Answers.Body: <p><strong>Wikipedia has a pretty <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant">complete listing of chess variants</a> broken down by:</strong></p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Chess_with_different_starting_positions">Chess with different starting positions</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Chess_with_different_forces">Chess with different forces</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Chess_with_different_boards">Chess with different boards</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Chess_with_unusual_rules">Chess with unusual rules</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Chess_with_incomplete_information_or_elements_of_chance">Chess with incomplete information or elements of chance</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Multimove_variants">Multimove variants</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Multiplayer_variants">Multiplayer variants</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Single_player_variants">Single player variants</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Chess_with_unusual_.28fairy.29_pieces">Chess with unusual (fairy) pieces</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Chess_hybrids">Chess hybrids</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Games_inspired_by_chess">Games inspired by chess</a></li>
  </ul>
  
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Answers.Text: very few are good though (IMO of course)
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Answers.Text: you list chess variants, but you don't quite answer which/how are useful for standard chess?
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Answers.Body: <p>Playing other variants should only have a marginal effect on improvement, and sometimes it's bad(makes you think in ways optimal for the variant, but not for chess). <strong>Since others have not mentioned it, playing blindfold chess may help with visualizations, but probably can only be played after a certain level of competency in chess,</strong> but I suppose blindfold chess is generously defined as a chess variant.
  Of course the best way to improve at chess is to play/study chess.</p>
  
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Answers.Text: 'marginal' --> including 960? or do you exclude 960 with your word 'other' (in 'playing other variants'), i.e. 960 is pretty much the only variant that can be more than marginally helpful?
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Answers.Body: <p>In addition to the two nice answers already provided, I would like to mention the variant King of the hill, whose difference with normal checked is the following: in addition to checkmate, a legal move that moves one's own king to one of the center squares (d4, d5, e4, e5) wins.</p>
  <p>This helps a lot for the control of squares. Indeed, one cannot neglect any center square. If one of the center squares is too weak, then soon or later the opponent will take profit of it.</p>
  
