Here’s another chess variant, which I just thought up.
Each player plays three half-moves (three plies) at a time – two moves for himself, with one move for his opponent sandwiched in between.
Thus, to start the game, white would play a white move, then a black move, then a white move. Black would then play a black move, a white move, and a black move. Etc.
Each of the three plies must be a legal move in and of itself. For example, if white is in check at the start of his three plies, he must get out of check on the first ply. He cannot wait until the third ply, nor can he get out of check at the second ply by having black move the checking piece away.
If the first or second move of any three-ply sequence is a game-ending move (checkmate, stalemate, or dead position), the game ends right there, without any remaining plies being played.
Sample game start: White decides to win a pawn, so he plays 1.e4 b5 2.Bxb5. But then black decides to win a queen, so he plays 2…Nf6 3.Qg4 Nxg4.
Would anybody care to start a game, right here on the forum with everybody watching? I’m not at all sure how this will work out. Maybe white has a forced mate in six or something.
c4 Nd5 11. cd. This is an interesting variant where development can be detrimental. White has lost one pawn. Black has lost a bishop and two knights. Once the board really opens up it will be difficult to avoid being forced to give away your pieces.
Ke3 Be2 14. Kxe2
PS Black’s queen and h-rook are now vulnerable to the c1 bishop. The only white piece that black can force the immediate loss of is the c1 bishop (taking it immediately would cost Black’s queen on the next series).
