Musketeer Chess

Introduction:
Musketeer Chess is a modern chess variant, invented in 2012. It is played on an 8x8 Classic Chess Board, using a Classic Chess Set. However, two additional pieces are added to the game as reserve pieces.
The basic rules of chess (including Castling, mating, En-Passant, etc.) are respected.
Why inventing Musketeer Chess:
Nowadays, Classic Chess is suffering from a growing disinterest, with computers playing a major role in preparation, leading to long lines of opening theory annihilating human inventiveness. Elite competition is less attractive, with high percentage of draws, and lack of spectacle. White got a slight and durable advantage from the opening, due to the fact that he begins the game.
Musketeer Chess resolves many of these concerns: Games are usually very tense, with sharp tactics. Even with loosing material advantage, the weakest side still got many resources to fight for a decisive mating advantage. The game is more entertaining, funnier and more spectacular with tremendous tactical resources. Games end rarely in a draw, with a big number of short games (less than 25 moves). The white side loses much of his advantage as the side beginning the game.
Tactics and Strategy in Musketeer Chess:
Musketeer Chess is a derivative of the Classical Game of Chess. The rules of Chess are respected. Many new tactics and strategical ideas are possible. For example, Obsolete moves like Na3 or Nh3 at the very first moves are considered to be bad moves in Classical Chess, but can be rehabilitated in Musketeer Chess.
Strategy in Musketeer Chess begins from the first moves = choice of the pieces. Both sides must choose wisely the pieces to add and the way these pieces are going to be introduced in the game. In fact, adding extra pieces to an 8x8 board, could make the board overcrowded, disorganizing the pieces coordination.
The new added pieces provide a large variety of new tactics to explore. Some pieces can mate a bare king alone.
Game rules:
In Musketeer Chess, we use a Classic 8x8 Chess Board, a Classic Chess set and we add two new pieces, choosing from 10 possible. Each side will have to choose a piece to be added to the game. The new pieces are: Leopard (chess), Cannon (chess) different from the Cannon in Xiangqi, Elephant (chess) first used in Seirawan Chess but with different rules, Hawk (chess) first used in Seirawan Chess but with different rules,Unicorn (chess), Fortress (chess), Spider (chess), Dragon (chess) also known as Amazon (chess), Chancellor (chess) also known as Empress (chess) and Archbishop (chess) also known as Princess (chess). This means that we now have no less than 72 different combinations of extra modern chess pieces.
* Placement of the pieces:
Musketeer Chess begins like in Orthodox Chess, by placing all the classic chess pieces on the 8×8 Board.
White and Black have to agree on the new pieces to add.
First, white chooses among the 10 new pieces. If Black agrees he must pick the same black piece. Then it’s his turn to choose among the remaining 9 new pieces. White must then pick the same white piece.
If Black does not agree with the white’s piece choice, the default pieces choice will be Leopard and Cannon.
After the two new chess pieces are defined, both white and black will place their new men respectively on the zero and ninth line. Each new man is placed behind one classic chess piece. It’s strictly forbidden for players to place one man behind the King and the other behind the Rook at the same time.
After the first move, the new man must be placed on the board: on the empty square which is left by the piece which was previously in front of it.
For example: white will place his Leopard on square d0 (behind the white Queen). His Leopard will be placed on the board when the white Queen first moves away. However, if the White Queen is captured before making its first move, then white forfeits their right in introducing the new man.
If the new man is placed behind the King, and the king moves because he is checked, then the right to introduce the new men is also forfeited.
If the new man is put behind the King, then it is introduced when castling. The same is true when the additional man is put behind a Rook. However, it is forbidden to put the two extra new men behind a King and a Rook at the same time, preventing the introduction of the two new men at the same time when castling.
If a Fortress is put behind black’s King (e9). If the Black king castles, the Fortress will be placed on the e8 square. PGN Notation
For short castle: 0-0 (Fo-e8). If black’s king is in check and the black king moves without capturing the piece that checks, black forfeits his right to introduce the Fortress, etc.
When promoting, a pawn can be promoted into any of the Classic Chess pieces (except the King) and can also promote to the new pieces. For example, the game began with Cannon and Unicorn. If a pawn is promoted, it cannot be promoted to a Leopard, but it can be promoted to a Cannon or a Unicorn. If a second pawn is promoted, it can be promoted to a Cannon or Unicorn again (we can then see 2 of the same colored Cannons on the playing board, etc).
Online gaming:
It's possible to play Musketeer Chess online.
1) Open an account on Jocly.com and face any opponent in fast or correspondance time controls.
2) Play online against an engine at Musketeer Chess website. You will find there, the rules of the pieces and some other links related to Chess Variants
3) Use Game Courier designed by Fergus Duniho, and play Musketeer Chess online.

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