Answers.Body: <p>Apart from the main chess sites (lichess.org, chess.com), there are a number of other sites where variants can be played:</p>
  
  <p><strong><a href="https://www.pychess.org" rel="noreferrer">Pychess-variants</a></strong>:
  Based on lichess's source code and powered by Fairy-Stockfish. The <a href="https://www.pychess.org/variant" rel="noreferrer">list of supported variants</a> is huge, including popular ones like S-Chess, Capablanca, and crazyhouse and 960 variants of these, as well as xiangqi, janggi, shogi, makruk, sittuyin, and even variants thereof. You can play against humans or challenge different levels of Fairy-Stockfish, which is the strongest available AI for many of the variants offered. The userbase is still growing (circa June 2020), but the most reliable method for now is to ask in the lobby or in the Pychess Discord server for a game.</p>
  
  <p><strong><a href="https://vchess.club" rel="noreferrer">vchess</a></strong>: Still under constant development, but offers a huge amount of western chess variants, including many not offered elsewhere. There are also options for normal, symmetrical or asymmetrical 960 starting positions for many variants. Best to make appointments with other variant enthusiasts to meet here and play.</p>
  
  <p><strong><a href="https://www.playok.com" rel="noreferrer">PlayOK</a></strong>: An established site with a large userbase. Aside from the big regional variants of chess, xiangqi, makruk and shogi, also features many other board and card games. Many Asian players play xiangqi and makruk here.</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>As for chess variant communities, with the rise of new social apps and the appearance of variants on the major modern chess sites, the previously disparate communities started to coalesce and band together.</p>
  
  <p><strong><a href="https://discord.gg/aPs8RKr" rel="noreferrer">PyChess Players Discord</a></strong>: As previously mentioned, the Pychess site has an associated Discord. Channels for individual variants exist, as well as being the place to ask anyone online for games. The developers, translators, and other volunteers also hang out here. The community is still growing as the site improves and becomes more well known.</p>
  
  <p><strong><a href="https://dscrd.me/housechessvariants" rel="noreferrer">The House Discord</a></strong>: One of the largest (and strongest?) chess variant communities. A Discord server bringing together players of all strengths and many variants, principally those offered on lichess.org, chess.com, and Pychess. Many of the best players in the world in each variant hang out here (this is not hyperbole). These players have also created valuable resources to help others learn and improve in the variants. Definitely worth checking out if you're thinking of improving in a variant.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-06-10T14:11:59.897Z
Answers.Text: Now that's a great answer, and definitely The House is great place to be. Thanks !
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-06-10T08:03:49.870Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-06-10T08:03:49.870Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Remellion
Answers.Body: <p><del>Unfortunately I don't know of a chess server where they play chess variants,</del> (see update below) but I have a few other resources.  </p>
  
  <p>The program <a href="http://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/#tag-A1" rel="noreferrer">Winboard</a> has several variants, including Shogi, Xiangqi, Shatranj and Atomic.  </p>
  
  <p>I also found a very cool <a href="http://abstractstrategygames.blogspot.com/" rel="noreferrer">blog</a>, the guy there goes over a lot of chess and checker variants.  Its pretty cool!<br>
  <a href="http://abstractstrategygames.blogspot.com/2010/10/fairy-chess.html" rel="noreferrer">Here</a> is a article he has about Fairy Chess.</p>
  
  <p>There are also several books written on the subject including:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/9381115745" rel="noreferrer">Chess Variants &amp; Games </a>  </li>
  <li><a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0713485787" rel="noreferrer">Popular Chess Variants</a></li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>And the <a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0952414201" rel="noreferrer">Encyclopedia of  Chess Variants</a> </p>
  
