In the 1950s, J. Boyer from France, who invented many chess variants, invented a chess variant, where grasshoppers play an important role. The game is played on a normal chess board. In addition to the usual pieces of chess, the players each have additionally eight grasshoppers, who are positioned in the opening setup on the second and seventh rows. Pawns are placed on the third and sixth rows. A pawn moves as a usual pawn, but does not have an initial double step.
Pawns can promote to queen, rook, bishop, knight, or grasshopper.
All other pieces move as in orthodox chess. Other rules are as in usual chess. Equipment One can play this game with a orthodox chess set, and checkers pieces for grasshoppers. The game was described in R. Wayne Schmittberger's New Rules for Classic Games and in Pritchard's The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants .