Chessplus

Chessplus is a chess variant developed by the Australia-based family business Chessplus Team.

Appearance
Chessplus, as a physical variant, can come in 1 of 3 packages.


 * 1) A bag, containing all the pieces.
 * 2) A box featuring a pawn and knight combining into a knawn.
 * 3) A pseudo-box with a wrap-around board and pieces.

As for the pieces, they are designed so players can merge them.

Gameplay
Chessplus gameplay is similar to that of regular chess, but pieces can merge. The only piece that can't be merged with is the king. Pieces can only merge with other pieces of their own color. Only 2 pieces can be merged at a time. Pieces may split, in which they use their original move to un-merge.

Castling
Castling may be done with a combined rook. Just like in regular chess, the rook must not have previously moved. In other words, if a knight moved to combine with a rook, castling is possible, but if that rook moved to combine with the knight, then castling is no longer allowed for that rook.

En passant
Similar to the castling rules, can only be used on a combination of 2 pawns. If the combination is, say, a biawn, the combination of a bishop and a pawn, then en passant is not allowed.

Inspiration
It was inspired by an illegal move made by the leader's daughter, Aimee, who, at age 8, during a chess match with her father, decided to move a rook to a pawn's square, then promoted the piece to a queen.

Reception
Chessplus received generally positive reviews.