Rediscovering the Chess of Yesteryears: The Forgotten Rules of the game

The ancient game of chess has evolved over the centuries, it's been a captivating journey filled with twists and turns. While modern chess follows a set of well-established rules, there's a hidden treasure of forgotten variants that once defined the battlefield on the board. Picture this: kings who weren't bound to a mere two squares during castling, but had the freedom to choose one, two, or even three. And what about a chessboard where every square is painted in the same colour, breaking the traditional black-and-white mold? These intriguing peculiarities have all contributed to the chess we cherish today. Our quest takes us on a exploration of these forgotten chess rules. It's a journey into chess's rich history, where tradition meets innovation. While these rules may no longer hold its ground in official chess circles, their legacy lives on in the form of inspired variants that continue to breathe new life into this ancient game. So, lets dive into the unknown territory and come out with some fascinating rules that ruled the board!

1. Pawn Push Moves:

In the early days, pawns were content with their modest single-square starting moves. Unlike today when we can move the pawns two squares whenever we want to. The pawn moving two squares instead of one was introduced around 1500. Till then the pawns were only allowed to move one square at a time. Later the en-passant rule was also added around the 1560, when the famous chess loving Ruy Lopez adopted it in his game. Subsequently it was adopted in France, England and Germany.

2. Castling Rules with Varied King Movement:

Imagine a realm where kings weren't confined to moving just two squares during castling, but had a number of choices: one, two, or even three squares! The castling rules of old were remarkably flexible, empowering players to tailor their moves to their tactical instincts. Ponder the strategies that could have emerged from this variation. Yet, as chess evolved, the modern two-square castling rule emerged, promoting smoother gameplay and clearer intentions.

3. Vertical Castling:

Imagine what if castling wasn't limited to horizontal movement, but extended vertically within the same column? Yes you read it right, Vertical castling. Here the rule stays the same, you cannot castle if you move your rook or your king!. So how can you castle vertically then? The only way to do that is if you promote a rook on the e8/e1 square. Then and then only you can castle vertically, and we can call it “Super long castling”.

This ingenious possibility was discovered by Max Pam and beautifully illustrated by Tim Krabbe in an unusual chess problem. Here I have mentioned a beautiful problem which is a “Mate in 3” but with a twist.

Answer- 1.e7 Kxf3 2.e8 (R) d4 3.0-0#

1. e7 gxf3 2.e8 (Q)+ Kd3 3.0-0-0#

1.e7 Kxf3 2. e8 (R) Kg2 3. 0-0-0-0#

(Here the king will go two squares vertically(e3 square) and the rook will come next to the king on e2 square, delivering the checkmate)

4. King travelling like a knight!:

Yes, you read it right, the king could move like a knight in the older times. In the older form of chess that is chaturanga, a king could travel in a L shape like a knight does. Though the difference is the knight can move for as long as the game is going on. On the contrary the king could travel only once to save himself from the attackers. Though now a days this rule doesn't exist but I imagine it'll be fun to try it out once in the practice games!

5. Leaving the Pawn on the 8th Rank:

In certain variations of the game, pawns encounter a curious obstacle upon reaching the eighth rank,they become stranded, unable to be promoted into more formidable pieces. This quirk emerges from a distinct rule: promotion is only permissible using a captured piece. Thus, if a pair of rooks is exchanged, the side desiring promotion can solely opt for a rook, and similar fate for the rest of the pieces. Similarly, in today's world we can witness a scenario with multiple queens on the board, in earlier times, this was not possible. The only time when you could promote a queen was if there was no queen on the board!

6. Promoting Any Piece (White or Black):

Picture a pawn unexpectedly gaining promotion to a black queen,or a white rook or a black knight, or any other piece.. This whimsical concept was once a reality in chess history. The rule permitting players to promote pawns to pieces of either color made the game extremely tricky. The modern practice of promoting pieces of the same color maintains consistency and the game's spirit.

In the position given below, its white to play and mate in 1. No matter which piece you promote it's not a mate in 1. The only way to deliver the checkmate is to promote a black knight and then the king won't have any squares to escape and the rook will deliver a checkmate.

Answer- g8+ (Black knight)

7. Evolution of the Queen's Moves:

Ah, the queen – the mighty ruler of the chessboard, moving with grace and freedom. But did you know that in the olden days, her powers were a tad more modest? She was like a bird with a limited diagonal flight, unable to roam the board as freely as she does now. A queen could only move one square at a time! Imagine that in today's world! How many results would have changed? Carlsen would have never won his championship with the stunning Qh6!! against karjakin. We would have never seen Qg3!! by Frank marshall which is considered to be the greatest move ever played. There are many such beautiful queen sacrifices which we would have missed. This shift in her abilities wasn't just a change; it was a transformation that added layers of intrigue and depth to the game.

8. Chess Board of the Same Color:

Were you aware that chess boards with same colored squares were once used? Imagine playing a game where every square is identical in color! This quirk altered gameplay dynamics and influenced strategies. Fortunately, the alternating black and white squares we recognize today provide a universal solution.

9. Alfil instead of Bishops. What is an alfil?

Before the bishop claimed the spotlight, the Alfil played a similar role. It occupied the same position as that of a bishop in today's world. The alfil could only move 2 squares diagonally. For eg. If an Alfil is on f1 square then it can move to d3 or h3 square. But that's not all! Afil had a special characteristics, it could jump as a knight as well. Let's consider the same position with an Alfil on f1 square. Even if there is any piece on the g2 or the e2 square, no matter whether its white or black, the alfil could still go to the d3 or the h3 square. The modern bishops doesn't have the jumping ability, on the contrary now it covers a long expanded diagonal instead of the two squares!

Here I have demonstrated with an example. White to play and win. Black's rooks are about to deliver a mate but white has a beautiful sequence to finish the game!

Dilaram the queen, who was following the game from the other side of the purdah (which separated the women's area from that of the men in Persian houses), recognised her husband's despair and obviously no longer had confidence in his chess skills. She called out: 'Oh, prince, sacrifice your rooks, leap with the Alfil and save your Dilaram.' With that hint, the prince spotted the winning combination and rescued his wife and his possessions.

Answer- Rh8+ Kxh8 2. Bf5+ (alfil) Kg8 3. Rh8+ Kxh8 4.g7+ Kg8 5.Nh6#

Conclusion:

As we contemplate these forgotten chess rules, we are reminded that the game's journey is a continuous process of refinement. Each rule, no matter how outdated, contributed to shaping the beloved game of today. Chess, akin to a living entity, has adapted and evolved over the centuries while retaining its essence an exhilarating arena where minds collide and strategies flourish.

FAQs:

Q: Can I still use these forgotten chess rules in modern games?

A: While these rules are no longer part of official chess, you can surely play with these rules in a practice game and explore variants that incorporate them for a unique experience.

Q: Why did some of these rules fade into obscurity?

A: Many of these rules were altered or discarded to streamline gameplay and enhance strategic depth.

Q: What is the significance of vertical castling?

A: Vertical castling added complexity to the game by allowing kings to move within the same column during castling.

Q: How did the movement of the queen evolve?

A: The queen's movement was initially limited to a restricted diagonal range, which was later expanded to its current form.

Q: Can I find historical chess sets with uniform-colored squares?

A: While rare, historical chess sets with uniform-colored squares can sometimes be found in museums or private collections.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Vedant Pimpalkhare is a chess player and coach with a FIDE rating of 2287 and having earned 1 IM norm. Vedant holds the esteemed title of FIDE Instructor. Vedant has been a professional player for more than 15 years and have been coaching for the last 6 years.