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Even bigger ! This
is a chess variant with 25 different pieces on a 14 x 14
board: such a board was used by some Maharajas in ancient
India. There are 196 squares and 48 pieces per side which
gives almost the same density than for Orthodox Chess.
In Gigachess one will find again the
chessmen encountered in Shako
, Tamerlane 2000, Metamachy. Zanzibar, and Teramachy.
The first Gigachess has been designed in
2001 and met some success:
- It has been included in the second version of Jocly,
which is now no more supported, but it remains
possible to play it on this link (Thanks to Ed
Trice).
- It got a page in the chessvariants.com website where
a preset has been written which allows on-line games
between players.
- In 2013, the rule for promotion of short-range
pieces had been implemented.
If you come here for this 2001/2013
version, you will find it at the bottom of this page.
In 2020, Gigachess has evolved to
Gigachess II in order to be consistent with my other chess
variants. Several changes have been made. The Corporal and
the Ship are no more used. On the opposite other pieces
which are found in my smaller large chess have been added.
The full line-up has been re-optimized again in 2022.
The board is a 14 x 14 checkered squares
with a white one at the right end of each player.
There are 48 pieces per side.
Set-up
The pieces are:
- 1 Amazon, 1 Sorceress, 1 Marshall, 1 Cardinal, 1
Rhinoceros, 1 Buffalo, 2 Crocodiles, 2 Giraffes, 2
Camels and 2 Cannons on 1st row,
- 1 King, 1 Queen, 1 Duchess, 1 Centaur, 2 Machines, 2
Bishops, 2 Knights, 2 Rooks and 2 Elephants on 2nd
row,
- 1 Lion, 1 Eagle, 1 Missionary, 1 Admiral, and 2
Princes on 3nd row,
- 14 Pawns on 3rd and 4th rows.
The white King is placed on the center of
the second row on a black square, the black King being on
a white square. The Queen is also placed on the center,
beside the King.

Gigachess-II
Moves And Captures
- Knight: he moves exactly as in usual Chess and is promoted
to a Buffalo on the last row.
- Rook:it moves exactly as in usual Chess, except there is
no castling at Gigachess.
-
Pawn:it moves as in Metamachy, not as is usual
Chess. It can move straight forward one or two square
from any position on the board, without capturing. It
captures one square diagonally forward. When it
reaches the last row it promotes to a Queen, and
nothing else.
-
Prince: as
in Metamachy. He moves
and captures one square in any direction like a King,
but without being hindered by check. Like the Pawn, he
can also move without capturing to the second square
straight ahead from any position on the board. When
he reaches the last row it promotes to an Amazon,
and nothing else.
-
Elephant: as in Shako and Metamachy. It moves one or
two squares diagonally. When an Elephant moves two
squares, no matter what intermediate squares contain.
Note that it always stays on the same color of square.
When it reaches the last row it promotes to a Lion.
-
Camel: as in Metamachy. It jumps to the
opposite square of a 2x4 rectangle, like an extended
Knight. No matter what intermediate squares contain.
It is also described as a (3,1) leaper. Note that it
always stays on the same color of square. When it
reaches the last row it promotes to a Buffalo.
-
Giraffe:as in Zanzibar. It jumps to
the opposite square of a 3x4 rectangle, like an
extended Knight. No matter what intermediate squares
contain. It is also described as a (3,2) leaper. Note
that it always changes the same color of its square.
Under the name of Zebra, it is also a fairy piece used
by problemists for compositions. When it reaches
the last row it promotes to a Buffalo.
-
Machine: as
in Zanzibar. It as
it moves one or two squares on the rows or the
columns. When an Elephant moves two squares, no matter
what intermediate squares contain. When it reaches
the last row it promotes to a Lion.
-
Cannon:exactly as
in in Xiangqi. Also in Shako and Metamachy. It moves without
taking like a Rook, but it takes by going in a
straight horizontal and vertical line and jumping over
exactly one piece. When a Cannon takes a piece, there
must be exactly one piece between the original and
final square of the Cannon's move - this piece may be
of either color.
-
Lion: exactly as in
Metamachy. It moves as a
King (a single step move in any direction), or may
jump to a position two squares away, jumping in any
orthogonal or diagonal direction, or jumping as a
Knight.
-
Eagle: exactly as
in Metamachy. It moves
one square diagonally and then, slides away of an
indefinite number of squares vertically or
horizontally. It is authorized to go only one square
diagonal. It can not jump and the unobstructed path
must start with the diagonal movement.
-
Rhinoceros:as
in Zanzibar. It
moves one square vertically or horizontally and then,
slides away of an indefinite number of squares
diagonally. It is authorized to go only one square in
line or column. It can not jump and the unobstructed
path must start with the orthogonal movement. It is a
counterpart of the Eagle.
-
Buffalo: as
in Zanzibar. It
combines the leaps of the Knight (2,1 leaper), the
Camel (3,1 leaper) and the Giraffe (3,2 leaper).
-
Crocodile:
as in Zanzibar. It
is the diagonal counterpart of the Chinese Cannon. It
moves like a Bishop and needs an intermediate piece
between itself and its victim to capture it. The
Crocodile jumps the intermediate and takes the victim
on its square. The intermediate is left unaffected.
Also known as Vao by problemists.