  <p><em><strong>Update</em></strong><br>
  In my ramblings I ran accross <a href="http://www6.chessclub.com/helpcenter/tips/wild.html" rel="noreferrer">this</a> page, indicating that the ICC allows chess variants.<br>
  Quote:  </p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>ICC offers a number of chess variants.  </p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>I also found a book on <a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0486226875" rel="noreferrer">Fairy Chess</a>. Unfortunately it appears to be out of print.  </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-12-15T05:06:44.840Z
Answers.Text: Actually, I'd go for Xboard, running on debian myself, but that's good to know, thanks. However, that seems to be merely *support* for variants, but as is, nothing powers the moves. Not that I'd like to play computers, but what engines would be available for such variants ? (without them, Xboard is really just a digital plank, isn't it ?) Nice books, +1.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-12-15T16:15:32.740Z
Answers.Text: I'm not sure I exactly understand, but Xboard/Winboard does need an engine for you to play against (if thats what you want).  The variants I mentioned come with Winboard but not Xboard.. it should work in WINE though.  You don't need an engine to connect to a server.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Seth
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-12-15T16:46:33.963Z
Answers.Text: I'm somehow reluctant to run with Wine a windows port of an X window-system GUI :D ❚ Yes, right now this lacks a server (or an engine, but rather a server) that plays variants.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-12-15T17:43:09.517Z
Answers.Text: Yeah, i'm afraid the variant engines are only in Winboard.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Seth
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-12-17T05:52:12.973Z
Answers.Text: The Fairy Chess book may be out of print, but used copies can be had for $8.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-12-15T04:37:06.173Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-12-17T04:12:27.727Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2012-12-17T04:12:27.727Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Seth
Answers.Body: <p>I love playing chess variants. For playing live games, FICS supports the major chess variants: Suicide, Atomic, Losers, Crazyhouse and Upside-Down. </p>
  
  <p>For playing correspondence games, I use both <a href="http://schemingmind.com">Scheming Mind</a> and <a href="http://brainking.com">BrainKing</a>. They each have the normal variants (above), as well as a few unique ones. The ones unique to Scheming Mind include Benedict Chess and Chicken Chess. The ones unique to BrainKing include Ice Age Chess and Cheshire Cat Chess. </p>
  
  <p>These sites are free, for a limited number of games. There are ladders and tournaments, so you can play against other people who enjoy the same variants. You can find me there under my real name (I do not use a handle).</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-10-26T21:59:21.467Z
Answers.Text: Also, [**lichess.org**](http://lichess.org) now supports a couple more variants.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-12-25T20:07:47.123Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-12-25T20:07:47.123Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Rick G
Answers.Body: <p>I am surprised that no one yet mentioned <a href="http://www.chessvariants.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.chessvariants.com/</a> --- the most comprehensive web site on Chess variants I am aware of. They also support a play-by-mail server for many Chess variants.</p>
  
