View source for Grand Chess

{{Short description|Chess variant}}
{{distinguish|Grant Acedrex}}
{{Chess diagram 10x10
 |align=tright
 |fen=r8r/1nbqkcabn1/pppppppppp/10/10/10/10/PPPPPPPPPP/1NBQKCABN1/R8R
 |footer=Grand Chess starting setup. [[Empress (chess)|Marshals]] are on f2/f9; [[Princess (chess)|cardinals]] are on g2/g9.
}}

'''Grand Chess''' is a large-board [[chess variant]] invented by Dutch games designer [[Christian Freeling]] in 1984.<ref>{{cite web |title=Christian Freeling's Grand Chess |last1=Bodlaender |first1=Hans |author-link1=Hans Bodlaender |last2=Brown |first2=John William |website=[[The Chess Variant Pages]] |url=http://www.chessvariants.org/large.dir/freeling.html |access-date=2008-12-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514060111/http://www.chessvariants.org/large.dir/freeling.html |archive-date=2011-05-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Giraffes, Viziers and Wizards: Variations on the Old Game |author=Dylan Loeb McClain |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=2007-08-19 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/crosswords/chess/19chess.html |access-date=2008-12-07}}</ref>  It is played on a 10×10 [[Chessboard|board]], with each side having two additional pawns and two new pieces: the ''marshal'' and the ''cardinal''.<ref>Pritchard (1994), p. 129</ref>

* [[Image:Chess clt45.svg|Marshal|30px]] The [[empress (chess)|marshal]] (M) combines powers of a [[rook (chess)|rook]] and a [[knight (chess)|knight]].
* [[Image:Chess alt45.svg|Cardinal|30px]] The [[princess (chess)|cardinal]] (C) combines powers of a [[bishop (chess)|bishop]] and a [[knight (chess)|knight]].
Grand Chess uses the same pieces as the earlier variant [[Capablanca chess]], but differs in board size, start position, rules governing pawn moves and promotion, and castling.

A series of Grand Chess Cyber World Championship matches was sponsored by the Dutch game site MindSports.{{efn|[http://www.mindsports.nl/ MindSports]}}   Grand Chess tournaments were held annually beginning in 1998 by the (now defunct) [[Correspondence chess|correspondence]] game club NOST.{{efn|NOST (kNights of the Square Table), formed in 1960 by Bob Lauzon and Jim France, held an annual convention and enjoyed several hundred active members {{harvcol|Pritchard|1994|p=210}}.}}  [[Larry Kaufman]] has written that Grand Chess "really is an excellent game and deserves a bigger following".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shogi.net/shogi-l/Archive/1999/Nfeb07-06.txt|title=No Subject|last=Kaufman|first=Larry|author-link=Larry Kaufman|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108102947/http://www.shogi.net/shogi-l/Archive/1999/Nfeb07-06.txt|archive-date=2020-11-08|url-status=live|quote=So Grand chess, despite its meager following, scores an amazing 6 1/4 out of 8 on my criteria, by far the best so far.  It really is an excellent game and deserves a bigger following.}}</ref>
{{AN chess|pos=toc}}

==Rules==
[[File:Grand Chess set.jpg|thumb|Grand Chess set]]
The pieces are placed on the players' first and second {{chessgloss|ranks}}, respectively, with the rooks alone on the players' first ranks. The pawns are placed on the players' third ranks. Since the rooks are not blocked as much by the other pieces as in [[Chess|standard chess]], it is easier for them to activate earlier in the game.

A pawn that reaches a player's eighth or ninth ranks can elect to either promote or remain a pawn, but it {{em|must}} promote upon reaching the tenth rank. Unlike standard chess, a pawn may be promoted only to a captured piece of the same colour. (So, it is impossible for either side to own two queens, or two marshals, or three rooks, etc.) If, and for as long as, no captured piece is available to promote to, a pawn on a player's ninth rank must stay on the ninth rank, but it can still give [[check (chess)|check]].

