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Dragonfly (chess variant)

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7a7 black rookb7 black bishopc7 black bishopd7 black kinge7 black knightf7 black knightg7 black rook7
6a6 black pawnb6 black pawnc6 black pawnd6 black pawne6 black pawnf6 black pawng6 black pawn6
5a5b5c5d5e5f5g55
4a4b4c4d4e4f4g44
3a3b3c3d3e3f3g33
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 white pawne2 white pawnf2 white pawng2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white bishopc1 white bishopd1 white kinge1 white knightf1 white knightg1 white rook1
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Dragonfly 7×7 starting setup[1]


Dragonfly (also known as Shuttle Chess or Bird Chess) is a chess variant invented by Christian Freeling in 1983.[2][3][4] There are no queens, and a captured bishop, knight, or rook becomes the property of the capturer, who may play it as their own on a turn to any open square. The board is 7×7 squares, or alternatively a 61-cell hexagon with two additional pawns per side.

The game is an offshoot and simplification of a Freeling game named Loonybird (or Dragon Chess). Still, "Play is complex and interesting. Draws are rare too." (Wood 1994:94)

Game rules

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The standard rules of chess apply, including winning by checkmate. But Dragonfly follows these special rules:

  • A bishop, knight, or rook that is captured enters the capturing player's pieces in hand in their own color. As a move, a player may drop any one of the pieces they have in hand on any open square (if the move is otherwise legal). Captured pawns do not go in hand and are instead removed from the game.
  • Pawns do not have an initial double-step option. (So, en passant is not possible.) A pawn promotes when reaching the furthest rank to any piece of the player's choosing from those currently held in hand by their opponent. (If the opponent has none, then a pawn move to the furthest rank may not be made.) The chosen piece is removed from the opponent's in-hand stock.
  • Castling is permitted, and normal castling conventions apply, with the king shifting over two squares in either direction. But castling with a dropped rook is not allowed.

Dragonfly hex

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Dragonfly hex starting setup[1]

Dragonfly on the hex board is played the same as Dragonfly 7×7, except that pieces move and capture as in Gliński's hexagonal chess (with the exceptions that pawns have no initial double-step option, and castling is permitted).

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Pritchard (1994), p. 362
  2. ^ Pritchard (1994), p. 96
  3. ^ Pritchard (2007), p. 159
  4. ^ Wood, P.C. (April–September 1994). "Dragonfly". Variant Chess. Vol. 2, no. 14. British Chess Variants Society. p. 94. ISSN 0958-8248.

Bibliography

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