Dunsany's Chess, also known as Horde Chess, is an asymmetric variant of chess in which one side has standard chess pieces, and the other side has 32 pawns. Unlike many chess variants, this one does not feature any fairy pieces, which are pieces not found in conventional chess. Chess is a recreational and competitive game for two players. ... In chess, each player has one of two equivalent sets of pieces of different colors. ... Initial placement of the pawns. ... A fairy chess piece or unorthodox chess piece is a chess piece not used in conventional chess, but used in certain chess variants and some chess problems. ...

Object of the Game

• The standard pieces win by capturing all 32 pawns before they run out of legal moves.
• The pawns win by checkmating the king. This is far easier if they first get at least one pawn promoted to queen.
• The pawns can also accomplish a draw, which for them is almost as good as a win, by running out of legal moves.

Staunton chess pieces, left to right: pawn, rook, knight, bishop, queen, and king. ...

Piece Movement

Piece movement is the same as in regular chess, except that only the eight pawns from the standard side have the option to move forward two spaces on their first move.

Strategy for the Pawns

In this game, perhaps even more so than in regular chess, queens are very powerful. The player who starts with 32 pawns should aim to maintain equality in the number of pawns in each file. Have pawns protect one another when possible. Capture both rooks, then try to get a pawn promoted on a square where no piece can capture it before it moves as a queen. Once you have a queen, you can get other pawns promoted. You can prevent the king from interfering with the promotion of more pawns. Administer checkmate as soon as you feel you have enough queens. Two will suffice.

Strategy for the Standard Pieces

Try to reduce the number of pawns from four to zero in one of the files. If the last pawn in the file is on the last rank or otherwise unprotected, capture it with your queen and commence to vacuum up enemy pawns.

Unlike in regular chess, in this game the king doesn't really need a fortress to shield himself from long-range enemy pieces. The main thing is never to allow enemy pawns to promote to queens and move around. If that happens, the game changes drastically in favor of the pawns. Rooks make excellent defensive, pawn promotion preventors. Use them as such.

External Links

[Rules of Horde Chess at www.ItsYourTurn.com] [Lord Dunsany's chess java applet at www.pathguy.com]