Grand Chess

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Grand Chess is a chess variant played on a 10×10 board, created by Christian Freeling in 1984. Each side has two extra pawns and two new pieces called the marshal and the cardinal. The game uses the same pieces as Capablanca chess (the extra pieces are marshal and cardinal), but on a bigger board with a different start position, pawn rules, and no castling.

Starting setup and board
- The rooks sit on the corners of the back rank; the other pieces fill the back two ranks; pawns start on the third rank.
- The large board means rooks can become active earlier than in standard chess.

Pawn rules and promotion
- Pawns move like standard chess and can capture en passant.
- A pawn reaching ranks 8 or 9 may promote or stay a pawn; it must promote by reaching rank 10.
- A pawn can promote only to a piece type that has already been captured from the opponent, so you can’t have more of a piece than has been taken. If there is no captured piece available for promotion, a pawn on rank 9 must stay a pawn (but can still give check).

General rules
- Checkmate wins, stalemate draws.
- There is no castling in Grand Chess.

History and reception
- Grand Chess has been used for world championship-style matches and annual tournaments since the late 1990s. Some players regard it as an excellent game with potential for a larger following.

Embassy chess
- Embassy chess (introduced in 2005) is a related variant that uses the Grand Chess opening setup on a 10×8 board; the rules are the same as Capablanca chess otherwise. It can be played with various engines and online platforms.