As in standard chess: pawns can move one or two squares on their first move; pawns can capture ''[[en passant]]''; [[checkmate]] is a win;  [[stalemate]] is a draw. There is no [[castling]] in Grand Chess.{{efn|"We're so used to castling that we tend to forget that it is the weirdest move in Chess, implemented specifically to solve a problem. Chess turned out a great game despite its problem, but it needed an ad hoc fix to do so. In grand chess, pawns retain their usual distance and rooks are free from the onset, so the problem doesn't exist in the first place." —&thinsp;Freeling}}
{{clear}}

==Examples==

===Vehre vs. Schmittberger, 2001===
{{Chess diagram 10x10 small
 |align=tright
 |fen=r1k2r2a1/4R5/p1p1C2ppp/2pn6/3p6/3b1N4/3P2PP2/PPP4P1P/10/4R1K3
 |footer=Final position after 29.Mxe8 
}}
Played between John Vehre and R. Wayne Schmittberger at the 2001 Grand Chess Cyber Championship Final:

:1.f5 f6 2.Nh4 Nh7 3.g4 g7 4.Nc4 Nc7 5.d4 d7 6.e5 Bd8{{chesspunc|!}} 7.Rje1 Kd10 8.Kf1 fxe5 9.Ncxe5{{chesspunc|?!}} Kc9 10.Re2? Kb9 11.Kg1 Rjf10 12.Bd3 e6 13.Rf1 Mh10?! 14.Nc4 Ci10 15.Nd6 exf5 16.Bxf5 Bd5 17.Ci1 Bxh4 18.ixh4 g6{{chesspunc|?}} 19.Rfe1 gxf5 20.Nxf5! Qd8 21.Bxc7 Qxc7 22.Re9+ Kc10 23.Cxc7 bxc7 24.Qf4 d6 25.Qe3 Mg8 26.Me2 Nf6 27.Qe7 Nd7 28.Qe8+ Mxe8 29.Mxe8 {{chessAN|1–0}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.samiam.org/grandchess/2001-VS.html |title=Vehre vs. Schmittberger, 2001 |last=Vehre|first=John|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220329044702/https://www.samiam.org/grandchess/2001-VS.html|archive-date=2022-03-29|url-status=live|publisher=www.samiam.org |date=2001 |accessdate=2021-05-11}}</ref> [Annotations by Vehre]

===Fool's mate===
{{Chess diagram 10x10 small
 |align=tleft
 |fen=r4q3r/1nb1kcabn1/ppAppppppp/10/10/10/10/PPPPPPPPPP/1NBQKC1BN1/R8R
 |footer=Position after 3.Cxc8#
}}

1.Cf4 Qd10 2.Ce6 Qf10{{chesspunc|??}} 3.Cxc8{{chessAN|#}}
{{clear}}

===Composition===
{{Chess diagram 10x10 small
| align=tleft
| fen=10/9k/10/7P2/8K1/10/10/10/10/Q9
| footer={{hidden |multiline=y |ta1=left |Mate in 2<br />{{nobold|by [[Pal Benko]]}} |{{em|Solution:}} 1.Qj10+ Kxj10 2.h8{{=}}C#}}
}}
{{clear}}

==Embassy chess==
{{Chess diagram 8x10 small
|align=tright
|fen=rnbqkcabnr/pppppppppp/10/10/10/10/PPPPPPPPPP/RNBQKCABNR
|footer=Embassy chess starting position
}}
Embassy chess is a variant of Grand Chess created in 2005 by Kevin Hill. It borrows the opening setup from Grand Chess and adapts it to the 10×8 board.  Except for the setup, the rules are as per [[Capablanca chess]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chessvariants.com/large.dir/embassy.html|title=Embassy Chess|last1=Duniho|first1=Fergus|website=[[The Chess Variant Pages]]}}</ref>

There are multiple chess engines that can play Embassy chess, including [[ChessV]], [[Zillions of Games]] with a [http://www.chessvariants.org/index/zillions.php?itemid=zLargeChessthird-party rules file], Sjaak 2,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eglebbk.dds.nl/program/chess-index.html|title=Chess (Jazz & Sjaak) home|website=www.eglebbk.dds.nl}}</ref> and Fairy-Stockfish.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/ianfab/Fairy-Stockfish|title=GitHub – ianfab/Fairy-Stockfish: chess variant engine supporting Grand Chess, Embassy chess, xiangqi, shogi, janggi, makruk, S-Chess, Crazyhouse, Bughouse, and many more|website=GitHub}}</ref>

