🌄 Borderlands

Borderlands is a chess variant created by dpldgr in 2025 for PyChess' Variant Design Contest.

Borderlands draws inspiration from many classic variants (Chess, Shogi, Xiangqi, and Courier Chess) and fuses them together in a unique and creative way. Pieces are in general more powerful than those found in the classic variants.

• Sliding pieces (Rooks, Bishops) and jump capturing pieces (Pao, Vao) are merged to create more powerful pieces (Archer, Slinger).
• Most pieces are promotable, giving incentive to keep them on the board as every piece can help win the game by cornering and capturing enemy Chiefs.
• There is a wide variety of pieces with different strengths and weaknesses.

Historical Setting

Borderlands is not set in a specific place or culture. Rather, it serves as an abstract representation of warfare as it evolved during the early Classical Antiquity period (approximately 500–100 BCE), following the decline of chariot warfare. It reflects the tactical emphasis on infantry formations, skirmishers, and emerging combined-arms warfare typical of that era.

General Rules

1. White has the first move.
2. All pieces are capturable and are permanently removed from play upon capture.
3. There is no checkmate or stalemate.
4. There is no castling.
5. Pieces promote immediately upon reaching their Promotion Zone/Square.
6. Warriors starting on the 3rd rank may make a double step on their first move, and may be captured en passant on the enemy's next move.

Win Conditions

1. Capture both enemy Chiefs and the enemy immediately surrenders.

Draw Conditions

1. No Progress: 80 moves (40 by each player) without a capture or promotion.
2. Impasse: the game is unable to progress due to neither side having a realistic chance of capturing both enemy Chiefs.

Lose Conditions

1. No Legal Moves: if a player cannot make a legal move they lose the game.
2. Perpetual Check: (TODO: confirm this works for Chiefs).
3. Move Repetition: repeating a position for the 5th time.

The Board

The empty board and initial position for Borderlands are as follows:

Regions and Squares

There are a number of important regions and squares in Borderlands:

	White Territory
	Ranks 1-5
	All White pieces start the game within this region.
	White Incursion Zone
	Ranks 6-7
	White Marauders must come into play in this region. Black Warriors initially guard every single square of it.
	White Promotion Zone
	Ranks 8-10
	All promotable White pieces (except the Lion) can promote anywhere within this region.
	White Lion's Movement Zone
	Ranks: 1-5 Squares: d7, f7, e9
	White Lion's Promotion Square
	Square: e9
	The White Lion promotes upon reaching this square, and is then able to freely roam the entire board.
	Black Territory
	Ranks 6-10
	All Black pieces start the game within this region.
	Black Incursion Zone
	Ranks 4-5
	Black Marauders must come into play in this region. White Warriors initially guard every single square of it.
	Black Promotion Zone
	Ranks 1-3
	All promotable Black pieces (except the Lion) can promote anywhere within this region.
	Black Lion's Movement Zone
	Ranks: 6-10 Squares: d4, f4, e2
	Black Lion's Promotion Square
	Square: e2
	The Black Lion promotes upon reaching this square, and is then able to freely roam the entire board.

The Pieces

Names, Movement, Notations, Icons, & Promotions

The movement diagrams below follow these conventions:

	Red Circle: can make both capturing and non-capturing moves to this square unimpeded.
	Blue Circle: can make a capturing move to this square unimpeded.
	Teal Line: can make both a capturing and non-capturing sliding move, or jump a piece and capture in a manner similar to a Cannon.

	Chief (C)
	Betza: K
Chiefs are the most valuable pieces on the board. Capture both of the enemy Chiefs and your enemy immediately surrenders.

Marauder (M)	Promoted Marauder (+M)
Betza: F	Betza: K
The Marauder's role is to disrupt the enemy through any means necessary. They can very quickly slip behind enemy lines if there are small holes in the enemy's defenses. Marauders start the game in hand, and must come into play by being dropped into their Incursion Zone, and can often promote on their next move. They can move like a Ferz (F). Upon promotion, Marauders gain the ability to make one step orthogonally (W).
Falcon (F)	Promoted Falcon (+F)
Betza: W	Betza: K
They can move like a Wazir (W). Upon promotion, Falcons gain the ability to make one step diagonally (F).
Elephant (E)	Promoted Elephant (+E)
Betza: WAD	Betza: KAD
Elephants are jumping pieces. They can move like a Wazir, Alfil, or Dabbaba (WAD). Upon promotion, Elephants gain the ability to move like a King (K).
Horse (H)	Promoted Horse (+H)
Betza: NF	Betza: NK
Horses are jumping pieces. They can move like a Knight or Ferz (NF). Upon promotion, Horses gain the ability to move like a King (K).
Slinger (S)	Promoted Slinger (+S)
Betza: BcpB	Betza: BcpBW
Slingers are long range pieces able to attack from afar along diagonal lines. They can move like a Bishop (B) or capture like a Vao (cpB). Upon promotion, Slingers gain the ability to move like a Wazir (W).
Archer (A)	Promoted Archer (+A)
Betza: RcpR	Betza: RcpRF
Archers are long range pieces able to attack from afar along orthogonal lines. They can move like a Rook (R) or capture like a Pao (cpR). Upon promotion, Archers gain the ability to move like a Ferz (F).
Warrior (W)	Promoted Warrior (+W)
Betza: fWfceFifmnD	Betza: NK
Warriors can move like both a Chess Pawn (fmWfceFifmnD) and a Shogi Pawn (fW). Warriors starting on the 3rd rank may make a double step on their first move, and may be captured en passant by an enemy Warrior on the enemy's next move. Upon promotion, the Warrior's movement changes. A Promoted Warrior can move like a Knight or Ferz (NF).
Lion (L)	Promoted Lion (+L)
Betza: KNAD	Betza: KNAD
Lions start the game as a defensive piece restricted to their side's Territory, and have a very limited path to promotion (via the Lion's Incursion Squares) that is easily defended against. Upon promotion, Lions gain the ability to roam the entire board.

Piece Values

Piece	Notation	Value	Piece	Notation	Value
Promoted Lion	+L	7.49	Chief	C	3.40
Promoted Archer	+A	6.16	Slinger	S	3.36
Promoted Warrior	+W	5.87	Elephant	E	3.21
Promoted Horse	+H	5.48	Lion	L	3.11
Promoted Elephant	+E	4.87	Promoted Marauder	+M	2.31
Archer	A	4.77	Warrior	W	1.34
Promoted Slinger	+S	4.16	Marauder	M	0.88
Promoted Falcon	+F	4.01	Falcon	F	0.79
Horse	H	3.48

Strategy

TODO.

How to Play Borderlands video:
TODO

Gameplay Sample 1:

Gameplay Sample 2: