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Description
UPDATE: I've removed the Monk piece and made changes to the layout which I feel improve the game. This will probably be the last time I edit this variant.

IMPORTANT: If anyone with experience of these sort would care to give me a rough estimate on piece values, that'd be great.

Finally, after months of testing, I believe I've finally done it. I've invented the smallest chess variant ever, the largest chess variant ever, and one that combines European, Chinese and Japanese Chess. Now, I believe the game is finally perfected. And unlike my other variants, I could see myself actually being willing to play this one.

The name "Chess 3000" comes from the fact that it is a projection of how I can see chess evolving over centuries. The flanks and corner squares are derived from two of my favorite chess variants: Omega Chess [link] and Dragon Chess [link] as are the Champion, Wizard and Dragon pieces. It also contains a few of my personal touches, which I believe add a great deal of new strategy to the game, along with remedying the same problems corrected by the games from which it is derived.

The Pieces:

King: Moves one square in any direction. Subject to check, checkmate and all that other fun stuff. Castling is three squares toward either Rook.

Queen: Rides any number of squares in any direction. Optionally, may "guard" (the equivalent of castling) under the same conditions as the King (cannot have moved, must not be in danger, must not pass through danger, may not be guarded by a Rook that has moved). Considered a very powerful piece, but even if it is lost, the game does not become too slow or boring.

Bishop: Rides any number of squares diagonally.

Knight: The Knight moves as in Orthodox Chess, but it may move as a Zebra instead, meaning it may move in a (1,2) jump OR a (2,3) jump. This increases the Knight's power AND gives it a boost in range, remedying Omega Chess' only visible flaw (the weakening of the Knight due to the larger board).

Dragon: Derived from Dragon Chess, which is named after it, obviously. The Dragon has one of the strangest moves, as it rides one or two spaces in any direction, but may jump exactly three squares in any direction. In other words, if a piece is adjacent to a Dragon, it may move three squares in that direction, but NOT two.

Rook: Rides any number of squares orthogonally.

Wizard: Moves one square diagonally or makes a (1,3) jump. Derived from Omega Chess.

Champion: Derived from Omega Chess, the Champion can jump two squares in any direction, or can move one square in any orthogonal direction. A powerful short-range piece which is vulnerable to riders, but can easily slay a Dragon if it has a good shield (another piece between it and the Dragon), since the Dragon cannot jump two squares.

Pawn: Moves one square forward, captures one square diagonally forward, may ride without capturing 1-3 squares forward if it has not moved yet. The Pawn, being the weakest piece, has been modified to give it a small boost and to take advantage of the 12-square side flanks: In addition to its normal moves, the Pawn may move one square left, right or backward without capturing. Upon reaching the opponent's home row, a Pawn MUST promote. It may promote to any piece except a King. Thus, a Pawn cannot technically capture into a corner square.

The fifty-move rule is as normal, with castling done three squares toward a Rook and en passant as in Omega Chess.

However, one new rule has been added: Players may pass a turn, gestured by tapping the king and leaving it where it is. If a player passes their turn and their opponent then passes, the first player must make a move, even if it is detrimental. If this results in a stalemate, the player who delivered stalemate wins. A player who bares their opponent's king also wins, as long as their opponent is not capable of baring their king on their next move. Two bared kings, obviously, is draw by insufficient mating material.

Lastly, an explanation on the positioning of the Champions: The game has enough Pawns already, and that was the best place I could put them without allowing a very powerful piece (Queen, Rook, Dragon) to get out early and wreak havoc. It should be noted that every piece except the Pawn and the King is capable of delivering checkmate on its own thanks to the corner squares, so there are no "major" or "minor" pieces, just riders, leapers and one hybrid.

Anyway, that's that. It's not exactly the future of Chess, but in some far-flung alternate reality, I could see this happening.

Chess 3000 is copyrighted to me. Enjoy. Just don't steal.

