| Reviewed On | Publisher | Designer | Published In | Rating |
| August 22, 2006 | Dragonchess, Inc. | Lex Parker | 2005 | 7.5 |
| Buy It Now | More Info |
It was Chess. Well, rather it was Chess with one more type of piece, the Dragon, and with a much larger board. Only two changes to basic Chess, and the game even includes the rules for normal Chess, in case players want to play the traditional game. Unlike many Chess variants, though, I think DragonChess will appeal to those who like "pure" Chess. It adds a new piece which is interesting but not too powerful to the game, and the larger board changes the game drastically in terms of tactics. I really enjoyed the variant, as it was different enough from Chess to keep it interesting, but close enough to Chess to be awfully familiar.
The new piece added is the Dragon, which is placed to the outside of each Rook on the board. The Dragon is like a "mini" Queen, as it can move three spaces in any direction, without jumping. To me, the interesting thing about the Dragon was not its power but rather its location. Having a piece that can move diagonally, even if only three spaces, changes the aspects of the corner and gives the Rook a little more protection before it comes out on the board.
The other change is the board size. Another ring of squares is placed around the normal sixty-four spaces of a chess board, and each army is placed one row back with the Dragons added to each end and two additional pawns placed in front of them. Also, there is a three by four grid that extends outward on each side of the board. This brings the total to one hundred and twenty-four squares on the board, which is almost double the original size. The board actually doesn't feel like it is twice the size, as there is only one more ring, but it does change the dynamics of the game. The side spaces feel like unnecessary wings of the board, until the Bishops get moving. I am willing to wager that in Dragon Chess, a Bishop has the power of the Rook, if not more. With the extra space, including the wings, the Bishop can become a devastating assassin, striking diagonally at unsuspecting pieces. In the games I've played the Rook and Knight have gone down in value slightly, while the Bishop and Queen have become whirlwinds of terror.
The box is gigantic, too wide to fit on many shelves, and has such a large perimeter that I have a difficult time trying to find a space for it. Inside, however, the plastic pieces (with felt bottoms), are terrific sculpts in white and black. Even if a player wanted to ignore the Dragon aspect of the game, they would enjoy the way the board and pieces look. And most importantly (at least to me), the pieces are easily recognizable, unlike many custom Chess sets in which I have to figure out just which pieces are the Knights, etc.
A Chess fanatic may not be entirely pleased with the changes in Dragon Chess, but then again - I don't think ANY changes will please them. For me, though, Chess - while a brilliant game - needs to be shaken up every once in a while. Games like Knightmare Chess add levels of randomness that may be unacceptable to most folk, and other variants are so far removed from regular Chess that they may as well not even take the same name.
DragonChess is different with one rule change and a larger board. Does this warrant the selling of a whole new game? In my opinion it does, if only for the beautiful new pieces alone. The rules include those for standard Chess, and this chessboard will in fact replace my smaller, more mundane regular chess set. DragonChess does something that very few games do; it adds a very small amount of changes, but just enough to justify being a separate game. I personally am always looking for an alternative to Chess, if only for a change of pace, and Dragon Chess fits the bill nicely. The Dragon piece, rather than become the center of attention, simply changes the dynamics of the other pieces that are already on the board, which is unusual for a new piece but one most welcome.
Therefore, if you like Chess and can tolerate a few changes, then I highly recommend DragonChess. You'll still be able to play the normal game of Chess but will have a nicely tuned (and seemingly well playtested) variant. Simplicity can sometimes be a terrific thing, and in DragonChess that simplicity is highly tuned to change the tactics and increase the fun of regular Chess.
Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games"