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Answers.Text: oh wow i instantly recognised your name from maths se
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Answers.Body: <ul>
  <li><p><strong>Odds chess</strong> and <strong>Chess 960</strong><br />
  These are good ways to practice playing by opening principles.  (for odds, material difference should be small when used for this purpose). Odd chess could be played as handicap or not; both are interesting. A strong player can play against a weaker player with handicap in two ways: (i) usual odds - i.e., one player has less pieces, (ii) equal material but less choice - e.g., both players remove a pawn; the weaker player gets to decide which pawn of both players are to be removed.</p>
  </li>
  <li><p><strong>Double Chess</strong> and <strong>Double Chess Move Counter</strong><br />
  (not to be confused with another variant by the same name)<br />
  Two chess games are played side by side (on separate boards). A team plays white on one board and black on the other. Checkmate in one of the boards ends the game. I recommend a small variation of this, which I call, Double chess move counter. In this variation, checkmate in fewest moves (rather than clock time) is what counts ( drills suitable for this purpose include the <a href="https://www.chess.com/endgames" rel="nofollow noreferrer">endgame drills</a> at chess.com). The latter is better suited for chess coaching sessions.<br />
  <em>Many do-something-in-fewest-moves type puzzles could be gamified this way.</em>
  For instance, the puzzle ``catch the stars in a few moves''  playable in <a href="https://lichess.org/learn" rel="nofollow noreferrer">lichess</a> can be gamified this way.
  Similarly, double chess move counter this could be given as practice to checkmate fast, and it is a fun way compared to asking for mate in 3 or mate in 4.
  This game could be used as the game part of chess coaching sessions (takes less time, but does not offer training in opening).</p>
  </li>
  <li><p><strong>Puzzle Training Gamified</strong><br />
  Needless to say, chess puzzles are a great way to improve your game. Coming to games, many chess platforms have gamified versions of chess puzzle training. This includes <a href="https://www.chess.com/puzzles/battle" rel="nofollow noreferrer">puzzle battle</a> in chess.com, and <a href="https://lichess.org/racer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">puzzle race</a> in lichess.org.</p>
  </li>
  <li><p><strong>Vote chess</strong><br />
  <a href="https://support.chess.com/en/articles/8614177-how-do-i-play-vote-chess" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Vote chess</a> is a great way to learn the game.
  The discussions to decide the move <strong>trains one to analyse games on your own</strong>. I think in online votes chess, changing your vote should be allowed. But, at least in chess.com, it is not allowed.<br />
  There is a variation of vote chess which is even better for class room in my opinion (I call it Turn-based vote chess; see <a href="https://github.com/CyriacAntony/Blogs/blob/main/On_Chess_Variants.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this page</a> for details).</p>
  </li>
  <li><p><strong>Relay Chess</strong> (not to be confused with Relay chess with fairy pieces)<br />
  This is a two vs. two game.
  Only 1 chess board is there, and it is alternate turns for both teams.
  You play in 5 consecutive turns of your team, and then your teammate plays in 5 consecutive turns.<br />
  I recommend a small twist on this existing variant as follows.
  Before a player starts with the 5 consecutive turns, the player can propose to have 8 consecutive turns and the player and the opponent will play for 8 consecutive turns instead of 5.
  At the end of 8 consecutive turns, the teammates will get 8 consecutive turns.
  A player can propose for 8 consecutive turns at most once per game.
  I recommend to play this game with <em>absolutely no communication</em> between players (within a team and also between teams).<br />
  <em>This could be a good variant to teach <strong>positional chess</strong>.</em></p>
  </li>
  <li><p><strong>Bronstein chess</strong> and <strong>Set-up chess</strong><br />
  Set-up chess is playable at chess.com.
  Bronstein chess is similar, but simpler; it is playable at pychess.
  These two variants could be a good <em>practice for understanding desirable position of pieces in early middle game</em>.</p>
  </li>
  <li><p><strong>Horde</strong><br />
  Horde is a popular variant playable in <a href="https://www.chess.com/terms/horde-chess" rel="nofollow noreferrer">chess.com</a> and <a href="https://lichess.org/variant/horde" rel="nofollow noreferrer">lichess.org</a>. It is very much different from chess, but <em>requires at least two skills useful in chess in higher dose-- (1) breaking open a position, (2) playing an endgame against multiple passed pawns.</em></p>
  </li>
  </ul>
  <p>Some other variants that are worth mentioning:</p>
  <ul>
  <li><strong>Chess without same-side castling</strong><br />
  This is almost the same as chess. Only difference is that players are not allowed to castle on the same side. In this variant, typically, black gets less choices in castling. When played between beginners, this difference is small other than the fact that opposite-side castling is encouraged (<strong>which probably encourages more attacking play</strong>).</li>
  </ul>
  <p>Also, some other variations of chess which are not considered as variants are worth mentioning here. That includes blindfold chess, chess with different time control (such as daily, blitz, bullet, hyperbullet).
  Blindfold chess is <em>good for visualisation</em>, and forces one to give importance to <em>pawn structure</em>.
  The shorter time controls are a great way <strong>to practice intuition and judgement</strong>. I am not sure if simultaneous helps you to be a better chess player (it is clearly a remarkable feat, and I imagine trying to do so may improve some aspects of your game such as <em>ability to re-evaluate rather than relying on previous calculations</em>).</p>
  
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Answers.Body: <p>I believe that studying <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shogi">Shogi</a> added 50 points to my chess game.  They are related games and thus share some related concepts.  I believe <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shogi">Shogi</a> showed me things about chess I had not understood before.</p>
  
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Answers.Text: GM Jonathan Tisdall seconds Tony's advice, claiming in his *Improve Your Chess Now* that Shogi gave his chess game a boost.
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Answers.Text: Study Xiangqi and add another 50 points :-)
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Answers.Text: Shogi will help you improve your bughouse play as well (and vice versa)
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Body: <p>I know about Chess960, and you can play that online at <a href="http://lichess.org">lichess.org</a>. Furthermore, I like playing Go as well. But are there any good variants and other ways to train that you use, and you know to work well?</p>
  
