Aliya Explains Chess Variants: Losers Chess, aka Antichess, aka Giveaway

This may be one of the most common chess variants among young players because it is easy, fun and quick to play! However, this chess variant is not very helpful if you want to improve your actual chess playing.

Picture courtesy of Microsoft Copilot

BY ALIYA SALDANHA-SURI
Bronx High School of Science
COACH AND COLUMNIST

Losers Chess, aka Antichess, aka Giveaway chess variant is the seventh 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.

Video courtesy from Triple S Games

Losers Chess, aka Antichess, aka Giveaway

Losers Chess / Antichess / Giveaway: This may be one of the most common chess variants among young players! This is because it is easy, fun and quick to play. However, this chess variant is not very helpful if you want to improve your actual chess playing, because it is so different from the goal of chess. Here’s a tip: try to give up your most powerful pieces rather than your weaker ones. Powerful pieces can capture too much, and in this chess variant you do not want to be capturing your opponent’s pieces.

How to win the game: Unlike regular chess, the goal of this game is to lose all of your pieces… including the king! A player wins when they have no pieces left on the board or if they are stalemated (for example, if white has no moves and it’s their move then white wins the game)

Rules: If there is a piece that can be captured, it has to be captured. For example, if white is attacking a pawn with their knight and it’s their move, they have to take it. If they are attacking no pieces, they can move wherever they want. If they are attacking more than one piece, they have to take something, but they can choose what to take. Unlike regular chess, the king can be captured, and an attack on the king is not considered check or checkmate. It just functions like all the other pieces, meaning that if it is attacked and no other pieces are being attacked, it has to be captured.