Chancellor chess

Chancellor chess is a chess variant invented by Benjamin R. Foster in 1887. It features all the regular chess pieces plus one chancellor and extra pawn per side, on a 9×9 board.

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9a9 black rookb9 black knightc9 black bishopd9 black queene9 black kingf9 black empressg9 black knighth9 black bishopi9 black rook9
8a8 black pawnb8 black pawnc8 black pawnd8 black pawne8 black pawnf8 black pawng8 black pawnh8 black pawni8 black pawn8
7a7b7c7d7e7f7g7h7i77
6a6b6c6d6e6f6g6h6i66
5a5b5c5d5e5f5g5h5i55
4a4b4c4d4e4f4g4h4i44
3a3b3c3d3e3f3g3h3i33
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 white pawne2 white pawnf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawni2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white empressg1 white knighth1 white bishopi1 white rook1
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Chancellor chess board and starting setup. Chancellors are on f1/f9. "Notice that the positions of B and N are reversed on the king's sides in order that bishop pairs are on opposite coloured squares."[1]

John Gollon, in Chess Variations: Ancient, Regional, and Modern, expressed his belief that a variant like Foster's "will be the next step to the evolution of chess", because the addition of a single piece, the chancellor, a combination of rook and knight, "preserves a symmetry of power" on the chessboard with the queen, a combination of rook and bishop.[2]

Game rules

The starting setup is as shown. All the standard rules of chess apply, but when reaching the final rank, pawns can promote to one of the usual pieces or to chancellor.

History

Chancellor chess was invented by Ben R. Foster in 1887 and was first published the same year in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Foster published a booklet titled Chancellor Chess in 1889, "dedicated to all liberal-minded chess players throughout the world".[3] An advertisement for a book by Foster on the game appeared in American Chess magazine in October 1898. The ad informed that the game was named after the new piece, the chancellor, with the board "enlarged to nine squares".[4]

See also

References
  1. Pritchard (1994), p. 47
  2. Gollon (1968), p. 216
  3. Pritchard (1994), pp. 46–47
  4. Gollon (1968), p. 214

Bibliography

  • Pritchard, D. B. (1994). The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants. Games & Puzzles Publications. ISBN 0-9524142-0-1.
  • Pritchard, D. B. (2007). "Chancellor Chess". In Beasley, John (ed.). The Classified Encyclopedia of Chess Variants. John Beasley. pp. 121–22. ISBN 978-0-9555168-0-1.
  • Gollon, John (1968). "§29 Chancellor Chess". Chess Variations • Ancient, Regional, and Modern. Charles E. Tuttle Company Inc. pp. 214–218. LCCN 06811975.

Further reading
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