  <p>The Chess variants offer there are range from <a href="https://chessvariants.com/index/mainquery.php?category=Usual-Modest" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Modest variants</a> (which is probably close to the variants the original poster is looking for) to rather wild and deviating variant.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-09-23T08:11:32.110Z
Answers.Text: While interesting, I consider what's on this site **other games** than chess, not variants of it. They're related to chess, and I describe them as e.g. chinese chess, but they are not what the question was after.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-22T16:02:42.813Z
Answers.Text: @NikanaReklawyks While I agree that this answer doesn't address the questions specifically asked within the original post, it's definitely a chess variant resource (positing, for the moment, that the games listed at chessvariants.org qualify as variants of chess).
Answers.UserDisplayName: Charles Rockafellor
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-01-04T12:37:28.283Z
Answers.Text: Stumbling again upon this site because of https://en.lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/team-for-trying-out-new-variants#4. Indeed, their opinion is akin to mine that what's on this site is quite far from standard chess : "It could be that these variants typically deviate more from orthodox Chess than you care for, though. (E.g. Capablanca Chess with B+N and R+N compound pieces on a 10x8 board would be considered very close to orthodox Chess there.)"
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-02-06T18:19:25.197Z
Answers.Text: @NikanaReklawyks, maybe their "modest" variants are what you think of as chess variants?  https://www.chessvariants.com/index/mainquery.php?category=Usual-Modest
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ben Reiniger
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-02-09T23:21:12.607Z
Answers.Text: @jknappen Yay, upvoted !
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-09-17T07:53:26.083Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-02-07T13:20:58.540Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2019-02-07T13:20:58.540Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Sir Cornflakes
Answers.Body: <p>You can play correspondence chess variants on the Apronus.com interactive chessboard by generating links to click which encode the board position and all the mvoes made.</p>
  <p>For example
  <a href="https://www.apronus.com/chess/pgnviewer/?m=Nf3*_gxf3_gxf3_exf3_exf3_Nxf3*_Ke2_Qe4M&amp;h=5" rel="nofollow noreferrer">a short game on an 8x5 board</a>.</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/MqmhG.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/MqmhG.gif" alt="animated diagram" /></a><br />
  <sub>(source: <a href="http://www.apronus.com/chess/moviediagram.php?a=rnbqkbnrHppppppppH8HPPPPPPPPHRNBQKBNR_rnbqkbnrHppppppppH5N2HPPPPPPPPHRNBQKB1R_rnbqkbnrHpppppp1pH5p2HPPPPPPPPHRNBQKB1R_rnbqkbnrHpppppp1pH5P2HPPPPPP1PHRNBQKB1R_rnbqkbnrHpppp1p1pH5p2HPPPPPP1PHRNBQKB1R_rnbqkbnrHpppp1p1pH5P2HPPPP1P1PHRNBQKB1R_rnbqkb1rHpppp1p1pH5n2HPPPP1P1PHRNBQKB1R_rnbqkb1rHpppp1p1pH5n2HPPPPKP1PHRNBQ1B1R_rnb1kb1rHppppqp1pH5n2HPPPPKP1PHRNBQ1B1R&amp;d=MRNBQ_B_RPPPPKP_P_____n__ppppqp_prnb_kb_r0&amp;w=8&amp;h=5/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">apronus.com</a>)</sub></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-07-28T18:39:47.537Z
Answers.Text: This is nice for board size, even though it doesn't support other pieces than the original chess ones. Could it handle atomic ? (i.e. removing e.g. 4 pieces at move 32)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-07-29T04:05:23.983Z
Answers.Text: It accepts only legal chess moves so no animation can be made of atomic.
Answers.UserDisplayName: MichalRyszardWojcik
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-07-28T06:20:49.297Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-12-19T14:37:52.010Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2020-12-19T14:37:52.010Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: MichalRyszardWojcik
Answers.Body: <p>As I have seen it, FICS seems to be the best place for variants. But number of people playing all variants vary. The following are supported on FICS-</p>
  
  <pre><code>Chess
  BugHouse
  CrazyHouse
  Suicide
  Atomic
  FischerRandom
  Losers
  Wild 0 through Wild 8(a)
  </code></pre>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-07-28T18:33:11.853Z
Answers.Text: What are the rules of Wild 0 to 8 ?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-07-29T11:26:59.770Z
Answers.Text: Well its all kind of wild things. Like for example one of the wild's: Wild3: (Description taken from FICS): "In this variant the set of pieces is randomly chosen (subject to the
  constraint that there is one king of each color).  It is quite possible to get more than the normal number of a given piece, such as three rooks or two queens.  The pieces are placed on the first rank behind the pawns, the position of Black's pieces mirrors White's placement, and castling is not allowed."
Answers.UserDisplayName: Keshav
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-07-28T07:02:50.690Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-07-28T07:02:50.690Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Keshav
Answers.Body: <p>There's a training site on variants : <a href="https://chessvariants.training/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://chessvariants.training/</a></p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>We support these variants: Antichess, Atomic chess, King of the Hill, Three-check, Horde chess and Racing Kings.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>So more or less the set of variants supported on lichess. It's mostly puzzles about tactics, and some about endgames. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-11-30T10:03:44.557Z
Answers.Text: As of today, there is not much material there. I was unable to find the rules for the Chess variants offered on the site.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Sir Cornflakes
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-12-02T16:24:56.733Z
Answers.Text: The variants are those of lichess, the rules are on lichess, i.e. https://en.lichess.org/variant/antichess, https://en.lichess.org/variant/atomic, etc.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-12-02T16:32:50.220Z
Answers.Text: Do they have links to lichess now? My first visit there was disappointing, I am not going to retry it.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Sir Cornflakes
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-02-19T14:24:23.210Z
Answers.Text: @jknappen As the owner of said website, I can answer your concerns. Chess Variants Training is not necessarily a resource, it's a collection of puzzles/mini-games to train the variants. There is no variant explanation because the targetted user group knows the variant rules. Nevertheless your idea of "links to lichess variant explanations" is a good idea, I'll do this soon. If the "not much material" concern refers to the amount of puzzles, then the explanation is that your comment is written only two months after the launch of the website.
Answers.UserDisplayName: ProgramFOX
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-11-29T23:52:10.907Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-11-29T23:52:10.907Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.Body: <p>There is now a <a href="https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B092XPNNVS" rel="nofollow noreferrer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">theory book</a> on Horde Chess, full with annotated games and strategies.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-08-27T22:34:46.217Z
Answers.Text: Thanks ! Do you happen to know who the author is ? I would expect to know them
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-08-28T08:58:31.457Z
Answers.Text: Hi Nikana. No not really, they are probably one of the authors for Enigma Chess (they have a lot of different chess books)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Klangen
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-08-24T11:31:14.287Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-08-24T11:31:14.287Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Klangen
Answers.Body: <p>Try Connect Score. The game combines Chess with Dots and Boxes. The game can be viewed at: <a href="http://connect-score.blogspot.ca/" rel="nofollow">http://connect-score.blogspot.ca/</a></p>
  
