The Chess Variant Pages

Crossover Chess

Crossover Chess has 64 squares that pieces move onto, the central 4×4 squares (blue/purple) are the transition zone that pieces use as a guide to get from one part of the board to another. All pieces except the Knight cannot stay on the blue/purple squares. The exception is taking a Knight on the blue/purple squares where the Bishop for example can move to take a Knight and stay on the blue or purple square. Shown are two ways to position the board. Piece positions are modified and move the same as orthodox chess along with cross over movement when moving from one area to another.


Above on the left shows the pawn moved two squares forward; the longer arrow indicates its next move forward. The shorter arrow would be where it could move if there was an opponents piece for the taking. This is how the King moves around the board as well, movement from one diagonally connected area to another can only be via the connected corners, the same as the arrow showing where the pawn crosses the corner to take in the left image. The right image shows how this white pawn can move diagonally to take the black pawn and the other arrow shows movement one square forward.

Below shows the correct way Bishops move around the board, the same applies to diagonal movement of Queens.


Above is a variation on the theme showing two different ways to position the board.

The central square is a void or removed so pieces cannot move through it, pawns are removed as well because there are no facing opponents. The starting positions of pieces are modified to avoid instant capture at start via the connecting corners of each 4×4 square, and movement (same as orthodox chess) from one to another can only be through these corners diagonally. This means that Rooks are restricted to their own area of 4×4 squares and Bishops on red squares are restricted to halves of the board respectively, while the rest of the pieces are free to move over the whole board.

Written by Robert Bell.
WWW page created: October 31, 2002. ﻿