Tamerlane Chess
From the 14th century to today: The greatest chess variant in history
History
Tamerlane Chess (Shatranj al-Kabir) is a major chess variant played in the Timurid Empire in the late 14th century. Unlike standard 8x8 chess, this game is played on a 10x11 board with 28 pieces.
Timur (1336-1405) found standard chess too simple for his intellect. Thus, he invented or developed the 'Great Chess' (Shatranj al-Kabir), a larger and more complex game.
The game evolved from Chaturanga (600-650 CE) through Persian Chatrang, Arabic Shatranj, and finally Tamerlane Chess. Historians H.J.R. Murray, Duncan Forbes, and modern researcher Jean-Louis Cazaux have documented this game.
Board & Pieces
Tamerlane Chess is played on a massive board of 110 squares, consisting of 10 rows and 11 columns. There are 11 different piece types, and each player starts with 28 pieces.
There are 11 pawn types: Prototypes of each piece, these pawns promote to their respective piece type upon reaching the last rank.
| Piece | Type | Movement |
|---|---|---|
| Şah (King) | Royal | 1 square any direction |
| Şehzade (Prince) | Royal | Moves like the King |
| Kale (Rook) | Major | Unlimited vertical/horizontal |
| At (Knight) | Major | L-shaped jump |
| Fil (Elephant) | Minor | 2 squares diagonal jump |
| Deve (Camel) | Minor | 1 diagonal + 2 orthogonal leap |
| Mancınık (War Engine) | Minor | 2 squares orthogonal jump |
| Zürafa (Giraffe) | Hybrid | 1 diagonal + 3+ orthogonal slide |
| Gözcü (Talia) | Major | Minimum 2 squares diagonal slide |
| General (Ferz) | Minor | 1 square diagonal |
| Vezir (Vizir) | Minor | 1 square orthogonal |
Special Rules
Tamerlane Chess differs from standard chess in important ways:
Stalemate = Loss
In standard chess, stalemate is a draw, but in Tamerlane Chess, the player who is stalemated LOSES.
King Swap
Each player may once swap their king with any friendly piece.
Citadel Draw
If your king reaches the opponent's citadel (rook's square), the game ends in a draw.
Mandatory Promotion
When pawns reach the last rank, they promote to their respective piece type (not free choice).
Pawn of Pawns
A three-stage epic promotion: First arrival leaves them immobile (can teleport), second arrival returns them to starting square, third arrival becomes the Adventitious King.
Variants
There are two main Tamerlane Chess variants:
Standard (Erkeski)
The standard version played with 28 pieces. 11 pawn types and classic piece setup.
Full Tamerlane
The expanded version played with 36 pieces. Contains extra mythological pieces such as Lion, Bull, Sea Monster (Luxm), and Revealer.
Sources
For more information about this game, consult the following historical and academic sources:
- Ibn Arabshah (1450) - Biography of Timur
- Duncan Forbes - Chess history researcher
- H.J.R. Murray - History of Chess (1900)
- Jean-Louis Cazaux - Modern Tamerlane Chess researcher
- Ivan A. Derzhanski - Persian manuscript translator
- Elliott 274 - 14th century Persian manuscript
- ms 7322 - British Museum Arabic manuscript