MChess: A Novel Chess Variant

• Basic Rules

The game of MChess is played between two opponents on a standard chessboard using standard chess pieces. At the beginning of the game called ‘the preparing stage’, each player determines the initial positions of their pieces separately. White pieces can only be placed on rank 1, 2, and 3, while black pieces can only be placed on rank 6, 7, and 8. Each piece has an initial health. After both of the players have set up their pieces, they take turns to make moves. As long as a piece moves, all pieces of the same color will launch an ‘attack’. Pieces whose health falls below 0 are considered ‘dead’ and no longer able to move or launch attacks. The objective of the game is to kill all the opponent’s pieces or block them in a way that the opponent has no legal move.

• The Moves of the Pieces

The pawn may move forward to the unoccupied square immediately in front of it on the same file, or on its first move it may advance two squares along the same file provided both squares are unoccupied. The pawn may swap positions with an opponent’s piece that is diagonally in front of it on an adjacent file, and reduce its health by 40% of its maximum health. The swap is called ‘pawning’. When a pawn reaches the rank furthest from its starting position, it must be exchanged as part of the same move on the same square for a new queen, rook, bishop or knight of the same colour. This exchange of a pawn for another piece is called ‘promotion’ and the new piece can launch an attack immediately. The knight may move to one of the squares nearest to that on which it stands but not on the same rank, file or diagonal as long as the square is unoccupied. The bishop may move along a diagonal on which it stands until it is blocked by another piece. The rook may move along the file or the rank on which it stands until it is blocked by another piece. The queen may move along the file, the rank or a diagonal on which it stands until it is blocked by another piece. The king may move to any adjoining square as long as the square is unoccupied.

• Attacks, Healings and Buff Effects

The pawn may attack an opponent’s piece on a square diagonally in front of it on an adjacent file. Additionally, the pawn can reduce the health of an opponent’s piece by 40% of its maximum health through the ‘pawning’ move mentioned previously. The knight may attack an opponent’s piece on one of the squares nearest to that on which it stands but not on the same rank, file or diagonal. The bishop may grant pieces of the same color on any square along a diagonal on which it stands a +60% bonus to Attack and Healing. Buff effects of two bishops can stack. The rook may attack all opponent's pieces along the file or the rank on which it stands. The attack effect can pierce. The rook will take 40% of the damage for all the pieces of the same color on the same file or the rank where it stands. Effects of two rooks can stack. Two rooks do not take damage for each other. The queen may attack the first opponent's piece along the file, the rank or a diagonal on which it stands. It can attack up to 8 pieces at most. Damage decreases with distance. The king may damage all opponent's pieces on any adjoining square by 8% of its maximum health. The king may heal all the pieces of the same color on any adjoining square by 8% of its maximum health.