The Chess Variant Pages: Frog Chess (2024)

This page is written by the game's inventor, Kevin Pacey. This game is a favorite of its inventor.

This 10x8 chess variant resulted from my search for a 10x8 board variant that uses the standard chess army plus two pawns per side, along with an extra pair of symmetrically moving (and capturing like moving) minor pieces per side that have about the value of a N or B, again on a 10x8 board. In addition, I wanted to have no unprotected pawns in the setup. Among other things, Dr. H.G. Muller suggested to me that the frog piece type (i.e. ferz-threeleaper compound piece) might be suitable, not knowing I'd just begun to consider it seriously. After I had first thought of a setup for this variant, I discovered that it might have drawbacks, particularly due to an initial leap (i.e. on the file) by White's kingside frog. At this point Dr. Muller suggested another setup close to that one, and this became the final setup (again it was something I'd not very seriously given thought to). However, players who wish to might try using my early setup in games too, as it is not clearly infeasible.

A Game Courier preset page for play (with or without rules enforced) is available.

Setup

Note that the early setup I had for this variant is simply one with each of the adjacent frogs and bishops switched within both players' armies in the final setup shown above.

Pieces

There are 7 piece types in Frog Chess, 6 being the same as for standard chess (pawn, knight, bishop, rook, queen and king). The other piece type is the frog:

The Chess Variant Pages: Frog Chess (1)

The frog is a compound piece that moves like a ferz (one square diagonally) or a threeleaper (i.e. leaps exactly three squares orthogonally, meaning on a rank or file). Note that it is not a colour-bound piece.

Rules

Castling is as in standard chess, except a king goes three squares sideways during the process (instead of two squares). Threefold repetition of position or stalemate is a draw as in chess, and similarly the 50 move rule is also in effect in Frog Chess (i.e. game drawn if no captures or pawn moves before 50 consecutive moves by both sides). Pawns move as in chess, and can promote to any piece type included in the setup, except for a king.

Notes

My tentative estimates for the piece values in Frog Chess: P=1; N=3.38(or 3.5 approx.); F=3.6(or 3.5 approx.); B=3.75; R=5.5; Q=B+R+P=10.25 and a K has a fighting value of 3.2 (though naturally it cannot be traded). Note that for standard chess, a N has been rated as high as 3.5, which I tend to agree with.

Dr. Muller's computer studies give the following minor piece values for on a 10x8 board: N=3; F=3.15; B=3.5(or 3.75 if part of a pair of Bs). Note that for standard chess, computer studies put N=3.25.

Dr. Muller has also found that on a 10x8 board with K & 2 minor pieces vs. lone K, 2 Frogs checkmate in 30 moves, F+B mate in 37, F+N mate in 39 and B+N mate in 39, all being in worst case situations for the pieces involved.

For those who might wish to have a physical 10x8 chessboard, Dr. Muller has mentioned elsewhere that a simple solution would be to cover up two ranks of a physical 10x10 chessboard. For those who might wish to search for a more elegant solution, at least in the past such boards were sold in Germany for the 10x8 variant Janus Chess (the pieces of its set could be somewhat suitable to play Frog Chess with, too). Here's a link about that game, with the specifics for ordering a set included:

Janus Chess

Note that ChessV currently supports Frog Chess.


The Chess Variant Pages: Frog Chess (2) This 'user submitted' page is a collaboration between the posting user and the Chess Variant Pages. Registered contributors to the Chess Variant Pages have the ability to post their own works, subject to review and editing by the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff.

By Kevin Pacey.

Last revised by Kevin Pacey.


Web page created: 2017-11-22. Web page last updated: 2023-09-19

Categories and Details

2d10 x 8

Tags

Board: Large: Ten Files Rules: Castling: Three Spaces Chess V Interesting Interactive Diagram


Credits

By Kevin Pacey.

Comments

The Chess Variant Pages: Frog Chess (3) Frog Chess. Play chess with added frogs (ferz-threeleaper compound) on 10x8 board.
🔔Notification on Thu, Feb 1 08:12 PM MST:

The author, Kevin Pacey, has updated this page.


💡📝Kevin Pacey wrote on Sat, Nov 25, 2017 08:37 PM MST:

Hello Aurelian (and also to wdtr2)

You're correct about the frog movements - I think my submission gives these, although I had written thata frog's leap is "orthogonal" (apopularterm on this site), which may not be asclearas I had hoped - it's moving/leaping along a rank or file, in plain terms. By being able to leap an odd number of squares (exactly three of them) this way, a frog is not a colour-bound piece. I discovered fairly early that frogs can be a bit dangerous at times even in the opening, so in a way I'm glad I kept the whole standard chess army, i.e. with just 2 frogs only (on a 10x8 board, that is)

I'm again looking for a block of time, to do preset(s) for playing Frog Chess, as I hope to eventually (unless I have trouble with any new hurdles in making it/them).