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Comments.Text: Does blinfold chess (or semi-blindfold chess) count ?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Evargalo
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Comments.CreationDate: 2023-07-01T07:31:56.240Z
Comments.Text: For lists of chess variants, see https://www.chessvariants.com/ and [chess remix app](https://chessremix.app/). Oh, there's a [stackexchange qn](https://chess.stackexchange.com/q/1519/14678) on chess variants resources.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Cyriac Antony
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Comments.Text: Do chess puzzles count?
Comments.UserDisplayName: EPN
Tags: <chess960><training><chess-variants><learning>
Title: What other games or chess variants are useful to improve your chess skills?
ThreadText: # What other games or chess variants are useful to improve your chess skills?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2012-05-02)
  
  I know about Chess960, and you can play that online at [lichess.org](http://lichess.org). Furthermore, I like playing Go as well. But are there any good variants and other ways to train that you use, and you know to work well?
  
  **Tags:** chess960, training, chess-variants, learning
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: Do chess puzzles count?  
  > **username_1**: Does blinfold chess (or semi-blindfold chess) count ?  
  > **username_2**: For lists of chess variants, see https://www.chessvariants.com/ and [chess remix app](https://chessremix.app/). Oh, there's a [stackexchange qn](https://chess.stackexchange.com/q/1519/14678) on chess variants resources.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 5 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_9 on 2012-05-04. Score: 14 | Accepted answer
  
  I believe that studying [Shogi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shogi) added 50 points to my chess game. They are related games and thus share some related concepts. I believe [Shogi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shogi) showed me things about chess I had not understood before.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_11**: Study Xiangqi and add another 50 points :-)  
  > **username_12**: Shogi will help you improve your bughouse play as well (and vice versa)  
  > **username_10**: GM Jonathan Tisdall seconds username_9's advice, claiming in his *Improve Your Chess Now* that Shogi gave his chess game a boost.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2012-05-03. Score: 9
  
  **Wikipedia has a pretty [complete listing of chess variants](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant) broken down by:**
  
  * [Chess with different starting positions](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Chess_with_different_starting_positions)
  * [Chess with different forces](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Chess_with_different_forces)
  * [Chess with different boards](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Chess_with_different_boards)
  * [Chess with unusual rules](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Chess_with_unusual_rules)
  * [Chess with incomplete information or elements of chance](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Chess_with_incomplete_information_or_elements_of_chance)
  * [Multimove variants](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Multimove_variants)
  * [Multiplayer variants](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Multiplayer_variants)
  * [Single player variants](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Single_player_variants)
  * [Chess with unusual (fairy) pieces](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Chess_with_unusual_.28fairy.29_pieces)
  * [Chess hybrids](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Chess_hybrids)
  * [Games inspired by chess](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant#Games_inspired_by_chess)
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_5**: very few are good though (IMO of course)  
  > **username_6**: you list chess variants, but you don't quite answer which/how are useful for standard chess?  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_7 on 2020-10-02. Score: 2
  
  Playing other variants should only have a marginal effect on improvement, and sometimes it's bad(makes you think in ways optimal for the variant, but not for chess). **Since others have not mentioned it, playing blindfold chess may help with visualizations, but probably can only be played after a certain level of competency in chess,** but I suppose blindfold chess is generously defined as a chess variant.
  Of course the best way to improve at chess is to play/study chess.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_6**: 'marginal' --> including 960? or do you exclude 960 with your word 'other' (in 'playing other variants'), i.e. 960 is pretty much the only variant that can be more than marginally helpful?  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_8 on 2020-10-01. Score: 1
  
  In addition to the two nice answers already provided, I would like to mention the variant King of the hill, whose difference with normal checked is the following: in addition to checkmate, a legal move that moves one's own king to one of the center squares (d4, d5, e4, e5) wins.
  