Embassy chess can be played against other people on [https://brainking.com/en/GameRules?tp=41 BrainKing] and [https://www.evochess.com/chess-variant/embassy EvoChess].
{{clear left}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|35em}}

'''Bibliography'''
*{{cite magazine
 |last=Hochberg |first=Burt |author-link=Burt Hochberg
 |date=August 1997
 |title=Don't be Scared, It's Still Chess
 |magazine=[[Chess Life]]
 |pages=744–45 (pp. 48–49 in PDF)
 |url=http://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/CL-AND-CR-ALL/CL-ALL/1997/1997_08.pdf
 }}
*{{cite book
 |last=Pritchard
 |first=D. B.
 |author-link=David Pritchard (chess player)
 |title=The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants
 |publisher=Games & Puzzles Publications
 |year=1994
 |contribution=Grand Chess
 |pages=129–30
 |isbn=0-9524142-0-1}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite magazine 
 |editor-last=Beasley
 |editor-first=John D.
 |title=Grand Chess
 |publisher=[[British Chess Variants Society]]
 |magazine=Variant Chess 
 |date=January 2010
 |volume=8
 |issue=63
 |pages=142–44
 |issn=0958-8248}}
*{{cite magazine
 |last=Gardner
 |first=Tony
 |title=The Grand Chess Corner
 |magazine=Abstract Games
 |publisher=Carpe Diem Publishing
 |editor-last=Handscomb
 |editor-first=Kerry 
 |date=2000–2002
 |issue=3–12
 |issn=1492-0492}}
*{{cite magazine 
 |last=Horne
 |first=Malcolm
 |title=Grand Chess
 |publisher=[[British Chess Variants Society]]
 |editor-last=Wood
 |editor-first=Peter C.
 |magazine=Variant Chess 
 |date=Spring 1996
 |volume=2
 |issue=19
 |pages=181–82, 184
 |issn=0958-8248}}
*{{cite magazine 
 |last=Horne
 |first=Malcolm
 |title=Grand Chess: The Yerevan Games
 |publisher=[[British Chess Variants Society]]
 |editor-last=Jelliss
 |editor-first=George P.
 |magazine=Variant Chess 
 |date=Summer 1997
 |volume=3
 |issue=24
 |pages=71–72
 |issn=0958-8248}}
*{{cite book
 |last=Pritchard
 |first=D. B.
 |author-link=David Pritchard (chess player)
 |editor-last=Beasley
 |editor-first=John
 |title=The Classified Encyclopedia of Chess Variants
 |publisher=John Beasley
 |year=2007
 |contribution=Grand Chess [Freeling]  
 |page=124
 |isbn=978-0-9555168-0-1}}
*{{cite book
 |last=Schmittberger
 |first=R. Wayne
 |title=New Rules for Classic Games
 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons Inc
 |year=1992
 |contribution=Grand Chess
 |pages=205–06
 |isbn=978-0471536215
 |url-access=registration
 |url=https://archive.org/details/newrulesforclass00rway
 }}
*{{cite magazine
 |last=Vehre
 |first=John
 |title=The Grand Chess Corner
 |magazine=Abstract Games
 |publisher=Carpe Diem Publishing
 |editor-last=Handscomb
 |editor-first=Kerry 
 |date=2003
 |issue=13–14
 |issn=1492-0492}}

==External links==
*{{official website|1=http://www.mindsports.nl/Arena/GrandChess/}}
* [http://www.samiam.org/grandchess/2001-VS.html 2001 Cyber World Championship game] annotated by John Vehre
* [http://www.mayhematics.com/s/grand.htm Grand Chess: The Yerevan Games] by Malcolm Horne 
* [http://www.chessvariants.com/large.dir/freeling.html Christian Freeling's Grand Chess] by [[Hans Bodlaender]], ''[[The Chess Variant Pages]]''
*{{bgg|30596|Grand Chess}}
* [http://www.pathguy.com/chess/GrandChs.htm Grand Chess] a simple program by Ed Friedlander <span style="font-size:0.95em; font-weight:bold;">([[Java (programming language)|Java]])</span>

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[[Category:Board games introduced in 1984]]