Chess Variants Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bughouse

Bughouse, also known as Siamese Chess or Double Bughouse, is a game played with four players on two teams. Players on each team have opposite colors, and may give any captured pieces to their partner. The game can get boisterous and noisy, when partners are clamoring for certain pieces, or telling their partner not to give up particular pieces. White usually attacks, while the player with Black tries to supply their partner with the necessary pieces.

Answer: All of these

Another name for this game, is Antichess, but perhaps, it is most commonly referred to as Suicide Chess. The object, is to force your opponent to capture all of your pieces, including your king. Captures are mandatory, and if there is more than one possible capture, the player may elect which piece to capture.

It is a very quick-paced game, with many forced variations, but may also have complex endgames.

Answer: False

While the boards and pieces for Korean chess, (Janggi) and Chinese chess, (Xiangqi) are similar, Chinese chess has a river dividing the opposing players. Also, the "cannons," in each game, have slightly different rules for capturing and movement, as do the "soldiers" and "elephants."

Answer: Fischer-Random

Fischer-Random is an interesting variant, in which, the pieces on the back rank, are arranged randomly. Black's pieces must mirror White's arrangement. The king must be placed between the two rooks, as castling is allowed in this variation. Otherwise, play continues, as in regular chess.

Answer: Crazyhouse

Crazyhouse is a game for two players. Captured pieces may be placed anywhere on the board, as your own pieces. As in Bughouse, pawns may not be placed on the first or eighth rank.

Answer: Atomic chess

In this interesting chess variant, whenever a piece is captured, all of the surrounding pieces are removed, including the attacking piece. However, pawns are excluded from this rule. Pawns are only removed when they are captured directly. The player who explodes their opponent's king wins the game.

Answer: True

The rules of Progressive chess stipulate that each player may make an increasing number of moves on each successive turn. For example, White makes one move. Now, Black makes two moves and White makes three moves on the next turn. Here is a very simple example, in algebraic notation: W: 1.e4 B: Nf6, Nxe4; W: Qh5, Bc4, Qxf7#. White wins by checkmating Black.

The Black king cannot escape on the first move, so the game is over.

Answer: True

In Monster chess, also known as Super King, one player has only a King and four pawns, versus all of their opponent's normal pieces. The player with only the King is allowed two moves per turn, and the King may move in and out of check.

Answer: Japan

Shogi is the most popular chess variant played in Japan. Each player has 20 pieces, and the board is composed of eighty-one rectangles within which the pieces are placed, on the first three ranks.

Answer: 3D chess

3D chess, or Tri-dimensional chess, was often played by Mr. Spock, (Leonard Nimoy), in the original "Star Trek" series. Rules and examples of the game can be found on various internet sites.