| 1 | p.boxed |
| 2 | | Both players play a move "at the same time". |
| 3 | | The goal is to eliminate all enemy pawns. |
| 4 | |
| 5 | figure.diagram-container |
| 6 | .diagram |
| 7 | | fen:npppn/p3p/5/P3P/NPPPN: |
| 8 | figcaption Initial position. |
| 9 | |
| 10 | p |
| 11 | | This variant is inspired by the |
| 12 | a(href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Horsemen_of_the_Apocalypse") |
| 13 | | Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse |
| 14 | | mythology. Knights are horsemen, and pawns are footmen. |
| 15 | | If all footmen of one color die, the other side wins. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | p. |
| 18 | At each turn you can decide either to play safely an apparently valid move, |
| 19 | or speculate on your opponent's move and choose a move valid only |
| 20 | conditionally on his choice. In this last case the move may end up not |
| 21 | being playable: you would get a penalty point. Two penalty points loses |
| 22 | the game. For example in the initial position, 1.(c1)c2 is safe while 1.axb3 |
| 23 | will be valid only if black plays 1...Nb3. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | p Resolving rules: |
| 26 | ul |
| 27 | li. |
| 28 | If both moves are illegal none are played. |
| 29 | If one is illegal, the other is played. |
| 30 | li. |
| 31 | If a capture is intended but the target moved, the move is still played |
| 32 | but doesn't capture anything. |
| 33 | li. |
| 34 | If both moves arrive on the same square: the illegal move prevails, |
| 35 | if the other was legal (higher risk => reward): the other piece vanish. |
| 36 | If both moves are (il)legal, then a horseman wins over a footman. |
| 37 | Finally, at same risk level and same piece type, both disappear. |
| 38 | |
| 39 | figure.diagram-container |
| 40 | .diagram |
| 41 | | fen:npppn/p4/4P/P2pP/NPP1N: |
| 42 | figcaption After 1.d1d2 e4e3 2.dxe3 exd2, pawns placements are inversed. |
| 43 | |
| 44 | h3 Promotions |
| 45 | |
| 46 | p. |
| 47 | Pawns automatically promote in a knight, except if the player already |
| 48 | have two horsemen on the board. In this case the footman is relocated on |
| 49 | any free square which is not on last rank. |
| 50 | Even in this last case, pawn promotions may appear possible by |
| 51 | anticipation of a knight capture. This is risky but playable. |
| 52 | |
| 53 | h3 End of the game |
| 54 | |
| 55 | p. |
| 56 | As stated previously, losing all pawns lose the game, so promoting your |
| 57 | last pawn loses. It may be the only legal move. |
| 58 | If however both footmen armies vanish at the same time, it's a draw. |
| 59 | It can happen if the two last pawns decide to advance to the same square |
| 60 | for example. |
| 61 | Finally, if both sides get the second penalty point at the same time |
| 62 | it's also a draw. |
| 63 | |
| 64 | h3 Source |
| 65 | |
| 66 | p |
| 67 | a(href="https://www.chessvariants.com/rules/apocalypse") Apocalypse chess |
| 68 | | on chessvariants.com. This variant is playable at |
| 69 | a(href="http://apocalypsechess.online/") apocalypsechess.online |
| 70 | | but without the promotion restriction. |
| 71 | |
| 72 | p Inventor: C.S. Elliott (1976) |