Chess Variants/Knightmate

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Knightmate starting position

Knightmate is a variant which switches the role of the king and the two knights.

Knightmate was invented by Bruce Zimov in 1972, and independently in the early 1970s at Sheffield University in England, where it was known as "Mate the Knight". According to The Chess Variant Pages, "Knightmate tournaments have been played in the American postal chess organization NOST [Knights of the Square Table], and in the Italian chess variants organization."

As already stated, Knightmate switches the roles of the king and the two knights. So both players start with non-royal kings (known as commoners or men) where the knights normally start, and a royal knight where the king normally starts.

• The commoners move just like the king, one square in any direction. However, unlike the king they are not royal - therefore, they may capture and be captured just like any other piece.
• The royal knight moves in the same L-shaped move as a standard knight, but it is subject to the same check and checkmate rules that the orthodox king is subject to. Therefore, the royal knight may not move into check, and it must get out of check if possible.

The royal knight may castle with the rooks if all the standard requirements are met. The knight is moved two squares towards the rook, and the rook is moved to the other side of the knight.

Pawns may promote to commoners, but not to knights.

This chess variant does not have any notable sub-variants.