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Valhalla Chess

A chess variant based on Viking warrior traditions and Norse mythology.
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Valhalla Chess is a new and interesting chess variant based on the Old Norse concept of the afterlife.

At the outset, Valhalla Chess is played as a normal game of chess. The board is set using the standard layout, and the common rules for piece movement and taking are followed. But once a piece is taken, the rules vary dramatically.

Pieces can go to either of two places after they are taken. If a piece had taken another before its own demise, then it is a "warrior" and goes to Valhalla, a cache of pieces off to one side of the board. Pieces that are captured before they can take another piece are "peaceful", and go to Hel, a cache of pieces off to the other side of the board. Other then this, the game is again played normally until checkmate.

After checkmate, all of the pieces in Hel are discarded from the game. However, all the warriors in Valhalla are placed on the board again, along with the kings, in their traditional positions. These pieces will all fight in the final battle of Ragnarok-- in effect, a second round is played, but only with the "warrior" pieces from the first round. Therefore, the player with more warriors immediately has an advantage over the other player during the Ragnarok round.

Strategically, this game would be a "kill-then-be-killed" affair, in which the players would have to try to take as many enemy pieces as possible before the end of the first round. You might hesitate at taking one of the more powerful pieces such as the Queen; if they survived to the end, they would not be able to participate in Ragnarok. Even if you are checkmated in the first round, you can win Ragnarok if you took more pieces during play. Thus, the only way to win Valhalla Chess is to win both the first and second rounds of chess. There may be a draw if each player wins one.

DrWorm, Feb 25 2010

Ragnarok http://www.abandoni...nd+of+Ragnarok.html
Old computer game based on the Scandinavian Tafl board games [Jinbish, Feb 25 2010]

Tafl Games http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tafl_games
There were a few different types of this "Chess" like game. [Jinbish, Feb 25 2010]

hmmm, I thought that the knights horses would have eight legs. http://www.viking-s...om/vikinggames.html
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Feb 25 2010]


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       Does this mean that you just attack your opponents non-warrior pieces at every opportunity? Does this mean checkmate in the first game is not important?
Jinbish, Feb 25 2010
  

       Both games are equally important. The only way to gain victory is to win both. Being bloodthirsty would probably be a winning strategy, though.
DrWorm, Feb 25 2010
  

       Right. So Bobby Fischer had the right idea then: "Sac, Sac, Sac!"
Jinbish, Feb 25 2010
  

       I like the concept but I'm not so keen on the application. I think it would be an interesting method of deciding drawn games but, to save it being a long drawn out affair I would do away with the kings in the 'Valhalla' game and just make it a last man standing sort of affair.
DrBob, Feb 25 2010
  

       Remember to tell your opponent about this before the game is over or else be thought a sore loser.   

       This would be about on the same level as Homer Simpson declaring he had not lost the competition because, "I believe there is still a little something called "The Swimsuit Competition".
rcarty, Feb 25 2010
  

       I got really into playing Tafl Games (a la Jinbish's link). The only problem is that the odds are heavily stacked in favour of the defenders. Really heavily.
wagster, Feb 25 2010
  

       This game is now baked. I played it with a friend of mine. The first round ended with a threefold repetition, and Ragnarok seemed like it was going to be a shutout for him but I forced a stalemate. So: tie.
DrWorm, Feb 26 2010
  

       Would it be possible to have a third or even subsequent rounds?
rcarty, Feb 26 2010
  

       [+] the pieces need to be marked when they become eligible though.
FlyingToaster, Feb 26 2010
  


 

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