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Dunsany's chess

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(Redirected from Horde chess) Chess variant

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Dunsany's chess starting setup

Dunsany's chess, also known as Dunsany's game, is an asymmetric chess variant in which Black has the standard chess army and White has 32 pawns. This game was invented by Lord Dunsany in 1942. It was published the same year in Fairy Chess Review (August issue) and in Joseph Boyer's Nouveaux Jeux d'Echecs Non-orthodoxes.

A similar game is Horde chess.

Game rules

Black's setup is the same in regular chess; White's army consists of 32 pawns, filling ranks one through four, as shown in the diagram. Rules are the same as in regular chess, with the following exceptions:

  • Black moves first.
  • Only Black's pawns have the two-step option on their first move.
  • Black wins by capturing all 32 white pawns; White wins by checkmating Black.

As in regular chess, pawns promote on the final rank, and stalemate occurs if White's pawns run out of moves.

Horde chess

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8a8 black pawnb8 black pawnc8 black pawnf8 black pawng8 black pawnh8 black pawna7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black pawne7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawna6 black pawnb6 black pawnc6 black pawnd6 black pawne6 black pawnf6 black pawng6 black pawnh6 black pawna5 black pawnb5 black pawnc5 black pawnd5 black pawne5 black pawnf5 black pawng5 black pawnh5 black pawnd4 black pawne4 black pawna2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 white pawne2 white pawnf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawna1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook8
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Horde chess starting setup

Horde chess, by Filip Rachunek in 2002, is similar to Dunsany's chess but with the following differences:

  • White's pieces are the normal chess pieces, and Black's pieces are 32 pawns, occupying ranks five through eight, but with pawns on d4 and e4 instead of d8 and e8.
  • White moves first.
  • Black's pawns on rank seven have the two-step option of regular chess.

Horde chess is one of the few chess variants to have a full theory book written about it.

Horde variant

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8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rooka7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black pawne7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawnb5 white pawnc5 white pawnf5 white pawng5 white pawna4 white pawnb4 white pawnc4 white pawnd4 white pawne4 white pawnf4 white pawng4 white pawnh4 white pawna3 white pawnb3 white pawnc3 white pawnd3 white pawne3 white pawnf3 white pawng3 white pawnh3 white pawna2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 white pawne2 white pawnf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawna1 white pawnb1 white pawnc1 white pawnd1 white pawne1 white pawnf1 white pawng1 white pawnh1 white pawn8
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Horde variant starting setup

A Horde variant uses the opening setup shown in the diagram. In this variant, White's pawns on the first and second ranks may advance one or two steps, provided that the path on the file is free. Unlike in regular chess, this does not have to be the pawn's first move.

Both Lichess and Chess.com have support for this variant.

References

  1. ^ Pritchard, D. B. (1994). "Dunsany's Game". The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants. Games & Puzzles Publications. p. 97. ISBN 0-9524142-0-1.
  2. Keller, Michael, ed. (June 1991). "A Panorama of Chess Variants". World Game Review. No. 10. Michael Keller. ISSN 1041-0546.
  3. Pritchard, D. B. (2007). "Horde Chess". In Beasley, John (ed.). The Classified Encyclopedia of Chess Variants. John Beasley. p. 90. ISBN 978-0-9555168-0-1.
  4. "BrainKing – Game rules (Horde Chess)". brainking.com. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  5. The Definitive Guide to Horde Chess: Openings, strategies and tactics for White and Black. Enigma Chess. 2021. ISBN 979-8737259457.
  6. "Horde on Lichess". Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  7. "Lichess Blog - New features: kid mode, simuls, and more". Retrieved 9 July 2015.

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