  <p>Rick Nordal</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-01-03T05:35:58.940Z
Answers.Text: oh, this looks fun and complicated
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-11-26T19:38:09.463Z
Answers.Text: Darn, that Blogspot site is gone, and the _one_ image that explained the rules of the game just happens to be the _one_ image that [was not archived by the Wayback Machine](http://web.archive.org/web/20150611035904/http://connect-score.blogspot.ca/). Anyone got a better URL?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Quuxplusone
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-01-03T01:28:57.990Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-01-03T01:28:57.990Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Rick Nordal
Body: <ul>
  <li><p>While posting this question, I stumbled on <a href="https://chess.stackexchange.com/a/214/672">this <strong>list of variants</strong></a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant" rel="noreferrer">from Wikipedia</a>, which I must admit is totally awesome. </p></li>
  <li><p>I know a few <strong>online servers</strong> allow a few variants, but am not aware of places where <em>many</em> variants players would gather, which would they be ?</p></li>
  <li><p>Are there famous clubs for <strong>on the board</strong> variants play ?</p></li>
  <li><p>Collections of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_chess" rel="noreferrer">fairy chess</a> <strong>problems</strong> ? </p></li>
  <li><p>This <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_chess_piece" rel="noreferrer">list of <strong>fairy pieces</strong></a> is not at all bad, but could use a few more easy-to-understand diagrams, and some art for representations.</p></li>
  <li><p>I guess there's enough to say on this topic for <strong>books</strong> to be published on the subject ?</p></li>
  </ul>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-11-18T03:10:23.553Z
Comments.Text: from your wikipedia fairy chess link, I went to _nightrider_, then to external links and [found these problems](http://www.softdecc.com/pdb/search.pdb?expression=PIECE=%27Nightrider%27), maybe the site have more puzzles using other pieces
Comments.UserDisplayName: ajax333221
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-01-04T12:37:52.020Z
Comments.Text: Since this is essentially a list question, where no single answer is likely to be complete, it should be Community Wiki.
Comments.UserDisplayName: David Richerby
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-10-26T21:57:40.983Z
Comments.Text: [**lichess.org**](https://lichess.org) embodies a new realm of awesome, and supports Crazyhouse, Atomic, Suicide, Horde, King-of-the-Hill, Three-Checks, and more.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Nikana Reklawyks
Tags: <chess-variants>
Title: Resources on chess variants
ThreadText: # Resources on chess variants
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2012-11-17)
  
  * While posting this question, I stumbled on [this **list of variants**](https://chess.stackexchange.com/a/214/672) [from Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant), which I must admit is totally awesome.
  * I know a few **online servers** allow a few variants, but am not aware of places where *many* variants players would gather, which would they be ?
  * Are there famous clubs for **on the board** variants play ?
  * Collections of [fairy chess](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_chess) **problems** ?
  * This [list of **fairy pieces**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_chess_piece) is not at all bad, but could use a few more easy-to-understand diagrams, and some art for representations.
  * I guess there's enough to say on this topic for **books** to be published on the subject ?
  
