Imagine legendary footballer Andrea Pirlo and mathematician prodigy Blaise Pascal sat down to face each other in a timeless game of chess. Were this to occur, I could imagine any pre-game exchanges of trash-talking between them looking like this:
Andrea Pirlo: "Football is played with the head. Your feet are just tools."
Blaise Pascal: "Chess is the gymnasium of the mind."
As intimidating as these remarks may seem, the truth is that these are both genuine quotes spoken by both Pirlo and Pascal.
Chess is a game of strategy. There are many components to strategic planning which are essential to playing a good game. The game plan, space, tactics, playing style, deception, attack, defence, concentration... the list goes on. Similarly, the same attributes are necessary for winning a game of football. If you ever try to watch a football match through the eyes of a chess player, the lines will begin to blur between pieces and players.
I wanted to design a chess variant which bridges the strategic underpinnings of football and chess on one playing board to celebrate the beautiful game(s).
Chess and football are also both beautifully democratic sports. Though they are incredibly difficult to master at the highest level, both have pretty low barriers to entry to begin playing.
Therefore, I created a series of accessible links to play the game of Football Chess (if it interests you and a friend). They can be accessed here:
- Football Chess Rulebook (comes with a printable board and pieces).
- Football Chess Interactive Online Gameboard (playable on Google Slides).
Enjoy! Please get in touch with me if you have any new ideas for the game!