View source for Fairy chess

{{short description|Chess compositions with nonstandard rules (e.g. with fairy pieces)}}

{{Chess diagram
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| [[Valerian Onițiu|Oniţiu]], [[Nenad Petrović (chess)|Petrović]], [[Thomas Rayner Dawson|Dawson]] & [[Charles Masson Fox|Fox]]<br>{{small|1st Pr. Kniest TT. 1930<br>[[FIDE Album]] 1914-1944/III}}
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| Mate in 8 (with [[Grasshopper (chess)|grasshoppers]] Ga8, f7, h2 and h1) 
{{em|Solution:}} 1.Gh3 Gh4 2.Gh5 Gh6 3.Gh7 Gh8 4.Ge7 Gd7 5.Gc7 Gb7 6.Ga7+ Ga6 7.Ga5+ Ga4 8.Ga3{{chessAN|#}}
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{{AN chess|pos=example}}
'''Fairy chess''' is the area of [[chess composition]] in which there are some changes to the [[rules of chess]]. It may involve changes to the board, pieces, or rules to express an idea or theme impossible in orthodox chess. An altered piece used in fairy chess is known as a [[fairy chess piece]]. The term ''fairy chess'' was introduced by [[Henry Tate (poet)|Henry Tate]] in 1914. [[Thomas Rayner Dawson|Thomas R. Dawson]] (1889–1951), the "father of fairy chess",<ref>{{cite book |last=Pritchard  |first=D. B. |author-link=David Pritchard (chess player) |title=The Classified Encyclopedia of Chess Variants |publisher=John Beasley |year=2007 |page=361 |isbn=978-0-9555168-0-1}}</ref> invented many fairy pieces and new conditions. He was also problem editor of ''[[Fairy Chess Review]]'' (1930–1951).

Although the term ''fairy chess'' is sometimes used for games, it is more usually applied in the context of problems.<ref>{{citation |last=Pritchard |first=D. B. |author-link=David Pritchard (chess player) |title=The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants |publisher=Games & Puzzles Publications |year=1994 |page=107 |isbn=0-9524142-0-1}}</ref> Variations on chess intended to create complete, playable games are more typically referred to as ''[[chess variant]]s''.

== Types of fairy chess problems ==
Types of changed rules in fairy chess problems include:
* ''New stipulations:'' The alterations most used by fairy chess players, like Thomas Dawson, are new stipulations about mate instead of a direct mate stipulation. Many of them were invented and some became established. [[Selfmate]]s and [[helpmate]]s are, in the 21st century, often considered to be orthodox (not fairy) stipulations. Among others are [[reflexmate]]s and various types of [[seriesmover]]s.
* ''New conditions:'' Encompassing all changes of rules including rules for captures, checks, checkmates, and general movement abilities. Many were invented; some became established, including [[Circe chess]], [[Madrasi chess]], [[Andernach chess]], [[monochromatic chess]], [[patrol chess]], {{ill|Einstein chess|lt|Einšteino šachmatai}}, and [[Descartes chess]].
* ''New chess pieces:'' Conventional [[chess piece]]s are generalized in many ways into [[fairy chess piece]]s, such as [[Grasshopper (chess piece)|grasshopper]], [[Nightrider (chess)|nightrider]], and [[Xiangqi#Cannon|cannon]].
* ''Different boards:'' One can vary board size from 8×8 to other sizes (10×10, 8×10, or 8×8 unusual board shapes, etc.) or use different geometries: [[Cylinder chess|cylinder]] (vertical and horizontal), anchor ring or [[torus]] and others.
There are fairy chess problems that combine some of these changed rules.{{clarify|date=October 2022}}

All entries in the world championships and in the [[FIDE Album]]s are divided into eight sections: {{chessprobgloss|directmates}} ({{chessprobgloss|two-mover|2-movers}}, {{chessprobgloss|three-mover|3-movers}} and {{chessprobgloss|more-movers}}), [[Endgame study|endgame studies]], [[helpmate]]s, [[selfmate]]s, fairy chess, [[retrograde analysis|retros]], and [[Mathematical chess problem|mathematical problems]].

