn’t familiar with that but I’ll definitely check it out now.
That’s cool about Bill. Is he interested in both modern and Ancient variants? Out of plywood and polymer clay I’ve so far made 3 Tamerlane chess sets, 1 Chaturanga, 1 Courier Chess, and 1 Citadel chess set. Our club is holding an unofficial Tamerlane chess tournament in two weeks, and people are traveling as far as 2 hours to play in it [or so they tell me]. I’m really hoping to revive some ancient variants, at least locally.
I played a number of varients when I was in college. Check the lower part of this screen.
For the most part I stick to variants that can be played on a standard board with standard (or close to standard) pieces. This leaves out most Ancient variants, I would think.
You might want to check out half bughouse, Kriegspiel, and Seirawan Chess.
Also No-Draw Chess and its follow-up.
Also Powerful Monarch Chess and Three-Ply Chess.
Bill Smythe
Thanks I will check those out. Yeah, there are a few 8 x 8 ancient variants, but the majority I have come across are on enlarged boards. Pretty much impossible to find on the market, which is why I’ve had to spend hours constructing my own sets in order to play.
I’ve heard of some of those, and they sounds like an interesting play. Thanks!
I have gone to some Nordic Festivals over the years here in Northwestern NJ, and got to play “Hnefatafl” which is Viking Chess, and the idea was to have the ancient vikings compete against each other to improve their thinking when it came to the various wars that they were involved with.
Respectfully Submitted,
David A. Cole, Franklin, NJ USCF Life Member
Oh That’s great, there is a member of our chess club who is always talking about Viking Chess, so I was thinking of purchasing a set for the club.