History Main / VariantChess

* Games like shogi (Japanese chess) and xiangqi (Chinese chess) are related and similar to international chess; both Western/international chess and these games themselves started as variants of the Indian game ''chaturanga''. Some of these games, like makruk (Thai chess) can be played on an international chess board with the same pieces.

* ''BlakesSeven'' had Vila (with covert help from Orac) beating The Clute at "speed chess", where you bet your life you win.

** In DianeDuane's ''My Enemy, My Ally'', Kirk has gotten a bit bored with "traditional" 3D chess and so his recreation chief creates a 4D variant using a cubic version of the chessboard and very precise [[ChekhovsGun transporters]]. [=McCoy=] then has a CrowningMomentOfAwesome when he beats Spock at it. When he had never played it before. ''From a position where Kirk was about to resign''. DianeDuane [[{{Understatement}} really]] [[AuthorAppeal likes]] [=McCoy=].

** The ExpandedUniverse gives the name of the game as Dejarik. An interesting AlternateCharacterInterpretation has Chewie and R2-D2 being the single most important operatives in the entire Rebel Alliance, making this one of many rematches...

** The ExpandedUniverse gives the name of the game as Dejarik.

* ''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' has [[RecycledInSpace space chess]], played in three dimesions using a cube of intersecting light beams and neutral-bouyancy balloon pieces.
* In the StarTrek ExpandedUniverse novel ''The Final Reflection'', by [=~John M. Ford~=], the protagonist's father studies other races through their chess-equivalents. Of the several mentioned in the novel, ''klin zha'', the Klingon game, is of particular and recurring significance.

* ''GodelEscherBach'' proposes a game in which (certain parameters of) the rules are represented as pieces on a second chessboard, so that on your turn you can move a piece or change the rules. Or there could be only one board, so that on your turn you are moving a piece ''and'' changing the rules. Unsurprisingly, [[{{Defictionalization}} some afficionados have actually tried this out]].

* ''[=~Blake's Seven~=]'' had Vila (with covert help from Orac) beating The Clute at "speed chess", where you bet your life you win.

* When ''JimmyNeutron'' used his super science to [[FlowersForAlgernon make Sheen super-smart]], the teaching montage they went through had Sheen win at a game of three-tiered chess, and ''then'' a normal game of chess.

Very much present in RealLife - The {{Wikipedia}} article on [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant Chess Variants]] puts the number at over 2000 (and that's only counting published ones), with the amount perhaps unlimited. Some of these even enjoy a fair following. See also [[http://www.chessvariants.org/ this page]].

* When ''JimmyNeutron'' used his super science to [[FlowersForAlgernon make Sheen super-smart]], the teaching montage they went through had Sheen win at a game of three-tiered chess, and ''then'' a normal game of chess. [[FridgeBrilliance Being smarter helps him understand chess much quicker, and appreciate the strategy and nuance behind it]].

** In ''The Wildebeest Implementation", Sheldon invents three player chess, which includes [[{{Calvinball a lot of new pieces and complicated moves.]]

** In ''The Wildebeest Implementation", Sheldon invents three player chess, which includes a lot of new pieces and complicated moves.

"Fantastic Chess", "Wizard Chess", and "Future" or "Space Chess" are more specific terms based on setting. HumanChess is a subtrope (so see that page for those examples). Also see SmartPeoplePlayChess. HouseRules can act as a SuperTrope or a [[JustifiedTrope Justification]] depending on the circumstances.

* [[http://www.omegachess.com/ Omega Chess]] deserves special mention as it gives the impression of actually having the intent to take the place in mainstream board-games on which Chess has historically held a monopoly. YMMV on its odds of succeeding though.

* A WallBanger moment in the ''{{Storm}}'' comics has the protagonist teaching a whole city to abandon their bloody gladiatorial games because chess is so much more fun.

* In the IsaacAsimov's novel ''Pebble in the Sky'', set thousands of years in the future, it is mentioned that 3d and other futuristic variants of chess exist, though the game that features as a plot point is of the common sort.

* Chess, or "shah", is played on both worlds of Raymond E Feist's ''Riftwar Saga''.

* Since ''[[TheCulture/ThePlayerOfGames The Player Of Games]]'' revolves around the protagonist's unsurpassed game-playing ability, it's unsurprising that a lot of the games that get mentioned are variants on the abstract strategy theme. [[CalvinBall Azad]] itself is somewhat chess-like, except for the room-sized board ... [[{{Dissimile}} and the changing pieces ... and the multiple side games.]]
* The John Carter books by Edgar Rice Burroughs features a Martian Chess, called Jetan. In the book ''The Chessmen of Mars'', they play it with live pieces.
* Gor has its own chess variant, ''Kaissa''. Although it features quite often, the rules are never explained in detail. It serves as a vehicle for sermonising (''Tarnsman of Gor''), a game played for the hero's life (''Assassin of Gor''), a means to fraternise with the locals (''Marauders of Gor'') and others besides.

* One of the things that gets interrupted by the Batphone in the old {{Batman}} TV series is a game of chess, played on four or five layered boards.

* Triplicate Girl from the ''Legion Of Superheroes'' sometimes splits in three and plays against herself in a game of chess. The chess board is, of course, in two of her colours (orange and purple), and the pieces float above the board. One wonders, though, how she tells the difference between the identical, triangular pieces.

-->Strategy is limited to each player waiting for the other to make the first move. End of game is followed by deathly silence. Unlike old-fashioned chess, there is no winner. There is also no loser. After several years, the radiation subsides enough to permit another game to begin ... if there's anyone left to play it.

* When ''JimmyNeutron'' used his super science to [[FlowersForAlgernon make Sheen super-smart]], the teaching montage they went through had Sheen win at a game of three-tiered chess, and ''then'' a normal game of chess.[[FridgeBrilliance Being smarter helps him understand chess much quicker, and appreciate the strategy and nuance behind it]].

* When JimmyNeutron used his super science to [[FlowersForAlgernon make Sheen super-smart]], the teaching montage they went through had Sheen win at a game of three-tiered chess, and ''then'' a normal game of chess. Perhaps becoming smarter also gave Sheen a long enough attention span to play "boring" games.
** ...or, [[FridgeBrilliance being smarter helps him understand chess much quicker, and appreciate the strategy and nuance behind it]]. (yes, the writers didn't think that far, but it makes sense)

*Triplicate Girl from the Legion Of Superheroes sometimes splits in three and plays against herself in a game of chess. The chess board is, of course, in two of her colours(orange and purple), and the pieces float above the board. One wonders, though, how she tells the difference between the identical, triangular pieces.

"Fantastic Chess", "Wizard Chess", and "Future Chess" are more specific terms based on setting. HumanChess is a subtrope (so see that page for those examples). Also see SmartPeoplePlayChess. HouseRules can act as a SuperTrope or a [[JustifiedTrope Justification]] depending on the circumstances.