Antichess

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Antichess, also called losing chess, loser's chess, zero chess, giveaway chess, or suicide chess, is a chess variant in which the objective of the participants is to get all of their pieces captured. The most widely played variation, as described in the book Popular Chess Variants by D.B. Pritchard, is described below.

The rules of the game are the same as those of chess except for the following additional rules:

  • Capturing is compulsory;
  • When more than one capture is available, the player may exercise choice;
  • The king has no special prerogative and accordingly:
    • It may be captured like any other piece;
    • There is no check or checkmate;
    • Castling is not allowed;
    • Pawns may also promote to King;
  • In the case of stalemate, the winner is the player with fewer pieces. If the number is equal, the game is drawn.

A player wins by forcing the opponent to stalemate him so that he has fewer pieces than his opponent. (Losing all your pieces is a special case of this.) Apart from move repetition, mutual accord and the 50-move rule, the game is also drawn when a win is impossible; for example, if a dark-squared bishop and a light-squared bishop are the only pieces remaining. In another little-played version, forcing your opponent to checkmate your king is another option to win.

Because of the forced capture rule, antichess games often involve long sequences of forced captures by one player. This means that a minor mistake can ruin the whole game. Losing openings include 1.b4, 1.d3, 1.d4, 1.e4, 1.f4, 1.h3, 1.h4, 1.Nf3 and 1.Nc3 (algebraic chess notation). Some of these openings took months of computer time to solve, but the wins against 1.d3, 1.d4, and 1.e4 consist of a single series of forced captures, and can be played from memory by most experienced players.

See also: chess terminology.

[edit] In other languages

  • Bosnian: Bujrum
  • Danish: Selvmordsskak (Suicide chess), Første-mand-af-brættet (First-man-off-the-board)
  • Dutch: Weggeefschaak
  • French: Qui Perd Gagne; QPG (Whoever loses wins)
  • German: Räuberschach (Bandit chess), in southern dialects also Fressschach (Devouring chess, old spelling: Freßschach). Yet another name is Schlagschach (Capture chess) — however, it can also refer to a special variant of antichess in which players are allowed to capture their own pieces.
  • Hungarian: Franciasakk (French chess)
  • Icelandic: Drepskák (Killing chess)
  • Italian: Vinciperdi (Win by losing)
  • Slovenian: Žri!; Žeri-žeri (Devour this up)
  • Spanish: Comepiezas (Eat pieces), Cómeme (Eat me), Come-Come (Eat-Eat)
  • Swedish: Offerschack

[edit] External links

[edit] Internet sites where antichess can be played

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