  **Tags:** chess-variants
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: from your wikipedia fairy chess link, I went to _nightrider_, then to external links and [found these problems](http://www.softdecc.com/pdb/search.pdb?expression=PIECE=%27Nightrider%27), maybe the site have more puzzles using other pieces  
  > **username_2**: Since this is essentially a list question, where no single answer is likely to be complete, it should be Community Wiki.  
  > **username_0**: [**lichess.org**](https://lichess.org) embodies a new realm of awesome, and supports Crazyhouse, Atomic, Suicide, Horde, King-of-the-Hill, Three-Checks, and more.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 9 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2020-06-10. Score: 6 | Accepted answer
  
  Apart from the main chess sites (lichess.org, chess.com), there are a number of other sites where variants can be played:
  
  **[Pychess-variants](https://www.pychess.org)**:
  Based on lichess's source code and powered by Fairy-Stockfish. The [list of supported variants](https://www.pychess.org/variant) is huge, including popular ones like S-Chess, Capablanca, and crazyhouse and 960 variants of these, as well as xiangqi, janggi, shogi, makruk, sittuyin, and even variants thereof. You can play against humans or challenge different levels of Fairy-Stockfish, which is the strongest available AI for many of the variants offered. The userbase is still growing (circa June 2020), but the most reliable method for now is to ask in the lobby or in the Pychess Discord server for a game.
  
  **[vchess](https://vchess.club)**: Still under constant development, but offers a huge amount of western chess variants, including many not offered elsewhere. There are also options for normal, symmetrical or asymmetrical 960 starting positions for many variants. Best to make appointments with other variant enthusiasts to meet here and play.
  
  **[PlayOK](https://www.playok.com)**: An established site with a large userbase. Aside from the big regional variants of chess, xiangqi, makruk and shogi, also features many other board and card games. Many Asian players play xiangqi and makruk here.
  
  ---
  
  As for chess variant communities, with the rise of new social apps and the appearance of variants on the major modern chess sites, the previously disparate communities started to coalesce and band together.
  
  **[PyChess Players Discord](https://discord.gg/aPs8RKr)**: As previously mentioned, the Pychess site has an associated Discord. Channels for individual variants exist, as well as being the place to ask anyone online for games. The developers, translators, and other volunteers also hang out here. The community is still growing as the site improves and becomes more well known.
  
  **[The House Discord](https://dscrd.me/housechessvariants)**: One of the largest (and strongest?) chess variant communities. A Discord server bringing together players of all strengths and many variants, principally those offered on lichess.org, chess.com, and Pychess. Many of the best players in the world in each variant hang out here (this is not hyperbole). These players have also created valuable resources to help others learn and improve in the variants. Definitely worth checking out if you're thinking of improving in a variant.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Now that's a great answer, and definitely The House is great place to be. Thanks !  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2012-12-15. Score: 12
  
  ~~Unfortunately I don't know of a chess server where they play chess variants,~~ (see update below) but I have a few other resources.
  
  The program [Winboard](http://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/#tag-A1) has several variants, including Shogi, Xiangqi, Shatranj and Atomic.
  
  I also found a very cool [blog](http://abstractstrategygames.blogspot.com/), the guy there goes over a lot of chess and checker variants. Its pretty cool!  
  [Here](http://abstractstrategygames.blogspot.com/2010/10/fairy-chess.html) is a article he has about Fairy Chess.
  
  There are also several books written on the subject including:
  
  * [Chess Variants & Games](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/9381115745)
  * [Popular Chess Variants](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0713485787)
  
  And the [Encyclopedia of Chess Variants](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0952414201)
  
  ***Update***  
  In my ramblings I ran accross [this](http://www6.chessclub.com/helpcenter/tips/wild.html) page, indicating that the ICC allows chess variants.  
  Quote:
  
  > ICC offers a number of chess variants.
  
