The idea was to make the simple notion of swap work somehow. This was the 1st version of the game. It is not very good, because of the enormous range of moves that a player can choose, some of them changing the board completely. After reading this, check the next entry, Balanced Swap Chess.

1. All FIDE rules apply except in the following:
2. A player can choose in his turn, to make a FIDE move or to perform a swap sequence, respecting the following:
3. To perform a swap, one must be a player's piece P1 (except the King), and the other (any piece) must be at the range attack of P1. Pawns swap as they take, i.e., diagonally forward.
4. P1 can continue the swapping with other pieces.
5. Any piece, except P1, cannot be swapped more than once in a swap sequence.
6. A swap sequence must stop if a check happens.
7. If any pawn reaches, due to a swap sequence, the promotion rank, it is always the player who decides to which piece he promotes.
8. If a pawn reaches his 1st rank, he can move one or two squares forward.
9. The KO rule: a player cannot undo the last swap sequence.

(check the solution)

Sample Games

 1.  e2-e4          e7-e5
 2.  Nb1-c3         Nb8-c6
 3.  g2-g4          Bf8-c5
 4.  Qd1/g4/g7/h8

(the 1st swap sequence, Qh8 threats Q:g7)

 r . b q k . n Q  8
 p p p p . p r p  7
 . . n . . . . .  6
 . . b . p . . .  5
 . . . . O . p .  4
 . . N . . . . .  3
 O O O O . O . O  2
 R . B O K B N R  1

 a b c d e f g h

 4...               Qd8-h4
 5. Qh8/h7/g7/g8+

(white don't mind the mate threath, and start checking)

 r . b . k . Q p  8
 p p p p . p n r  7
 . . n . . . . .  6
 . . b . p . . .  5
 . . . . O . p q  4
 . . N . . . . .  3
 O O O O . O . O  2
 R . B O K B N R  1

 a b c d e f g h

 5...               Ke8-e7
 6. Nc3-d5+         Ke7-e6
 7. Nd5:c7+         Ke6-d6
 8. Nc7-b5+         Kd6-e7
 9. Qg8/c8/c6/c5+

(the mate threath ended)

 r . n . . . b p  8
 p p . p k p n r  7
 . . b . . . . .  6
 . N Q . p . . .  5
 . . . . O . p q  4
 . . . . . . . .  3
 O O O O . O . O  2
 R . B O K B N R  1

 a b c d e f g h

 9...               Ke7-e8
10. Bf1-c4?         Qh4/h2/h1/g1+

 r . n . k . b p  8
 p p . p . p n r  7
 . . b . . . . .  6
 . N Q . p . . .  5
 . . B . O . p O  4
 . . . . . . . .  3
 O O O O . O . R  2
 R . B O K . q N  1

 a b c d e f g h

11. Bc4-f1

(if 11. Ke1-e2 then Rh7/h6/g4/e4+)

11...               Qg1:h2?

(if 11... Rh7/g7/f7/f2/f1+ then Qc5 was lost)

12. Bb5/c6/d7+

 r . n . k . b p  8
 p p . B . p n r  7
 . . p . . . . .  6
 . b Q . p . . .  5
 . . . . O . p O  4
 . . . . . . . .  3
 O O O O . O . q  2
 R . B O K N . N  1

 a b c d e f g h

12...               Ke8:d7
13. Nf1:h2          f7-f6
14. Nh2:g4?

(better 14. Nh2/g4/f6+)

14...               Rh7/g7/g4/h4/h1+

 r . n . . . b p  8
 p p . k . . N n  7
 . . p . . p . .  6
 . b Q . p . . .  5
 . . . . O . O N  4
 . . . . . . . .  3
 O O O O . O . .  2
 R . B O K . . r  1

 a b c d e f g h

15. Qf2/e1/d1/c1/c2  Nh7/f6/g4+
16. Kf2-f3           Nc8/a7/c6/e5+
17. Kf3-g3           h:g7
18. Bd1:g4+          Ne5:g4
19. Kg3:g4           Bg8-e6+

 r . p . . . . .  8
 p p . k . . p p  7
 . . p . b O . .  6
 . b O . . . . .  5
 . . . . O . K N  4
 . . . . . . . .  3
 O O Q O . . . .  2
 R . O . O . . r  1

 a b c d e f g h

20. Kg4-g3          g:f6
21. Qc2/e4/h7+      Ra8/a7/b7/d7

 p . p . . . . .  8
 p k . r . . . Q  7
 . . p . b p . .  6
 . b O . . . . .  5
 . . . . p . . N  4
 . . . . . . K .  3
 O O O O . . . .  2
 R . O . O . . r  1

 a b c d e f g h

22. Qh7:e4          Be6-d5
23. Qe4/c2          Rd7-g7+
24. Kg3-f2          Rh1-f1+

 p . p . . . . .  8
 p k . . . . r .  7
 . . p . . p . .  6
 . b O b . . . .  5
 . . . . O . . N  4
 . . . . . . . .  3
 O O Q O . K . .  2
 R . O . O r . .  1

 a b c d e f g h

25. Kf2-e3          Rg7-g3+
26. Ke3-d4          Rf1-f4
27. d2-d3           Rf4:h4
28. a2-a4           Bb5/d3??
 
(why? the position seems bad for white!)

 p . p . . . . .  8
 p k . . . . . .  7
 . . p . . p . .  6
 . O O b . . . .  5
 O . . K O . . r  4
 . . . b . . r .  3
 . O Q . . . . .  2
 R . O . O . . .  1

 a b c d e f g h

29. Qc2/d3/e4/d5/c6+ Kb7-b8
30. Ra1/a4/a7/a8+    Be4/d5/c6/a8
31. Qd5-d6+          Kb8-b7
32. Qd6-c7+          Ba8/b7

 k . p . . . . .  8
 p b Q . . . . .  7
 . . R . . p . .  6
 . O O . . . . .  5
 p . . K p . . r  4
 . . . O . . r .  3
 . O b . . . . .  2
 O . O . O . . .  1

 a b c d e f g h

33. Rc6/c7/c8+       Bb7/c8
34. R:c7+            Bc2/d3/e4/c6
35. Qe4/c6+          Ka8-b8

(35... Be4/c6 is illegal because of the KO rule)

36. Rc7:c8++

1-0

final position:

 . k R . . . . .  8
 p . . . . . . .  7
 . . Q . . p . .  6
 . O O . . . . .  5
 p . . K b . . r  4
 . . . p . . r .  3
 . O O . . . . .  2
 O . O . O . . .  1

 a b c d e f g h
 

White: Joao Neto   (Nutty Knights)
Black: Ralph Betza (Remarkable Rookies)
Result: 1-0
Date:   February 1998

1.   Rh1/h2/g1/g2/f1/f2/e2/d1/d2/c1/c2/b1/b2/a1/a2
1... (WD)b8-b6
2.   (fbNF)h2-g4
2... (RN)d8/e8/g7/g4/f2/h1/h7(h1=RN)/h8/f7/f8/d7/b6/
        /b2/b1/c1/a2/a7/a8/c7/c8/e7/g8
3.   (fbNF)g7-f6
3... (HFD)c7:b6
4.   (fbNF)f6:g8
4... (RN)h1:g1 ??
5.   (fhNrlbK)g2:g1
5... (R4)a7/b7/b6/b2/b1/a1/a2(a1=RN)
6.   b:a2
6... (RN)a1/a2/b2/b6/b7/d7/e7/f7/h8/g8
7.   (fhNrlbK)d2-c4
7... (R4)h7:h8
8.   (frlRbK)c1/a1/a2/b2/c2/e2
8... (RN)g8:g4
9.   (fhNrlbK)g1-f3
9... (HFD)b6-e6
10.  (fbNF)b2-a4
10...(HFD)e7-e4+

   Final Position:

---------------
R4 WD HFD RN K HFD WD R4
---------------
   p . p k p p . r
   p n . n . p . .
   . . . . b . . .
   . . . . . . . .
   N . B . b . q .
   . . . . . B . .
   O . Q . R O . .
   O . O O K O . .
---------------
frlRbK fbNF fhNrlbK fhNfrlRK K fhNrlbK bfNF frlRbK
---------------

Notes:
Betza wrote:
>But then I would have had a nice swap defense. A swap attack can't
>capture anything, and it can't give double check, and it can't do
>anything offensively deadly except get a Pawn to the 7th or 8th rank.
Neto wrote:
you're right! Swapping must be improved to be useful on a chess variant...

One possible modification is that a move consists of:

   a) a regular move,
   b) a 2 piece swap.

It's near marsellais chess, and reduce drastically the move possibilities.

   Betza wrote:

    a) a regular move,
        must be the first part of the move and must get you out of check,
        therefore swapping is no longer such a powerful defense.
    b) a 2 piece swap
        "Qd1/e2"? or "Qd1/e2/f2"?
        Not an unlimited swap because it would be even "heavier",  I understand.

and then balanced swap chess has born...

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Mate problem solution

White queen swaps with the white bishop, then with the black pawn promoting it to a knight, then with the black bishop and the black rook, mating Black. The notation would be:

1. 1 Qb6/b1/d3=N/c4/f7++
 

 . . . r k . . .  8
 . . . . . Q . .  7
 . B . . . . . .  6
 . . . . . . . .  5
 . . r . . . . .  4
 . . . b . . . .  3
 . . . . . R . .  2
 . n . . . . . .  1

 a b c d e f g h

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