Chess (Western chess) is a board game that is played between two players with a chess board. The chessboard is square-shaped and contains 64 squares arranged on an 8 by 8 grid. Each player during a chess match starts with sixteen different pieces. Each player has one king and queen, two rooks, knights, and bishops, and eight pawns. Every unique piece on a chess board has unique ways of traveling up and down the chessboard. Both player in a game of chess has the goal of using the pieces to checkmate the opponent’s king. This means that the king is under attack, and there is no possible move that will deem the king safe from the attack. If a king is in check, it means it is being attacked, but there is a move that will keep it safe, either by moving the king or another piece to block the attack.

Although this is the standard way in which to play chess, there are many other variants of the game that have been invented and some which have become extremely popular in the chess community. Chess variants explore new ways in playing chess, altering the standard game slightly for added strategy, or making such changes that the original game is no longer recognizable. There are several main ways to change the game of chess to another variant, although to be considered a chess variant, it must resemble the original game in one way or another. A chess variant may:

• Have an altered board, both in shape and/or size. The spaces on the board may also be altered in shape from the standard square.

• Have the addition or subtraction of pieces from the standard game of chess. A type of chess piece that is not in the standard game is commonly referred to as a fairy piece.

• Have a different set of rules for playing chess. This can include alternate rules for capturing pieces, moving the pieces, or the goal of winning a game may be changed as well.

Some chess variants that are commonly played throughout the world are much older than the standard form of Western chess. These games typically share a common origin of play and are quite similar in strategy and the way it is played.

Another type of chess variant are chess problems. Playing chess problems is not like playing a typical game of chess. Rather, pieces are arranged in a certain position and a player is challenged to perform a specific task or reaching a certain goal before the game ends. For example, pieces may be lined up in a certain arrangement and a player may be challenged to complete a checkmate within a certain amount of moves. These types of chess variants require a firm grasp of the game and a great amount of skill and precision.

Some classic examples of chess variants include:

• Upside down chess (chess pieces are switched so that the pawns are one space away from being promoted);

• 3D Chess (Chess board has multiple platforms, similar to 3D tic-tac-toe);

• Chess 960 (the pieces on the 1st rank are randomized).