# New chess variant: duck chess! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** board-card-word-game, chess\ **Created:** [October 13, 2022, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213 "2022-10-13T23:44:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/1 "2022-10-13T23:44:08Z")
[Chess.com](http://Chess.com) has added a handful of new variants, and one of them is understandably sweeping all the video bloggers. Duck chess sounds kind of dumb, but I am finding it addictive – basically, it’s just like a normal chess game, except every move you have to move a little duck around the board. What does the duck do? It’s basically a brick sitting on a square, blocking anything that tries to go through it, other than knights jumping over it. The net effect, as best I can tell so far, is substantially increasing the tactical possibilities of positions. This has apparently actually been around since 2016, so, not so new, but new to me anyway, and new to [chess.com](http://chess.com). > **[Duck Chess](https://duckchess.com/)** > > Visit the post for more. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/2 "2022-10-14T18:07:08Z")
If someone threw a chess set at my head, I’d be sure to duck chess. It’s been awhile since I’ve played chess, but this sounds like an intriguing variation. Much more so than Madhouse Chess or Cylindrical Nuclear Chess. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/3 "2022-10-15T02:52:56Z")
Wabbit chess! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/4 "2022-10-15T13:24:20Z")
So, you make your normal move, and then choose how to move the duck, and then the opponent makes their normal move, and then chooses how to move the duck? How does the duck move, like a king? The concept reminds me of “Duck Shakespeare”: At a public outdoors Shakespeare play I was at some years back, the action was interrupted by a pair of very enthusiastic mallards, and the actors all proceeded to ad-lib off of them. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/5 "2022-10-15T13:29:00Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > How does the duck move, like a king? It can go to any empty square, and it can’t stay still. There’s no check, so you can expose your king then immediately rectify it with the duck. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/6 "2022-10-15T13:30:45Z")
The answer is in the link in the OP, > - To play Duck Chess, you need two players, a standard chess set, and one rubber duck (small enough to occupy a single square of the chessboard). > - Each player’s turn always consists of two actions: (1) making a standard chess move, and then (2) moving the duck to any empty square on the board. (The duck must be moved – it cannot be left where it is.) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/7 "2022-10-15T14:31:02Z")
If anyone in my county played it, the board would be full of buckshot. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/8 "2022-10-15T14:33:55Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Wabbit chess! Duck chess! ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/9 "2022-10-15T14:34:33Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > If anyone in my county played it, the board would be full of buckshot. A new variant! ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/10 "2022-10-15T14:36:00Z")
12 gauge takes ducky. Check! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/11 "2022-10-15T20:04:12Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Duck chess! Duck chess! ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2022, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/12 "2022-10-15T20:08:03Z")
“To be or not to be, that is the quacktion.” ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/13 "2022-10-16T13:20:44Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Duck chess! Wabbit Chess! Oh, wait, er… ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/14 "2022-10-17T17:44:20Z")
Do you have to move your piece first, then the duck, or can you do it either way? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/15 "2022-10-17T17:45:50Z")
It’s right in the post - Each player’s turn always consists of two actions: (1) making a standard chess move, **and then** (2) moving the duck to any empty square on the board. (The duck must be moved – it cannot be left where it is.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/16 "2022-10-17T17:56:54Z")
Yeah, I think moving the duck piece first would completely invalidate the whole point behind the game, which would be to place the duck in a strategic location to limit your opponent’s movement. If you could just move it right out of the way on the first move, there’s really no new game there. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/17 "2022-10-17T20:26:49Z")
I’ve played a bunch more, and I’m pretty mediocre at it…low 1500s so far. The tactical possibilities make my head hurt. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/18 "2022-10-17T20:33:44Z")
> [@colinfred](#): > > > [@Chronos](#): > > > > Duck chess! > > Wabbit Chess! > > Oh, wait, er Elmer Chess! ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/19 "2022-10-17T20:43:44Z")
It would appear to give knights more value. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213/20 "2022-10-17T20:45:29Z")
It absolutely does. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-chess-variant-duck-chess/973213.md?page=2)