page_title: Hostage chess
section_title: Example game
hierarchical_section_title: Hostage chess / Example game
caption_attribution_description: English: Made in PAINT using ProjChess colors and the great chess icons fashioned by David Benbennick (User:Dbenbenn).
context_page_description: Hostage chess is a chess variant invented by John Leslie in 1997. Captured pieces are not eliminated from the game but can reenter active play through drops, similar to shogi. Unlike shogi, the piece a player may drop is one of his own pieces previously captured by the opponent. In exchange, the player returns a previously captured enemy piece which the opponent may drop on a future turn. This is the characteristic feature of the game.
  Hostage chess has tactical subtlety and "tends to favour the attacker". In 1999, David Pritchard called the game "the variant of the decade". It was published in magazines Nost-algia, Eteroscacco, and Variant Chess. It was the "Recognized Variant of the Month" in January 2005 at The Chess Variant Pages.
  The inventor, John Leslie, is also a philosopher. He mentions in his book Infinite Minds that the prevalence of chess variant inventions such as hostage chess has led to speculation that there could be infinite possible variations of chess. He contends these will necessarily exceed the capacity of the human mind.
context_section_description: White: Frank Parr   Black: David Pritchard   Casual game
  1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4
  The captured pawn is held hostage in Black's prison.
  3. Nc3 e5 4. d5 c6 5. e4 b5 6. dxc6
  Now White also holds a hostage.
  6... (P-P)*d4
  Black exchanges hostages and drops his freed pawn on d4. White now has a pawn in his airfield.
  7. *d7
  White drops the pawn from his airfield. Black is not in check since White cannot promote, there being no imprisoned piece with which the pawn could be exchanged.
  7... Nxc6 8. Qxd4 Bxd7 
  The queen could not be taken without an illegal self-check, because of the pawn waiting to promote. But now the queen is threatened.
  9. Qd1 (P-P)*d4 10. Nd5 Bb4+ 11. Bd2 Bxd2+ 12. Qxd2 Be6 13. a4
  13.*b7!? with the idea (B-B)B*c7 (Pritchard).
  13... Bxd5 14. exd5 (B-B)B*b4 15. *c3 dxc3 16. bxc3 Bxc3! 17. Qxc3 (N-B)B*b4 18. Qxb4 Nxb4
  To free his queen from prison, White must first capture Black's queen. But Black can sacrifice his queen anytime, then promptly re-enter it via a hostage exchange.
  19. Rb1 (P-P)*d2+ (see diagram) 20. Kxd2
  Pritchard annotates:
  "Or 20.Kd1 Qxd5 and now 21.N*c7+ achieves nothing as neither the queen nor the rook can be taken as Black then exchanges hostages and mates on e1. If instead 21.Rxb4 Black has the crushing 21...Qd3 which threatens both (Q-N)N*c3 and (Q-B)B*c2. White could try 21.N*e3 but after Qd3 there follows 22.Nf3 Qxb1+ 23.Kxd2 when Black again mates or 21.*c2 Qd3 22.N*e3 Qxf1+ wins easily, all of which attests to the extraordinary vitality of the game."
  20... Qxd5+ 21. Kc1 Na2+ 22. Kc2 (P-P)*b3+ 23. Kb2 (Q-B)B*c3+ 24. Ka3 b4# 0–1
caption: Position after 19...(P-P)*d2+
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