Three-check chess
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Three-check chess, also simply known as three-check, is a chess variant where a player can win by placing their opponent in check three times. Apart from this, standard rules of chess apply, including starting position and other ending conditions, such as stalemate and checkmate. A move is considered to give one check if the king is threatened, regardless if multiple pieces are checking the king.[1][2][3] Three-check can be played over the board, but it is also popular on internet chess servers such as Chess.com and Lichess.
It is unknown specifically where three-check chess originated, but David Pritchard, author of The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants, suspected Soviet origin, and noted that Anatoly Karpov was an "invincible" player of three-check chess in his youth.[4][5] On Lichess, the three-check world championship is hosted yearly.[6] Other strong players who have played three-check include grandmasters Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Sergei Zhigalko.