Chess with different armies (or Betza chess[1]) is a chess variant in which two sides use different sets of fairy pieces. There are several armies of equal strength to choose from, including standard FIDE army. In all armies kings and pawns are the same as in FIDE chess, but other pieces are different.
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Before the game players choose their armies in a certain way, predefined by tournament rules. This can be done either randomly or secretly by both players. Each player has a choice of 4 armies[2]: the Fabulous FIDEs, where all pieces move as in standard chess, Colorbound Clobberers, Nutty Knights or Remarkable Rookies army.
All armies are designed to be equal in strength, but have significantly different properties. kings and pawns move the same as in chess for all armies. Pawns can only promote to pieces available in either player's army at the start. The castling is done as in standard chess with exception of the case when rook replacement is a colorbound, like in colorbound clobberers army. In the latter case the king when castling long moves to b1 and rook replacement to c1. This is so colorbound pieces don't change square color.
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Fers.
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Alfil, can jump.
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Wazir.
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Dabbaba, can jump.
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Many pieces in the following armies are combination of standard chess pieces and 4 fairy pieces: fers, alfil, wazir and dabbaba (see their movement diagrams above). The game can be played with standard chess pieces and the following move diagrams use standard pieces as well (except queens).
Bede. Moves as bishop or dabbaba. Can jump by orthogonal moves.
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FAD. Moves as fers, alfil or dabbaba (hence the name.) Can jump for all moves.
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Waffle. Moves as wazir or alfil. Can jump by diagonal moves.
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Fibnif. Moves as fers or as a knight for its two longest forwards and backwards moves.
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Short rook. Moves as rook, but not more than 4 spaces.
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Half duck. Moves as fers or dabbaba or jump 3 squares in orthogonal directions.
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Woody rook. Moves as dabbaba or as wazir. Can jump for all moves.
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The four armies described above were play tested by Ralph Betza and selected as most balanced ones. There are other armies, invented by Betza and other people:
In initial version of the game there were 8 armies[1] and in these armies the king moved differently than the king in the standard chess. Instead of normal pawns, fairy pawns could be selected, for example berolina pawns. However, later Betza abandoned the idea of using fairy pieces for king and pawn[10] and reduced the number of armies to four.