-
Admiral: it is
another compound piece that moves as a Rook or a
non-royal King. That means that it is a Rook that can
also step one space diagonally. It corresponds to the
Dragon King that is found in Shogi.
-
Missionary: it is
another compound piece that moves as a Bishop or a
non-royal King. That means that it is a Bishop that
can also step one space orthogonally. It corresponds
to the Dragon Horse that is found in Shogi.
-
Sorceress: it
moves like a Queen and needs an intermediate piece
between itself and its victim to capture it. The
Sorceress jumps the intermediate and takes the victim
on its square. The intermediate is left unaffected.
Like the Queen is Bishop + Rook, the Sorceress is
Cannon + Crocodile. As in Zanzibar.
-
Duchess: it moves as
a limited Queen, one, two or three squares in any
straight directions. When moving two or three squares,
it may jump and it does not matter what intermediate
squares contain. As in Zanzibar.

Promotions:
In Gigachess, Pawns and also Princes,
Centaurs, Elephants, Machines, Knights, Camels, Giraffes
are promoted when they get to the opposite side, at the
last rank of the board (on their last row).
Promotion is compulsory and cannot be
refused.
Castling:
there is no castling in Gigachess.
End Of Game: Victory is
obtained when the opposite King is checkmated. All other
types of endgame (pat, perpetual check,...) are classic.
GIGACHESS I (2001)
Set-up
Gigachess-I (now obsolete)
Some of the pieces that were used for
Gigachess-I have been given a new name in Gigachess-II in
order to cope with a consistent system along with the
other chessvariants of this author.
- originally the Eagle was called a Gryphon. This
piece's move remains the same.
- originally the Crocodile was called a Bow or a
Crosbow. This piece's move remains the same.
In addition, Gigachess-I had two pieces
that have been withdrawn in Gigachess-II:
-
Corporal: an
extended Pawn. He can advance one or two square from
any position on the board and its capturing move is
one square diagonally forward. The improvement is that
the Corporal can also advance 1 step diagonally
forward. (So, with or without capturing). The Corporal
can take en-passant every time an opposite Pawn or
Corporal or Prince has advanced two squares. Promotes
to Queen on last row.
-
Ship: originally
invented for Tamerlane 2000,
it moves one square diagonally and then, goes away of
an indefinite number of squares vertically, never
horizontally. It can move one square diagonally only.
It can not jump and must begin its move with the
diagonal step. The Ship is more limited than the Eagle
(which can move horizontally). When the Ship reaches
the last row it promotes to an Eagle.
Another pieces tested then abandoned on
Gigachess-II were the Troll (find it in Terachess-II) and the Squirrel
(find it in Fantastic XIII):
-
Troll: jumps 3
steps orthogonally or diagonally. No matter what
intermediate squares contain. In addition, it moves
and captures like a Pawn. This permits the Troll to
reach any square on the board. No e.p. It promotes
to a Queen if it reaches the back row of the
opponent with a "Pawn" move, i.e. not by jumping. It
does not promote by reaching the opponent's back row
with a jump.
Find Gigachess in the Chess Variant Pages.
There is a preset to play it there.
Pieces Value
The relative pieces' value can be estimated as follows,
normalized to 5 for the Rook :
Pawn: 0.75, Giraffe: 2, Camel: 2.25, Elephant: 2.5,
Knight: 2.5, Crocodile: 2.5, Machine:
2.75, Prince: 3, Bishop: 3.5, Cannon: 3.5, Rook:
5, Missionary: 5.5, Centaur: 5.75,
Sorceress: 6.5, Cardinal: 6.75, Admiral;
6.75, Rhinoceros: 7.5, Buffalo: 8,
Marshall: 8.25, Duchess: 8.75, Lion: 9,
Eagle: 9, Queen: 9.75, Amazon: 14
These values are just given for a very rough
estimate. A lot of players would disagree and give less or
more points to several piece. Never mind, make your own
scale.
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