New Line Option Chess

The chess pieces on the first photo are the ones I prefer

even though I used smaller pieces on the other photos.

These diagrams designs and rules can be changed or improved on.

These are homemade photo prototypes illustrating what the different optional playing boards could look like as seen in the attached photos.

Hopefully all these different playing board designs can be played on just one chessboard with corner squares cut off and extra turn squares marked on the board.

The rules options are my own making and have not been tested or approved.

My ‘optional’ Chess rules are listed below.

The regular rules of chess (or random chess) apply except that before the game starts

the player playing the white pieces gets to decide how the large pieces are set up

and which options (if any) to use in that game, and which playing board design to use.

The pawns will always be lined up in front of the large pieces as in regular chess.

One exception is that the pawns are always promoted where they line up on the other side of the board

which is one row shorter than in regular chess for pawn promotion.

The x squares in the first 4 photos are the same as the black squares on a regular chessboard.

The first photo shows my 8x10 chessboard design I call- New Line Chess

with the corner squares cut off, and the positions of the pieces at the start.

If a wildcard queen is used it would be where the king is at the start

and the king would be placed on the board by that player on the turn after they move a large piece.

The same thing applies to the other player when they move a large piece

their king would also then be placed on the board where they just moved a large piece from.

There are 2 empty squares in front of the king and queen 

and the bishops are lined up outside of the knights as shown 

and the rooks behind the knights. If random chess is played then the

positions of the pieces would be changed at the start as determined by the white piece player.

The second photo shows the 6x10 design I call- Slim Line. 

It can be played with either 8 pawns or 6 pawns

if the 2 pawns in front of the king and queen in the photo are left off the board.

The 3rd photo shows how the 8x10 and 6 by10 games can both be played on the same 10x10 board with sides that fold over eliminating the outside rows on either side and the outside pawns.

That way only one board is needed to play any of the different setups.

The 4th photo shows the sides folded over to play the slim line version,

but to play the last version 2 more corner squares have to be covered in the back row.

The 5th photo shows a playing board with 2 more corner squares cut off in the back and the rooks placed in front of the king and queen. Castling of the king would not be possible with the king in the back as shown but would be possible if random chess setup was used

and the king was placed a row ahead between the rooks.

The last photo shows squares marked where a player can get an extra turn that is explained below.

Option 1.- If white chooses to use this option a player can only capture 3 or 4 of the other player’s pawns

(as determined by white before the game starts)

unless the pawn has been promoted since it is no longer a pawn.

Option 2.- 2 queens (wildcard) game. - 

A second queen is used at the start in place of the king.

The second queen (the wildcard queen) will be white on the top half

and a different color on the bottom half for white,

and black on the top half and a different color on the bottom half for the black pieces

so that it is easily recognized and not confused with the regular queen.

The king is placed on the board only after a large piece is moved by a player

and the king is placed on the board where their large piece just moved from,

but not til that player’s next turn which is the only piece moved on that turn by that player.

If a second (wildcard) queen is used white has the option of deciding

 (before the game starts)

how that wildcard queen can move- like a queen only, or like one of the other pieces,

or in a completely different way like one square and one over, 

or 3 squares and one over, or 3 squares forward and 3 squares across, 

or forwards only, or forwards and sideways only – etc.

Option 3.- On the board photo marked with the symbols marked Q for queen,

Kn for knight. R for rook, and B for bishop - a player gets an extra turn

if their wildcard queen lands on the square marked with a Q

or their knight lands on a square marked Kn, and the same for the rook and bishop. 

But white will have to say (before the game starts)

whether that extra turn is restricted to that piece only or can be taken by any other piece.

If the other player has been put in check then an extra turn is not allowed on that turn

since the other player has to move to get out of check.

White also has the option of putting a limit on the number of extra turns

a player can take either in a row or in the whole game.

The marked squares can be marked smaller in the corners of the squares

and not as large as shown, so the players are not distracted.

Option 4. – A player can move 2 pieces on the same turn (except for the king and queen(s)

But white must state (before the game starts) 

whether it has to be the same style of piece -

like two knights, or 2 rooks, or 2 bishops, or two pawns. 

Or 2 different styles of pieces

like a pawn and a rook, or a pawn and a bishop, or a pawn and a knight,

or a knight and bishop, or a knight and rook, or a bishop and rook.