Chess Expansions

Mar 20

Back in March 2025, Long Tail Games announced a game jam for their idea to print “Chess: The Unofficial Expansions.”

They asked game designers to create “a single card that modifies the standard rules for Chess, and can be used alongside other expansions.” They also encouraged the use of common household components (e.g. coins, dice). They will eventually release the top 50 entries in a mint tin format.

I submitted three expansions, and one was accepted:

Double Crossed!
Lava!
Invisible.

Double Crossed card submission — Double Crossed!

This expansion requires the players to switch two of the same pieces, thus exposing them as spies behind enemy lines. Each player then has to finish their deadly assignments before being captured. If one can make it back to safety, though, it exposes the other, and that player loses their piece:
“Roll a d6 at the start of the match. The result is the number of turns later you will roll again for the type of piece you will switch with your opponent (1/2-rook, 3/4=bishop, 5/6=knight).
The first piece that makes it back to one of the four rows on their side of the board remains in play; the other piece gets removed.
Otherwise, each piece remains in normal play.”

Lava card submission — Lava!

This expansion opens a volcanic vent under a defeated bishop and its attacker. The vent then issues forth a lava flow, destroying everything in its path and rendering itself impassable. Each turn allows the flow to meander across the board until all hope is lost and the match ends in a draw due to geographic isolation:
“The first bishop removed from the board opens a volcanic vent rendering that square impassable because of a lava flow (i.e. place a coin).
Each turn, roll a d6 twice. The first roll is the direction of the lava flow
(1/2/3-orthogonal, 4/5/6-diagonal).
The second roll is the location you'll place an additional coin, removing any piece in the way (1/2/3/4-location, 5/6=no flow).”

Invisible card submission — Invisible

Put a rubber band around a piece of your choice that isn’t a pawn or the King. Your opponent cannot attack it the rest of the match unless it attacks another piece or puts the King in check. Then it becomes fair game for the rest of the match:
“Put a rubber band around a piece of your choice that isn't a pawn or the King.
Your opponent cannot see it the rest of the match unless it attacks another piece or puts the King in check.
Then it becomes visible for the rest of the match.”

And the winner is…?

Of these submissions, Long Tail Games accepted Lava! with some minor changes and will make it into the final mint tin as card 22. Thank you, Long Tail Games!