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Chess-a-likes
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I am a chess fan. Always looking for similar games. So what other chess-a-like games are worthy of investment? I don't mean games like Omega Chess, Shogi, Makruk, thinking more about games that clearly evolved from the root idea of chess, but with a few twists, like Arimaa, la trel etc. All recommendations and comments of such games welcome. I have only seeded this list with a few games, hoping to get more feedback from others.
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Posted Thu Aug 7, 2008 6:15 am
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1.
Board Game: Arimaa
[Average Rating:7.97 Overall Rank:1685]
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This one seems highly recommended. It's on my 'to-do' list to home build a set
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2.
Board Game: La Trel
[Average Rating:5.69 Unranked]
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The one review linked to this one is pretty glowing, I would like to snag a copy
UPDATE I have my copy, added some marbles and fish weights and felt and now nice feel matches looks
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I think this one fits, sounds like it plays quite differently from chess, even with the familiar pieces
UPDATE got for Yule, not yet played
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This game uses chess movements to simulate plays in a football game. Can take a bit of getting used to with the rules and will take some time to learn. I also like that it comes in US Football and Canadian football rules and sizes.
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5.
Board Game: Feudal
[Average Rating:5.84 Overall Rank:2483]
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This is a 2-4-6 player less-abstracted chess-alike. Plays quite well, has terrain.
Quite worthy.
Lots available on Ebay for $20 or so...
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For a more light-hearted chess variant, try this. One of our family games when I was a kid, I loved this one.
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7.
Board Game: Ploy
[Average Rating:6.12 Overall Rank:2220]
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 Hey Mikey! Even "Spock" will PLAY this! 
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8.
Board Game: Tenet
[Average Rating:6.67 Unranked]
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A very clever sort of a "condensed chess". Played in a 5x5 grid, and with 5 pieces per player, each piece has its normal movement but also all the movements of the pieces of lower value.
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9.
Board Game: Rokada
[Average Rating:5.11 Unranked]
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Like to know more about this one
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A chess like game with a twist, instead of controlling the pieces of one color, you control the ones in your own quadrant, so basically, to capture a piece from an opponent's quadrant you basically give them a piece of your own.
There are other chess-like games for the Icehouse system, for example Pikemen and Homeworlds (this one doesn't "look" like chess but it "feels" like chess when playing it)
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11.
Board Game: Ming
[Average Rating:8.00 Unranked]
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Chess like game with changing strength and movement capabilities of the pieces in the course of play.
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12.
Board Game: Octi
[Average Rating:6.90 Overall Rank:1103]
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A game which was invented to give humans the cutting edge over computers.
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13.
Board Game: Agora
[Average Rating:6.42 Unranked]
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Deep game where the height of the stacks and the different levels of the board determine the strength of the pieces.
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I have heard that this game is rather good.
-DK
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Definitely a 'Chessie'. Nice bits in some editions.
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16.
Board Game: Hive
[Average Rating:7.41 Overall Rank:83]
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This one looks less like chess than others on this list. But it definitely has its roots in chess.
It's fun, has good replay value, and is very portable. It's not a heavy game. But with the strong offensive and defensive possibilities you've got to see the 'board' many moves in advance.
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This is a two to four player chess game. It is played on a small board and is very chaotic but can be very fun.
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18.
Board Game: HiQue
[Average Rating:5.62 Unranked]
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this seems as though it fits and reportedly isn't too bad
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anyone know about this game ?
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20.
Board Game: Terran
[Average Rating:0.00 Unranked]
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the pieces fall over a bit too easy, but very chessy
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22.
Board Game: Zamitar
[Average Rating:10.00 Unranked]
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I love the pieces, not sure if it plays like chess though
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While Hnefatafl isn't so clearly chess-derived, it is a parallel in many ways, despite having only Kings and Men...
It's assymetrical, the king being one side's only... goal, to escape. He starts in the center, and requires four men to kill him, or 3 and a wall.
Men require two men to kill.
Everyone moves like a chess rook.
Some variants give more chesslike feel; one variant I've seen gives the King's side a Cynyg (King) as normal, 4 theigns (shogi-style Rook moves: any ordinal, or 1 diagonal), 8 ceorls (men); the other side gets 4 theigns and 20 men.
Another Cynyg/Theign/Ceorl variant is normal moves all; Cynyg 4 to kill, theign 3 to kill, Ceorl 2 to kill.
Board size and specific number of men vary a good bit.
I suspect it originates in a vikingR describing chess, and trying to play it having never learned it.
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24.
Board Game: Congo
[Average Rating:4.67 Unranked]
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hard to believe this is from a seven year old
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25.
Board Game: Alapo
[Average Rating:6.67 Unranked]
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simplified chess-a-like with interesting pawn approach
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Posted Thu Aug 7, 2008 6:17 am
But since you don't want it on the list, I'll just mention that in this comment.