I tried to make a 10x8 (or even 8x8) variant with a chess army plus Waffles included work to my own satisfaction, but I didn't and probably won't in future if I try again. Maybe someone else might take up the cause, although I am currently toying with the idea of a 12x8 variant like Courier Spiel (that has standard chess army plus 4 extra pieces, aside from extra pawns per side), where I might use 4 different pieces besides the standard chess army, or even be really ambitious and try to invent something like "Courier Spiel With Unlike Forces" (i.e. analogous to Betza's Chess With Different Armies). However it mght not ever be popular enough to justify the effort, especially as I don't do rules enforcing presets too well yet. I could also use board(s) with more than 8 ranks in some future variant(s) to include in each side's army a lot of fairy chess pieces, perhaps including Waffles, or those of other variant ideas I rejected earlier in my Diagram Testing Thread too. But next week may not give me much spare time to even ponder it all...

[edit: Here's a variant idea of mine that could be called Fibnif Lancers Chess, which I'll study at leisure (it has the same fast castling rules as for my earlier Wide Chess):]

The Chess Variant Pages: Frog Chess (4)

[edit: Here's a variant idea of mine that could be called Kirin Chess, which I'll study at leisure (it has the same fast castling rules as for my earlier Wide Chess):]

The Chess Variant Pages: Frog Chess (5)

[edit: Here's a variant idea of mine that could be called Horse-Wazir Chess, which I'll study at leisure (it has same fast castling rules as for my Wide Chess variant):][edit2: I'm not liking these 3 diagrammed CV ideas so much just now - perhaps they are all worse versions of e.g. Hannibal Chess, Frog Chess or Waffle Chess:]

The Chess Variant Pages: Frog Chess (6)


Aurelian Florea wrote on Fri, Nov 24, 2017 10:55 AM MST:

@Kevin

Hello,

What about your waffle (as Ralph Betza has named the WA; I forgot how you have named that piece) variant?

Moreover, If you publish the waffle varitant and build presets for both games I'd like to play you four times (preferably simultaneously) 2 games of each where in each game I have the white pieces once, and black pieces once. What do you, think, It would also be a good test :)! For now, bye !


Aurelian Florea wrote on Fri, Nov 24, 2017 10:51 AM MST:

@wdtr

Hello, A frog is a threeleaper and ferz compound meaning the length 3 jump is orthogonal not diagonal!


wdtr2 wrote on Fri, Nov 24, 2017 10:24 AM MST:

Is this ready to play? Does a 3-leap mean the frog can only leap out 3? Can it leap out 2? See the ? in the diagram.

The Chess Variant Pages: Frog Chess (7)

Also I sort of want more frogs! Remove bishops and put in frogs for a total of 4 frogs? good idea? Once you loose a frog you've lost access to 1/2 of the board. What do you think of a pond in the center where a frog can jump in (1 move), make 1 orthogonal move in the pond (2nd move), and then leap out (3rd move). This would make a diagonal switch to the other side of the board. Please invite me. I'd like to play this game with you.


List all comments and ratings for this item.

Add a comment or rating for this item.

The Chess Variant Pages is an amateur, hobbyist website that has been run by volunteers since it was founded in 1995. It focuses on documenting games based on, related to, or similar enough to Chess and on letting you play many of them.

Who What When Where Why Which How

  • Google Custom Search
  • Query Database
  • What's New
  • Alphabetical Index
  • Topic Index
  • Tags
  • Comments
  • Privacy

Operating expenses are covered through advertising and donations. Help out by making a PayPal donation or by shopping with these affiliate links:

https://ftp.chessvariants.com/rules/frog-chess
First Created: Wednesday, November 22nd, 2017
Last Modified: Tuesday, September 19th, 2023
[info] [links] [edit]

The Chess Variant Pages: Frog Chess (2024)

FAQs

What is the most complicated chess variant? ›

Due to the larger board and more powerful pieces, Ultra Chess is very rich and complex. Imagine two Warriors with the attack power of a queen, and all other pieces having full move privileges to adjacent squares.

What is the fastest variant in chess? ›

If you have an even greater need for speed there is bullet chess which, as its name suggests, is the fastest of all variants and an offshoot of blitz. It's almost always played online with players usually having just one minute to make all their moves.

What is the chess variant where you try to lose? ›

Losing chess is one of the most popular chess variants. The objective of each player is to lose all of their pieces or be stalemated, that is, a misère version. In some variations, a player may also win by checkmating or by being checkmated.

How to find fog of war in chess? ›

All you have to do is visit our Variants page and select Fog of War from the game menu. It's easy to play Fog of War on Chess.com!

What is the deadliest chess opening? ›

1.King Pawn Game: Busch-Gass Gambit (C40)
  • 1.King Pawn Game: Busch-Gass Gambit (C40) *
  • Italian Game Classical Variation, Center Attack (C53) *
  • 3.Indian Game: Lazard Gambit (A45) *
  • Budapest Defense: Fajarowicz Variation (A51) *
  • 5.Benoni Defense: General (A43) *
  • Reti Opening (A09) ...
  • Philidor Defense (C41) ...
  • 8.Vienna Game (C27)

What is the weakest chess? ›

The pawn (♙, ♟) is the most numerous and weakest piece in the game of chess. It may move one square directly forward, it may move two squares directly forward on its first move, and it may capture one square diagonally forward.

What is the perfect chess variant? ›

Perfect Chess – Green Chess. Chess variant containing all possible piece combinations of rook, bishop and knight: the queen, the chancellor, the archbishop and the superqueen. All piece combinations, including the basic pieces (rook, bishop and knight) occur exactly once on each side.

What is the secret queen variant in chess? ›

Secret Queen chess is one of the fun and thrilling variants ever created. How it works is so at the start of the game each player picks one of their 8 pawns to be their secret queen.

What is the strongest chess AI ever? ›

Stockfish has won the Top Chess Engine Championship and Chess.com Computer Chess Championship, and consistently ranks highly on rating lists.

Is chess losing popularity? ›

People have been playing chess for over 1,500 years, and yet, even today, it is still one of the fastest-growing games in the world.

What is the rarest move in chess? ›

The "rarest move" was a tie between a Doubly Disambiguated Capture Checkmate and a Doubly Disambiguated Knight Capture Checkmate for a grand total of absolutely none.

What is the anti chess variant of chess? ›

Anti-Chess (Also known as losing chess) is a variant where the objective of the game is to purposefully lose on your pieces. The first player to lose all his pieces is the winner of the game.

How can you spot a cheater in chess? ›

Cheaters will also try to vary how much time they spend too, such as taking an extra minute before playing the move the engine suggested in 3 seconds. As they often don't understand chess very well, they often do this on the most obvious moves. Time management is a very good way of catching cheaters.

What is Armageddon in chess? ›

"Armageddon: a single game guaranteed to produce a result, because Black has draw odds (that is, for Black, a draw is equal to a victory). To compensate, White has more time on the clock. Common times are 6 minutes for white and 5 for black, or 5 minutes for white and 4 for black.

What is chess blindness in chess? ›

Chess blindness is an exasperating term for missing good moves. It can happen to anyone; no matter how great you are at chess, chess blindness is just like having a blind spot. Both beginners and seasoned players must pinpoint the root causes of this phenomenon to conquer chess blindness.

Who is the hardest AI in chess? ›

Stockfish has been one of the best chess engines in the world for several years; it has won all main events of the Top Chess Engine Championship (TCEC) and the Chess.com Computer Chess Championship (CCC) since 2020 and, as of July 2024, is the strongest CPU chess engine in the world with an estimated Elo rating of 3634 ...

What is the most advanced chess AI? ›

Stockfish has won the Top Chess Engine Championship and Chess.com Computer Chess Championship, and consistently ranks highly on rating lists.

What is the most complicated chess gambit? ›

Gambits. The Ruy Lopez as well as the Najdorf are without a doubt the most insanely difficult systems to master. The mainlines of the most popular openings, those being: English, QGD, Slav, NID, QID, Gruenfeld, KID, Morphy Ruy Lopez, Berlin Ruy Lopez, Italian, French, Caro-Kann, e6 Sicilian, and d6 Sicilian.

What is the most difficult piece to make in chess? ›

The pawn is the trickiest piece because it cannot go backwards. This aspect of the pawn means that when you move it, it can never return to its old duties. It can sometimes be very tricky to figure out when is the right time to move a pawn.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: The Hon. Margery Christiansen

Last Updated:

Views: 5710

Rating: 5 / 5 (50 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: The Hon. Margery Christiansen

Birthday: 2000-07-07

Address: 5050 Breitenberg Knoll, New Robert, MI 45409

Phone: +2556892639372

Job: Investor Mining Engineer

Hobby: Sketching, Cosplaying, Glassblowing, Genealogy, Crocheting, Archery, Skateboarding

Introduction: My name is The Hon. Margery Christiansen, I am a bright, adorable, precious, inexpensive, gorgeous, comfortable, happy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.