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 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.
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.
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
Frog Chess. Play chess with added frogs (ferz-threeleaper compound) on 10x8 board.The author, Kevin Pacey, has updated this page.
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):]
[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):]
[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:]
@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 !
@wdtr
Hello, A frog is a threeleaper and ferz compound meaning the length 3 jump is orthogonal not diagonal!
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.
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.
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First Created: Wednesday, November 22nd, 2017
Last Modified: Tuesday, September 19th, 2023
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