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Ponderchess / Chess variants

Kriegspiel

Chess in the fog of war: each player sees only their own pieces, and an umpire tells them which moves are legal.
Created
1899
Creator
Henry Michael Temple
Where
England
Board
Three 8×8 boards
What changes
You can’t see the enemy

Where it came from

Well documented

Henry Michael Temple introduced Kriegspiel in England in 1899. Its name borrows from Kriegsspiel, the war game used to train Prussian officers in the 19th century.

Each player has a board showing only their own pieces. An umpire with a full board announces captures and checks and rejects illegal moves, so players must deduce where the enemy is.

Why it was made: To bring uncertainty and deduction, the realities of war, into chess.

How it differs from chess

  • Three boardsThe players sit back to back. Only the umpire sees both armies.
  • AnnouncementsThe umpire announces captures and checks and says “No” to an illegal move, and the player tries again.

Questions

Is Kriegspiel the same as Fog of War?
They are related. In Fog of War a computer shows you the squares your pieces can reach; in Kriegspiel you see none of the enemy, and only the umpire’s announcements help.

Sources