> The biggest problem I have with chess is that I want to customize it. I mean more than the pieces - I like to change the rules around. And most serious chess players get really anal if you want to play the game with different rules....


Have you heard of "Knightmare Chess"? It's an add-on to chess that does just that. You've got a deck of cards that have different events and rule changes. You play Madman, and a pawn gets to move like a king in checkers. Fireball -- one of your pieces explodes and is removed from the board, but it takes all pieces on the eight adjacent squares with it. Under Elf Hill will let you remove your King from the board for one turn, then you get to replace him on the board on any vacant space along the edge. It's put out by Steve Jackson Games.

-Faux "Knight jumps the Queen!" Pas