Dice chess

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This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

Dice chess is a chess variant in which the moves available to each player are determined by rolling a pair of ordinary six-sided dice. Several different versions of dice chess are known, one of which is described here.

[edit] Rules

The players alternate rolling the dice and, if possible, moving. On each of the dice, the one represents a pawn, two a knight, three a bishop, four a rook, five a queen, and six a king. The player may move either of the pieces indicated on the two dice. For example, a player rolling a one and a two may move either a pawn or a knight. A player who rolls doubles (the same number on both dice) may play any legal move. Otherwise, standard chess rules apply, with these exceptions:

• a player who has no legal move with either of the pieces indicated by the dice loses that turn;
• if castling is otherwise legal, a player may castle upon rolling a four, six, or doubles;
• an en passant capture of a pawn is possible only if the player rolls a one, or doubles, immediately once the opportunity for the en passant capture arises;
• a player who is in check can only play a legal response to that check (capturing the checking piece, moving the king, or interposing a piece);
• a player who is in check but does not make a roll allowing a legal response to the check loses that turn, but does not automatically lose the game;
• except in the unlikely event that the game ends in a draw pursuant to standard chess rules, the game ends when one player either checkmates the opponent or captures the opponent's king.

[edit] Sample game

Here is a sample game of dice chess. White rolls doubles, allowing her to play any move, and selects 1.e4. Black rolls a two and a three; no bishop move being possible, he plays 1...Nc6. White rolls a three and a four, and plays 2.Bc4. Black rolls a four and a five; since no queen move is possible, he must play the only legal rook move, 2...Rb8. White rolls a three and a six, and plays 3.Bxf7+. Black rolls a two and a four; since no knight or rook move is a legal response to the check, he must pass. (Only a six, or doubles, would have allowed him to move.) White rolls a two and a four, and chooses 4.Nh3. (A three or five would have enabled an immediate win with 4.Bxe8, 4.Qf3# or 4.Qh5#). Black rolls a one and a three; again, this does not allow a legal response to the check, so he must pass. White rolls a two and a four, and plays 5.Ng5#. (See final position at right.)