Courier Chess
A medieval large-board variant documented since 1202, predating the modern Queen and Bishop moves. One of the oldest recorded chess variants in Europe.
Setup
Board: 12×8 (96 squares).
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Courier Chess — starting position (12×8)
Pieces (per side, from a-file): Rook, Knight, Elephant, Courier, Sage, King, General, Courier, Elephant, Knight, Rook, Rook. 12 Pawns on the second rank.
| Piece | Movement |
|---|---|
| King | One step any direction (as standard) |
| General | One step diagonally only (precursor to Queen — very weak) |
| Courier | Slides diagonally any distance (modern Bishop) |
| Sage (Schleich) | One step in any direction (same as King, but not royal) |
| Elephant (Alfil) | Exactly two steps diagonally, jumping over the intermediate square |
| Rook | Slides orthogonally (as standard) |
| Knight | L-shape jump (as standard) |
| Pawn | One step forward, captures diagonally. No double-step. Promotes to General only. |
Rules
Standard chess movement applies per the table above. No castling. No pawn double-step. No en passant. Stalemate counts as a win (medieval rules).
Win Condition
Checkmate or stalemate (stalemate = win for the side delivering it in medieval rules).
Historical note: The Courier was the first piece to move like a modern Bishop — this game introduced unlimited diagonal sliding to European chess centuries before it was adopted into the standard game.
Strategy
The General (proto-Queen) is extremely weak — one diagonal step. The Couriers (modern Bishops) are the strongest attacking pieces. The wide board makes Knight development slow. Alfils (Elephants) can leap but are limited to every-other-square diagonals, creating gaps in coverage. Rooks dominate open files as in standard chess.
Attribution
First documented 1202 (Wirnt von Gravenberg). Public domain.