A GeekDad’s 8-Year Old Daughter Reinvents Chess

I know I have mentioned this here before but while in college I played a version of chess that used the dice from a game of Risk. If you didn't like your opponents move you could challenge it by rolling the dice. The player defending a the valid move would get the 3 white dice and the "attacker" would get the 2 red ones. Just like in Risk the highest point total won. I think if the defender lost the roll then they had to choose another move, if the attacker lost the roll then they lost their turn. Anyway it led to matches where you would try and get your queen behind the opponent's pawns and start taking out large pieces.

The rules that the girl came up with remind me of some of the stuff I see in modern video games medic, civilians, etc.

It also made me think about something I read recently that said that the average I.Q. is increasing all around the world from generation to generation.

Oddly enough, they're the same! (Or more accurately the standard ones are easily adapted.)

EDIT: I think I see what you're getting at. The King moves farther when castling with the far Rook.

I invented a chess variant that my friends and I have been addicted to for years. Here's an overview and breakdown:

Overview: Team chess. The game is played using teams of 2 against each other. Each individual sets up their pieces in their side of the board.

Phase 1: In the first phase each person draws a team from the hat. White1, Black1, White2, and Black2.

Phase 2: Class draft. Using the order listed above, each person takes a turn drafting a class of their color for their control. For example, when you draft "rook", you personally control all of your colors rooks. Only 4 pawns are used by each side. This process continues until all classes have been drafted.

Phase 3: Board position. Using the same order, each player takes a turn selecting a side of the board.

Phase 4: Class placement. Using the same order, each player takes a turn placing 1 class of pieces within their start zone. Because each side of the board is used, pieces can not be placed into the corner cross sections to begin. So a player's available spots would appear as follows: xxooooxx for the first 2 rows of a player's side

Phase 5: Starting. A random player is chosen from the hat to begin. Order continues in W1,B1,W2,B2 format from starting position.

Additional notes:

1) A king owner must have the opportunity to get out of check. This means a king could be in check for 3 straight moves.

2) A pawn upgrades a piece to whatever it wants, but if a player upgrades his pawn to a class he doesn't own after reaching the opposite side of his starting position, his partner (that class owner) will take the piece's control.

3) Pawns can start anywhere within the start zone and still move 2 spaces in their first move.

4) A bishop owner can place his bishops on any squares in the start zone, including the same color.

I'm sure there's a few more minor things I've left out, but that's the basics. If anybody wants to help me build this into a web game, let me know. It's incredibly addictive.

TL;DR - Team chess = awesome.