Fog Of War Chess
Chess is a game where concrete calculations always are indispensable. But what happens when players must risk it all and leap into the darkness without knowing what they will meet?
Enters Fog of War, one of the most exciting chess variants developed.
- What Is Fog Of War Chess?
- What Are The Rules Of Fog Of War Chess?
- How To Play Fog Of War Online
- Conclusion
What Is Fog Of War Chess?
Fog of War is a chess variant originally proposed by Jens Bæk Nielsen and Torben Osted in 1989 under the name of Dark Chess. In this variant, players can see only the squares where their pieces can legally move.
Players can't see which enemy piece captures one of their own unless at least one other piece is "looking" at the square where the capture takes place. The same is true for pawn promotions—players can only see that an opponent has promoted if they have a piece eyeing the promotion square.
Here is a video of GM Hikaru Nakamura learning how to play Fog of War chess with IM Levy Rozman.
What Are The Rules Of Fog Of War Chess?
The rules of Fog of War chess are mostly the same as standard chess. The only (and crucial) difference is the absence of checks or checkmates in this variant. The game only ends when one of the kings is captured.
This difference has a few implications. Players can move their king into an attacked square since there are no checks. Likewise, there are no stalemates—if a king can move to only attacked squares, it must do so and allow itself to be captured.
How To Play Fog Of War Online
Playing Fog of War online is much easier than over the board since players need an arbiter to do it in real life. However, playing online is simple with Chess.com. All you have to do is visit our Variants page and select Fog of War from the game menu.
You can select different time controls and even invite a specific player to battle you.
Conclusion
You now know what Fog of War chess is, its rules, and how you can play it online on Chess.com. Join the Fog of War club and click the button below to play a game of this or other exciting variants!
