- Created
- 2007
- Creators
- Yasser Seirawan and Bruce Harper
- Where
- United States
- Board
- 8×8
- What changes
- New pieces enter mid-game
- Also called
- S-chess
Where it came from
Well documented
Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan and Bruce Harper introduced S-chess in 2007. They wanted Capablanca’s compound pieces without changing the familiar 8×8 board.
Their solution is “gating”: the new pieces start off the board and enter on the square a piece has just left on the back rank.
Why it was made: To add power and novelty while keeping the standard board and opening setup.
How it differs from chess
- The hawk and the elephantThe hawk moves like a bishop or a knight; the elephant moves like a rook or a knight.
- GatingWhen a piece first leaves its back-rank square, you may place the hawk or elephant on that square as part of the same move.
Questions
- Is the elephant in S-chess like the xiangqi elephant?
- No. In S-chess the elephant combines the rook and the knight.