Wide SOHO Chess
Wide SOHO Chess is Chess on a 12x10 board with Archbishops and Marshalls, plus Champions and FADs; Wizards and Cannons are also added. The variant's name and design was inspired by Shako, Omega Chess, Hannibal Chess and Opulent Chess, to varying degrees. The game also has a resemblance to TenCubed Chess IMHO, in hindsight. Note that a Champion plus a K can force mate vs. lone K (on 12x10) in 47 moves maximum - Dr. H.G. Muller, citing endgame tables, which was another inspiration for this variant's design.
A preset is available for play on Game Courier.
Setup
Pieces
In this game six unorthodox piece types are used:
The Champion (CH) is a triple compound piece that moves like a wazir (one square orthogonally, that is by rank or file) or like an alfil (i.e. leaps 2 squares diagonally), or like a dabbabah (i.e. leaps 2 squares orthogonally).
The FAD (!F) is a triple compound piece that moves like a ferz (one square diagonally) or like an alfil (i.e. leaps 2 squares diagonally) or like a dabbabah (i.e. leaps 2 squares orthogonally).
The Cannon (C) moves as a rook but must hop over an intervening piece to capture.
The Wizard (WZ) may leap one space diagonally, as a ferz does, or it may make an angular 1-3 leap, as a camel does.
The Archbishop (A) moves like a knight or like a bishop.
The Marshall (M) moves like a knight or like a rook.
Rules
Castling occurs on the 2nd rank between the king & either rook, with conditions as in chess, except the king moves 3 squares sideways towards the unmoved rook being castled with (as in Capablanca Chess). Pawns act standardly too (e.g. an initial 2-step move & en passant capture allowed), the only difference is that they still promote on the last rank, but any of the piece types in the setup may be selected, except for a king.
Threefold repetition of position or stalemate is a draw as in standard chess, and the 50 move rule is also in effect in Wide SOHO Chess (i.e. game drawn if no captures or pawn moves have been made before 50 consecutive moves by both sides).
Notes
I'd estimate the values for this 12x10 game (in the endgame at least) as: P=1; C=2.75; N=2.83(or 2.75 approx.); FAD=CH=3.48(or 3.5 approx.); WZ=3.56(or 3.5 approx.); B=3.75; R=5.5; A=B+N+P=7.58(or 7.5 approx.); M=R+N+P=9.33(or 9.25 approx.); Q=R+B+P=10.25; K's fighting value=2.13(or 2.1 approx.). Also note that all the pawns are protected in the setup.
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: 2023-12-25. Web page last updated: 2024-01-26