  This helps a lot for the control of squares. Indeed, one cannot neglect any center square. If one of the center squares is too weak, then soon or later the opponent will take profit of it.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_6**: oh wow i instantly recognised your name from maths se  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2024-07-14. Score: 1
  
  * **Odds chess** and **Chess 960**  
    These are good ways to practice playing by opening principles. (for odds, material difference should be small when used for this purpose). Odd chess could be played as handicap or not; both are interesting. A strong player can play against a weaker player with handicap in two ways: (i) usual odds - i.e., one player has less pieces, (ii) equal material but less choice - e.g., both players remove a pawn; the weaker player gets to decide which pawn of both players are to be removed.
  * **Double Chess** and **Double Chess Move Counter**  
    (not to be confused with another variant by the same name)  
    Two chess games are played side by side (on separate boards). A team plays white on one board and black on the other. Checkmate in one of the boards ends the game. I recommend a small variation of this, which I call, Double chess move counter. In this variation, checkmate in fewest moves (rather than clock time) is what counts ( drills suitable for this purpose include the [endgame drills](https://www.chess.com/endgames) at chess.com). The latter is better suited for chess coaching sessions.  
    *Many do-something-in-fewest-moves type puzzles could be gamified this way.*
    For instance, the puzzle ``catch the stars in a few moves'' playable in [lichess](https://lichess.org/learn) can be gamified this way.
    Similarly, double chess move counter this could be given as practice to checkmate fast, and it is a fun way compared to asking for mate in 3 or mate in 4.
    This game could be used as the game part of chess coaching sessions (takes less time, but does not offer training in opening).
  * **Puzzle Training Gamified**  
    Needless to say, chess puzzles are a great way to improve your game. Coming to games, many chess platforms have gamified versions of chess puzzle training. This includes [puzzle battle](https://www.chess.com/puzzles/battle) in chess.com, and [puzzle race](https://lichess.org/racer) in lichess.org.
  * **Vote chess**  
    [Vote chess](https://support.chess.com/en/articles/8614177-how-do-i-play-vote-chess) is a great way to learn the game.
    The discussions to decide the move **trains one to analyse games on your own**. I think in online votes chess, changing your vote should be allowed. But, at least in chess.com, it is not allowed.  
    There is a variation of vote chess which is even better for class room in my opinion (I call it Turn-based vote chess; see [this page](https://github.com/username_2/Blogs/blob/main/On_Chess_Variants.pdf) for details).
  * **Relay Chess** (not to be confused with Relay chess with fairy pieces)  
    This is a two vs. two game.
    Only 1 chess board is there, and it is alternate turns for both teams.
    You play in 5 consecutive turns of your team, and then your teammate plays in 5 consecutive turns.  
    I recommend a small twist on this existing variant as follows.
    Before a player starts with the 5 consecutive turns, the player can propose to have 8 consecutive turns and the player and the opponent will play for 8 consecutive turns instead of 5.
    At the end of 8 consecutive turns, the teammates will get 8 consecutive turns.
    A player can propose for 8 consecutive turns at most once per game.
    I recommend to play this game with *absolutely no communication* between players (within a team and also between teams).  
    *This could be a good variant to teach **positional chess**.*
  * **Bronstein chess** and **Set-up chess**  
    Set-up chess is playable at chess.com.
    Bronstein chess is similar, but simpler; it is playable at pychess.
    These two variants could be a good *practice for understanding desirable position of pieces in early middle game*.
  * **Horde**  
    Horde is a popular variant playable in [chess.com](https://www.chess.com/terms/horde-chess) and [lichess.org](https://lichess.org/variant/horde). It is very much different from chess, but *requires at least two skills useful in chess in higher dose-- (1) breaking open a position, (2) playing an endgame against multiple passed pawns.*
  
  Some other variants that are worth mentioning:
  
  * **Chess without same-side castling**  
    This is almost the same as chess. Only difference is that players are not allowed to castle on the same side. In this variant, typically, black gets less choices in castling. When played between beginners, this difference is small other than the fact that opposite-side castling is encouraged (**which probably encourages more attacking play**).
  
  Also, some other variations of chess which are not considered as variants are worth mentioning here. That includes blindfold chess, chess with different time control (such as daily, blitz, bullet, hyperbullet).
  Blindfold chess is *good for visualisation*, and forces one to give importance to *pawn structure*.
  The shorter time controls are a great way **to practice intuition and judgement**. I am not sure if simultaneous helps you to be a better chess player (it is clearly a remarkable feat, and I imagine trying to do so may improve some aspects of your game such as *ability to re-evaluate rather than relying on previous calculations*).
  
  
  ---
  
  