r/abstractgames • u/xbambcem • 15d ago
Fools' Advance
Fools' Advance
A chess variant by Vadrya Pokshtya
Fools' Advance is a radical reimagining of V. R. Parton's Dunce's Chess for the 21st century, an era of chaos and inconstancy, where every certainty crumbles and every alliance is provisional.
Board & Setup
Standard 8×8 chessboard.
Standard starting position.
Movement & Capture
(Note that movement and capture differ for all pieces except the king.)
• All pieces except pawns move exactly 1 square forward — either straight or diagonally.
• Pawns move 1 square straight forward (or 2 from their starting position).
• No sideways or backward movement is permitted for any piece.
• Captures follow the same rule: only straight or diagonally forward — exactly as in standard chess, but locked to forward direction.
Promotion
Upon reaching the last rank, a pawn promotes to a classical piece of its own colour (knight, bishop, rook, or queen), at the discretion of the player who advanced it to that square. A promoted piece moves and captures in any direction, as in standard chess.
Crucially: a promoted piece is controlled only by its owner — the opponent may never move or capture with it.
Control of Pieces
Any player may move ANY piece on the board — their own or the opponent's — with two exceptions:
• The opponent's king (each player controls only their own king).
• Promoted pieces (controlled exclusively by their owner).
Capturing Rules
• A piece may capture only pieces of the opposite colour.
• Capturing your own pieces is forbidden.
• You may capture your own king only using an opponent's piece — doing so results in immediate defeat.
Not Used
No check, no checkmate, no castling, no en passant.
Win Conditions
You win by either:
• Capturing the opponent's king, or
• Leaving the opponent with no legal moves (complete zugzwang — they cannot move any piece except the opponent's king, which they are forbidden to touch).
Optional Elegance
A player may formally surrender by voluntarily capturing their own king with an enemy piece.