Find your next game
Which chess variant should you try?
Keep the board you know. Change the decision that makes you think.
Some variants change your opening position. Others let you bring pieces back into play. Chesspoly adds a budget: start with only a king and buy the army you want to build. Here is how four games compare, and where each might suit you.
| Game | Starting army | What changes? | Try it if… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard chess | 16 pieces per side | A fixed opening position; captures remove opposing pieces. | You enjoy established openings and a large body of learning material. |
| Chess960 | 16 pieces per side | The back rank is shuffled under placement constraints; castling has special handling. | You want unfamiliar openings with familiar pieces. |
| Crazyhouse | 16 pieces per side | Captured pieces change colour and enter your pocket, ready to drop on a later turn. | You enjoy tactical attacks and managing reserve pieces. |
| Chesspoly | A king and 3 coins | Earn coins and spend a turn to buy a piece on its standard starting square. | You want to choose your army while balancing development and savings. |
Standard chess: a complete army from the start
Your pieces begin in fixed places and your opening develops the army already on the board. If you want familiar competition and extensive opening study, standard chess is a useful starting point. Read the FIDE Laws of Chess.
Chess960: rethink the opening
Chess960 preserves the familiar army but changes its arrangement. Bishops begin on opposite colours and the king starts between the rooks. You still need development, king safety, and coordination, but a memorised standard opening may not fit the position. Lichess explains Chess960 and castling.
Crazyhouse: captures become reinforcements
In Crazyhouse, a captured enemy piece becomes a piece of your colour in your reserve. Instead of moving, you can drop a reserve piece onto an empty square; pawns cannot be dropped on the first or eighth rank. A drop can create an attack or block a check. Read the Lichess Crazyhouse rules.
Chesspoly: build the army yourself
Both players begin with a lone king and three coins. Each turn is one move or one purchase. A non-king move or a purchase earns one coin. A king move earns none. Your first choice could be a cheap pawn that preserves your savings or a knight that uses your starting budget.
Unlike Crazyhouse, you do not need to capture a piece to deploy one. Purchases are limited to the piece’s empty standard starting squares, and a newly bought piece first moves on its owner’s next turn. Checkmate is still the objective. See the full Chesspoly rules.
What should you play first?
For familiar pieces in unfamiliar positions, try Chess960. For tactical play with reserves, try Crazyhouse. If choosing when to save and when to buy sounds fun, try Chesspoly against the computer. This comparison is written by Chesspoly’s maker; the right game is the one whose decisions you enjoy.