Janus Chess - Definition and Overview

Janus Chess is a chess variant, which played on 10x8 board. It features a new piece, Janus (also known as Archbishop or Cardinal), which combines moves of bishop and knight. This piece is called after Roman God Janus, because this God was usually depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions. Janus Chess was invented in 1978 by Werner Schöndorf from Bildstock (Germany).

The usual set of chess pieces is extended with two pawns and two Januses per player. Each Janus is placed between rook and knight. The relative position of king and queen is reverse to that in chess. After castling the king is placed on b- or i-file, and rook on c- or h-file.

This chess variant is quite popular in Europe. Several chess grandmasters play this chess variant, among them Viktor Korchnoi, Péter Lékó and Artur Yusupov.

Janus Chess

External links

• Janus Chess | Chess Variant Pages (http://www.chessvariants.org/large.dir/janus.html)
• Janusschach (http://www.janusschach.de/) - Janus Chess (in German).
• Janus Chess | Play at Brain King (http://www.brainking.com)