  I also found a book on [Fairy Chess](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0486226875). Unfortunately it appears to be out of print.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Actually, I'd go for Xboard, running on debian myself, but that's good to know, thanks. However, that seems to be merely *support* for variants, but as is, nothing powers the moves. Not that I'd like to play computers, but what engines would be available for such variants ? (without them, Xboard is really just a digital plank, isn't it ?) Nice books, +1.  
  > **username_4**: I'm not sure I exactly understand, but Xboard/Winboard does need an engine for you to play against (if thats what you want).  The variants I mentioned come with Winboard but not Xboard.. it should work in WINE though.  You don't need an engine to connect to a server.  
  > **username_0**: I'm somehow reluctant to run with Wine a windows port of an X window-system GUI :D ❚ Yes, right now this lacks a server (or an engine, but rather a server) that plays variants.  
  > **username_4**: Yeah, i'm afraid the variant engines are only in Winboard.  
  > **username_5**: The Fairy Chess book may be out of print, but used copies can be had for $8.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2012-12-25. Score: 8
  
  I love playing chess variants. For playing live games, FICS supports the major chess variants: Suicide, Atomic, Losers, Crazyhouse and Upside-Down.
  
  For playing correspondence games, I use both [Scheming Mind](http://schemingmind.com) and [BrainKing](http://brainking.com). They each have the normal variants (above), as well as a few unique ones. The ones unique to Scheming Mind include Benedict Chess and Chicken Chess. The ones unique to BrainKing include Ice Age Chess and Cheshire Cat Chess.
  
  These sites are free, for a limited number of games. There are ladders and tournaments, so you can play against other people who enjoy the same variants. You can find me there under my real name (I do not use a handle).
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Also, [**lichess.org**](http://lichess.org) now supports a couple more variants.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_7 on 2014-09-17. Score: 8
  
  I am surprised that no one yet mentioned <http://www.chessvariants.com/> --- the most comprehensive web site on Chess variants I am aware of. They also support a play-by-mail server for many Chess variants.
  
  The Chess variants offer there are range from [Modest variants](https://chessvariants.com/index/mainquery.php?category=Usual-Modest) (which is probably close to the variants the original poster is looking for) to rather wild and deviating variant.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: While interesting, I consider what's on this site **other games** than chess, not variants of it. They're related to chess, and I describe them as e.g. chinese chess, but they are not what the question was after.  
  > **username_8**: @username_0 While I agree that this answer doesn't address the questions specifically asked within the original post, it's definitely a chess variant resource (positing, for the moment, that the games listed at chessvariants.org qualify as variants of chess).  
  > **username_0**: Stumbling again upon this site because of https://en.lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/team-for-trying-out-new-variants#4. Indeed, their opinion is akin to mine that what's on this site is quite far from standard chess : "It could be that these variants typically deviate more from orthodox Chess than you care for, though. (E.g. Capablanca Chess with B+N and R+N compound pieces on a 10x8 board would be considered very close to orthodox Chess there.)"  
  > **username_9**: @username_0, maybe their "modest" variants are what you think of as chess variants?  https://www.chessvariants.com/index/mainquery.php?category=Usual-Modest  
  > **username_0**: @jknappen Yay, upvoted !  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_10 on 2014-07-28. Score: 4
  
  You can play correspondence chess variants on the Apronus.com interactive chessboard by generating links to click which encode the board position and all the mvoes made.
  
  For example
  [a short game on an 8x5 board](https://www.apronus.com/chess/pgnviewer/?m=Nf3*_gxf3_gxf3_exf3_exf3_Nxf3*_Ke2_Qe4M&h=5).
  