Description
UPDATE: I've removed the Monk piece and made changes to the layout which I feel improve the game. This will probably be the last time I edit this variant.

IMPORTANT: If anyone with experience of these sort would care to give me a rough estimate on piece values, that'd be great.

Finally, after months of testing, I believe I've finally done it. I've invented the smallest chess variant ever, the largest chess variant ever, and one that combines European, Chinese and Japanese Chess. Now, I believe the game is finally perfected. And unlike my other variants, I could see myself actually being willing to play this one.

The name "Chess 3000" comes from the fact that it is a projection of how I can see chess evolving over centuries. The flanks and corner squares are derived from two of my favorite chess variants: Omega Chess [link] and Dragon Chess [link] as are the Champion, Wizard and Dragon pieces. It also contains a few of my personal touches, which I believe add a great deal of new strategy to the game, along with remedying the same problems corrected by the games from which it is derived.

The Pieces:

King: Moves one square in any direction. Subject to check, checkmate and all that other fun stuff. Castling is three squares toward either Rook.

Queen: Rides any number of squares in any direction. Optionally, may "guard" (the equivalent of castling) under the same conditions as the King (cannot have moved, must not be in danger, must not pass through danger, may not be guarded by a Rook that has moved). Considered a very powerful piece, but even if it is lost, the game does not become too slow or boring.

Bishop: Rides any number of squares diagonally.

Knight: The Knight moves as in Orthodox Chess, but it may move as a Zebra instead, meaning it may move in a (1,2) jump OR a (2,3) jump. This increases the Knight's power AND gives it a boost in range, remedying Omega Chess' only visible flaw (the weakening of the Knight due to the larger board).

Dragon: Derived from Dragon Chess, which is named after it, obviously. The Dragon has one of the strangest moves, as it rides one or two spaces in any direction, but may jump exactly three squares in any direction. In other words, if a piece is adjacent to a Dragon, it may move three squares in that direction, but NOT two.

Rook: Rides any number of squares orthogonally.

Wizard: Moves one square diagonally or makes a (1,3) jump. Derived from Omega Chess.

Champion: Derived from Omega Chess, the Champion can jump two squares in any direction, or can move one square in any orthogonal direction. A powerful short-range piece which is vulnerable to riders, but can easily slay a Dragon if it has a good shield (another piece between it and the Dragon), since the Dragon cannot jump two squares.

Pawn: Moves one square forward, captures one square diagonally forward, may ride without capturing 1-3 squares forward if it has not moved yet. The Pawn, being the weakest piece, has been modified to give it a small boost and to take advantage of the 12-square side flanks: In addition to its normal moves, the Pawn may move one square left, right or backward without capturing. Upon reaching the opponent's home row, a Pawn MUST promote. It may promote to any piece except a King. Thus, a Pawn cannot technically capture into a corner square.

The fifty-move rule is as normal, with castling done three squares toward a Rook and en passant as in Omega Chess.

However, one new rule has been added: Players may pass a turn, gestured by tapping the king and leaving it where it is. If a player passes their turn and their opponent then passes, the first player must make a move, even if it is detrimental. If this results in a stalemate, the player who delivered stalemate wins. A player who bares their opponent's king also wins, as long as their opponent is not capable of baring their king on their next move. Two bared kings, obviously, is draw by insufficient mating material.

Lastly, an explanation on the positioning of the Champions: The game has enough Pawns already, and that was the best place I could put them without allowing a very powerful piece (Queen, Rook, Dragon) to get out early and wreak havoc. It should be noted that every piece except the Pawn and the King is capable of delivering checkmate on its own thanks to the corner squares, so there are no "major" or "minor" pieces, just riders, leapers and one hybrid.

Anyway, that's that. It's not exactly the future of Chess, but in some far-flung alternate reality, I could see this happening.

Chess 3000 is copyrighted to me. Enjoy. Just don't steal.