Seirawan Chess
If you play chess, you know about the six pieces: king, queen, rook, bishop, knight, and pawn. But what if you want more than just the same old, same old? Then Seirawan Chess could be the game for you.
- What Is Seirawan Chess?
- What Are The Rules Of Seirawan Chess?
- How To Play Seirawan Chess Online
- Conclusion
What Is Seirawan Chess?
Seirawan Chess is a chess variant invented by GM Yasser Seirawan and his friend and associate FM Bruce Harper. The variant is based on the earlier game of Capablanca Chess that was created by Jose Capablanca. Fortunately, you don't need to know anything about Capablanca Chess to play Seirawan Chess!
Seirawan Chess was one of the variants played in the 2024 Chess.com Community Championships. The tournament was won by GM Awonder Liang.
What Are The Rules Of Seirawan Chess?
Seirawan Chess is almost the same as normal chess except for two extra pieces:
- The elephant, which can move like a rook or a knight, and
- The hawk, which can move like a bishop or a knight.
These pieces do not start on the board but are added by the player when moving one of the regular pieces off its starting square. Placing one of the extra pieces is optional, but once all of the starting pieces are developed, it's too late to place the hawk or elephant—so don't forget, or you could spend the whole game way behind!
Players can also make a hawk or elephant via pawn promotion.
Other than that, the rules are the same as standard chess. All other pieces move normally; players cannot castle if a hawk or elephant is in the way; games still end in checkmate.
How To Play Seirawan Chess Online
Seirawan Chess is one of countless variants you can play at the Chess.com Variants home page.
Conclusion
You now know what Seirawan Chess is, its rules, and how you can play it online on Chess.com. Click the button below to play a game of this or other exciting variants
