Aliya Explains Chess Variants: CRAZYHOUSE
Got only 2 players? Crazyhouse is a chess variant that is similar to bughouse when you don’t have a team. This variant is more frequently played online given some of the technical challenges.
BY ALIYA SALDANHA-SURI
NYC LAB MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR COLLABORATIVE STUDIES
COACH AND COLUMNIST
Crazyhouse chess variant is the third of fifteen variants in our special article series focusing on other chess playing games. Chess variants are one of the most enjoyable parts of chess. Whether you’re goofing off with your friends, playing by yourself on a computer, or even competing in a chess variant tournament. Chess variants offer many different ways to have fun playing chess and improve in different aspects of the game.
Chess.com Crazyhouse Championship
CRAZYHOUSE
Crazyhouse is also similar to bughouse, but unlike kinghouse, crazyhouse is very widely played online, because it can be enjoyed without needing to find someone else to play on a team with you. This variant only needs one board and two players. In this variant, pieces that you capture from your opponent will turn into pieces of the opposite color that you can place down at any time. Crazyhouse in fact, is almost always played online, including online chess tournaments, because the pieces captured have to change color after being captured, which is something that is very tricky to organize over the board.