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abcdefghi
9 a9 black rook b9 black knight c9 black bishop d9 black queen e9 black king f9 black empress g9 black knight h9 black bishop i9 black rook9
8 a8 black pawn b8 black pawn c8 black pawn d8 black pawn e8 black pawn f8 black pawn g8 black pawn h8 black pawn i8 black pawn8
7 a7 b7 c7 d7 e7 f7 g7 h7 i77
6 a6 b6 c6 d6 e6 f6 g6 h6 i66
5 a5 b5 c5 d5 e5 f5 g5 h5 i55
4 a4 b4 c4 d4 e4 f4 g4 h4 i44
3 a3 b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 g3 h3 i33
2 a2 white pawn b2 white pawn c2 white pawn d2 white pawn e2 white pawn f2 white pawn g2 white pawn h2 white pawn i2 white pawn2
1 a1 white rook b1 white knight c1 white bishop d1 white queen e1 white king f1 white empress g1 white knight h1 white bishop i1 white rook1
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Chancellor chess board and starting setup. Chancellors are on f1/f9. "Notice that the positions of B and N are reversed on the king's sides in order that bishop pairs are on opposite coloured squares." [1]

Chancellor chess is a chess variant invented by Benjamin R. Foster in 1887. It features all the regular chess pieces plus one chancellor and extra pawn per side, on a 9×9 board.

John Gollon, in Chess Variations: Ancient, Regional, and Modern, expressed his belief that a variant like Foster's "will be the next step to the evolution of chess", because the addition of a single piece, the chancellor, a combination of rook and knight, "preserves a symmetry of power" on the chessboard with the queen, a combination of rook and bishop. [2]

Game rules

The starting setup is as shown. All the standard rules of chess apply, but when reaching the final rank, pawns can promote to one of the usual pieces or to chancellor.

History

Chancellor chess was invented by Ben R. Foster in 1887 and was first published the same year in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Foster published a booklet titled Chancellor Chess in 1889, "dedicated to all liberal-minded chess players throughout the world". [3] An advertisement for a book by Foster on the game appeared in American Chess magazine in October 1898. The ad informed that the game was named after the new piece, the chancellor, with the board "enlarged to nine squares". [4]

See also

References

  1. ^ Pritchard (1994), p. 47
  2. ^ Gollon (1968), p. 216
  3. ^ Pritchard (1994), pp. 46–47
  4. ^ Gollon (1968), p. 214

Bibliography

  • Pritchard, D. B. (1994). The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants. Games & Puzzles Publications. ISBN  0-9524142-0-1.
  • Pritchard, D. B. (2007). "Chancellor Chess". In Beasley, John (ed.). The Classified Encyclopedia of Chess Variants. John Beasley. pp. 121–22. ISBN  978-0-9555168-0-1.
  • Gollon, John (1968). "§29 Chancellor Chess". Chess Variations • Ancient, Regional, and Modern. Charles E. Tuttle Company Inc. pp. 214–218. LCCN  06811975.

Further reading

External links