Berolina chess

Berolina chess is a chess variant using a popular fairy chess piece called the Berolina pawn (also known as Berlin pawn or Anti-pawn). The Berolina pawn was invented by Edmund Nebermann in 1926[1] and has found frequent use in chess problems.

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The Berolina pawn is represented in diagrams as an inverted pawn. A Berolina may move two steps forward diagonally on its first move. The diagram shows white Berolina pawn move options (black dots) and capture squares ("×"). If the white f2-pawn advances to d4 in a single move, Black's e4-pawn can capture it en passant by playing to e3.

Berolina chess follows the same rules as standard chess, including castling, except that all eight pawns are replaced by Berolina pawns.

Berolina pawn specifics

The Berolina pawn moves, without capturing, one square diagonally forward. It captures one square straight forward. (So, it is the converse of a standard chess pawn, which moves straight forward and captures diagonally forward.)

Like a standard pawn, the Berolina has the option to step two squares forward on its first move (so for the Berolina, two squares diagonally forward). En passant is possible as well (see diagram). As in standard chess, the Berolina pawn promotes when it reaches the last rank.

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The Berolina Plus pawn
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The Sergeant can move to or capture on white dots.

Two famous pawns also used in problem compositions are the Berolina Plus and the Sergeant.

  • The Berolina Plus moves and captures the same as the Berolina pawn, but in addition may capture one step orthogonally to the side (see diagram).
  • The Sergeant combines the standard chess pawn and the Berolina pawn; that is, it can move to, or capture on, any of the three squares immediately in front.

See also

References
  1. Funkschach, August 1926

Bibliography

  • Pritchard, D. B. (1994). The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants. Games & Puzzles Publications. pp. 21–22. ISBN 0-9524142-0-1.
  • Pritchard, D. B. (2007). Beasley, John (ed.). The Classified Encyclopedia of Chess Variants. John Beasley. pp. 58–59. ISBN 978-0-9555168-0-1.
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