Ask HN: What do you think of this idea for a chess variant?

This chess variant has one king and fifteen queens per side, and a piece may only move if it is adjacent to another piece of either color.

3 points | by amichail 20 hours ago

2 comments

  • Someone 20 hours ago
    Did you do anything to check this isn’t an easy win for either player?

    I don’t see one, but do not rule out one, either. A series of sacrifices could lead to a position where white’s queens have a superior position over black’s ones, or vice versa.

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    • mitchellpkt 14 hours ago
      I tried to find some way for white to force a win, but no obvious forcing sequences jumped out at me.

      Like you said, "I don’t see one, but do not rule out one, either."

      [-]
      • gus_massa 13 hours ago
        My guess is that it's possible to prove that each side can force a draw. Just exchange the queens until there are too few that you are back in a normal chess game.

        I'm not sure if I'm underestimating the number of possible moves, that is huge, but I hope not sooooooooo huge.

  • muzani 17 hours ago
    Ah, the anime variant.