  [![animated diagram](https://i.sstatic.net/MqmhG.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/MqmhG.gif)  
  (source: [apronus.com](http://www.apronus.com/chess/moviediagram.php?a=rnbqkbnrHppppppppH8HPPPPPPPPHRNBQKBNR_rnbqkbnrHppppppppH5N2HPPPPPPPPHRNBQKB1R_rnbqkbnrHpppppp1pH5p2HPPPPPPPPHRNBQKB1R_rnbqkbnrHpppppp1pH5P2HPPPPPP1PHRNBQKB1R_rnbqkbnrHpppp1p1pH5p2HPPPPPP1PHRNBQKB1R_rnbqkbnrHpppp1p1pH5P2HPPPP1P1PHRNBQKB1R_rnbqkb1rHpppp1p1pH5n2HPPPP1P1PHRNBQKB1R_rnbqkb1rHpppp1p1pH5n2HPPPPKP1PHRNBQ1B1R_rnb1kb1rHppppqp1pH5n2HPPPPKP1PHRNBQ1B1R&d=MRNBQ_B_RPPPPKP_P_____n__ppppqp_prnb_kb_r0&w=8&h=5/))
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: This is nice for board size, even though it doesn't support other pieces than the original chess ones. Could it handle atomic ? (i.e. removing e.g. 4 pieces at move 32)  
  > **username_10**: It accepts only legal chess moves so no animation can be made of atomic.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_11 on 2014-07-28. Score: 3
  
  As I have seen it, FICS seems to be the best place for variants. But number of people playing all variants vary. The following are supported on FICS-
  
  ```
  Chess
  BugHouse
  CrazyHouse
  Suicide
  Atomic
  FischerRandom
  Losers
  Wild 0 through Wild 8(a)
  
  ```
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: What are the rules of Wild 0 to 8 ?  
  > **username_11**: Well its all kind of wild things. Like for example one of the wild's: Wild3: (Description taken from FICS): "In this variant the set of pieces is randomly chosen (subject to the constraint that there is one king of each color).  It is quite possible to get more than the normal number of a given piece, such as three rooks or two queens.  The pieces are placed on the first rank behind the pawns, the position of Black's pieces mirrors White's placement, and castling is not allowed."  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_0 on 2016-11-29. Score: 1
  
  There's a training site on variants : <https://chessvariants.training/>
  
  > We support these variants: Antichess, Atomic chess, King of the Hill, Three-check, Horde chess and Racing Kings.
  
  So more or less the set of variants supported on lichess. It's mostly puzzles about tactics, and some about endgames.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_7**: As of today, there is not much material there. I was unable to find the rules for the Chess variants offered on the site.  
  > **username_0**: The variants are those of lichess, the rules are on lichess, i.e. https://en.lichess.org/variant/antichess, https://en.lichess.org/variant/atomic, etc.  
  > **username_7**: Do they have links to lichess now? My first visit there was disappointing, I am not going to retry it.  
  > **username_12**: @jknappen As the owner of said website, I can answer your concerns. Chess Variants Training is not necessarily a resource, it's a collection of puzzles/mini-games to train the variants. There is no variant explanation because the targetted user group knows the variant rules. Nevertheless your idea of "links to lichess variant explanations" is a good idea, I'll do this soon. If the "not much material" concern refers to the amount of puzzles, then the explanation is that your comment is written only two months after the launch of the website.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_13 on 2021-08-24. Score: 1
  
  There is now a [theory book](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B092XPNNVS) on Horde Chess, full with annotated games and strategies.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Thanks ! Do you happen to know who the author is ? I would expect to know them  
  > **username_13**: Hi username_0. No not really, they are probably one of the authors for Enigma Chess (they have a lot of different chess books)  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_14 on 2015-01-03. Score: 1
  
  Try Connect Score. The game combines Chess with Dots and Boxes. The game can be viewed at: <http://connect-score.blogspot.ca/>
  
  username_6 username_14
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: oh, this looks fun and complicated  
  > **username_15**: Darn, that Blogspot site is gone, and the _one_ image that explained the rules of the game just happens to be the _one_ image that [was not archived by the Wayback Machine](http://web.archive.org/web/20150611035904/http://connect-score.blogspot.ca/). Anyone got a better URL?  
  
  ---
  
  