Chess Variant 3 - Reversi Chess, by Terry H Jones

CHESS VARIANT 3 - REVERSI CHESS
by Terry H Jones

Othello and the checkered battlefield.

General
- This variant combines some aspects of another popular board / strategy game (Othello / Reversi) with the queen of games.
Rule
1. On any move where a capture is made, the capturing player may be entitled to convert some of the surviving opposition to his side, changing their color and allegiance. For players of Othello or Reversi, this is similar to what happens on each play of that game, but it will happen infrequently, and with several restrictions.
2. The converted piece(s) must lie on any rank, file or diagional leading from the capturing piece to another piece of the same color as the capturing piece, referred to as the anchor.
  The anchor may not be a pawn, but the capturing piece may be a pawn. Converted pieces may be of any rank except king.
  All opposing pieces between the capturing piece and the anchor are converted to the color and army of the capturing piece and anchor.
3. Pieces may convert back and forth an unlimited number of times.
4. Converting an opponent's pieces is optional. If the attacking player can convert but does not wish to, he is not required to.
5. Restrictions
  1. Unlike Reversi or Othello, only pieces on one attacker-to-anchor board segment may be converted on a turn.
  2. If there are multiple segments that can be converted, the attacking player may pick which segment he wishes to convert.
  3. Pieces on an attacker-to-anchor segment may not be converted if the defending king is in the segment.
  4. There is no attacker-to-anchor segment is a friendly pawn is in the way. Thus the power to coverted is negated either by the enemy king or a friendly pawn getting in the way.
  5. A player who's king is in check may make an attack that, in itself, does not eliminate the check if the attack allows the player to convert any enemy piece that will result in check being lifted.
    Example: White is in check, but has no piece that can take the checking piece. White can, however, take another piece that puts the checking piece between two white pieces, and thus convert it and save the king.
6. It is possible that an attack may not, by itself, result in check or mate, but the subsequent conversion may cause check or mate.
Commentary
- I have the remnants of several cheap chess sets, so it's easy enough to lay my hands on 3 bishops, 10 pawns, etc. If you don't have as much junk as I do, you can reintroduce captured pieces, set converted pieces on checkers, coins, etc.

Fin