== Fairy chess literature ==
Books and pamphlets devoted to fairy chess:{{sfnp|Dickins|1971|pp=51–52|ps=}}
{{col-list|colwidth=30em|
* ''Chess Eccentricities'' by G. H. Verney (1885)
* ''Chancellor Chess'' by B. R. Foster (1886)
* ''The 20th Century Retractor'' by Mrs. W. J. Baird (1907)
* [[Raumschach|Space Chess]] publications of Dr. [[Ferdinand Maack]] and the Hamburg Space Chess Club (1908–1919)
* ''150 Schachkuriositäten'' by Problematicus (1910) 
* ''Retrograde Analysis'' by T. R. Dawson and W. Hundsdorfer (1915)
* ''Fata Morgana'' by Dr. E. Birgfeld (1922)
* ''On Retraction Chess Problems'' by Dr. Niels Hoeg (1927)
* ''Hexagonal Chess'' by H. D. Baskerville (1929)
* ''Chess Chimes from Prague'' by Z. Mach (1933)
* ''Caissa's Wild Roses'' by T. R. Dawson (1935)
* ''C. M. Fox, His Problems'' by T. R. Dawson (1936)
* ''Caissa's Wild Roses in Clusters'' by T. R. Dawson (1937)
* ''Ultimate Themes'' by T. R. Dawson (1938)
* ''Une Nouvelle Invention'' by [[Eugene Znosko-Borovsky|Znosko-Borovsky]] (1947)
* ''Caissa's Fairy Tales'' by T. R. Dawson (1947)
* ''Am Rande des Schachbretts'' by Dr. Karl Fabel (1947)
* ''Einführlung in das Märchenschach'' by Hermann Stapff (1948)
* ''Caissas Märchen'' translated by Dr. Massmann (1949)
* ''Einzüger Rekorde'' by N. Petrovic (April 1950) 
* ''Les Jeux d'Echecs Non-orthodoxes'' by J. Boyer (1951, Paris)
* ''Elemente des Märchenschachs'' by T. R. D., translated by W. Karsch and Dr. J. Niemann (1953)
* ''Nouveaux Jeux d'Echecs Non-orthodoxes'' by J. Boyer (1954, Paris)
* ''Rund um das Schachbrett'' by Dr. Karl Fabel (1955)
* ''32 Personaggi e un Autore'' by L. Ceriani (1955)
* ''Are There Any?'' by G. F. Anderson (1958)
* ''Kurioses Schach'' by Dr. Karl Fabel (1960)
* ''Der Jäger im Schachspiel'' by Theodor Steudel (1960) 
* ''La Genesi Delle Posizioni'' by L. Ceriani (1961)
* ''Doppelzugschach'' by H. Klüver (1963)
* ''Faschingsschach der Welt'' by Hans Klüver (1963)
* ''Ye Faerie Chesseman'' by D. L. Miller (1965)
* ''Schach und Zahl'' by Bonsdorff, Fabel, and Riihimaa (1966)
* ''Maximum Tables'' by The Fairy Chess Correspondence Circle (1967)
* ''A Guide to Fairy Chess'' by A. S. M. Dickins (1967)
* ''Chess Variations'' by John Gollon (1968)
* ''Chess Unlimited'' by C. Kemp and Dr. K. Fabel (1969)
* ''Records in One-Mover Chess Construction Tasks'' by W. Cross and A. S. M. Dickins (1970)
* ''An Album of Fairy Chess'' edited by A. S. M. Dickins (1970)
* ''The Serieshelpmate'' by John Rice and A. S. M. Dickins (1971)
}}

Periodicals devoted to fairy chess:{{sfnp|Dickins|1971|p=52|ps=}}
* ''The Problemist Fairy Supplement'' (August 1930 – June 1936)
* ''Fairy Chess Review'' (August 1936 – April 1958)
* ''Feenschach'', edited by W. Karsch

== See also ==
* [[Fairy chess piece]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

'''Bibliography'''
*{{cite book
 |last=Dickins
 |first=Anthony
 |title=A Guide to Fairy Chess
 |publisher=[[Dover Publications]] Inc
 |location=New York
 |year=1971
 |orig-year=Corrected repub. of 1969 2nd ed., The Q Press, Richmond, Surrey, England
 |isbn=0-486-22687-5}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070616082730/http://www.bcps.knightsfield.co.uk/fairies.html Fairy chess] by Michael McDowell
* [http://www.janko.at/Retros/Glossary/index.htm Fairy chess glossary] by Otto Janko
* [https://github.com/jankeromnes/MetaChess MetaChess, an open source fairy chess engine]

{{Chess variants}}

[[Category:Fairy chess| ]]
[[Category:Chess variants]]