If there was one idea that got me into programming it was Blind Chess. It simply could not be played without a computer. It's chess but each piece has a limited visibility based on proximity and capability. For example a rook can see adjacent squares and along a straight line until the view is blocked. I tested the concept for Blind Chess with my now wife using two chess boards in real life well before I ever put this idea online. The first version of Blind Chess was written in MatLab using a GUI. And since then I rewrote it in html, js, and css, then archived the code, and eventually found it, dusted it off, and put it on this website.

You can select the grid size and play versus a dumb cpu. The original version included a feature to select pieces based on a budget and start the game with custom piece layout. That way you could in theory have a game of many many pawns versus a few queens where both sides are unaware of what cannot be seen by their pieces. This version starts with the standard chess setup on both sides and checkmate is not implemented. Still this version is a sufficient prototype to communicate the concept. Enjoy.

Visibility Rules:

Each piece can see a default set of squares even when fully surrounded. Additionally, each piece has a visibility set that is roughly equivalent to the set of legal chess moves.

King:

Default Visibility: Three squares in every direction.

Additional Visibility: Along horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines until blocked by another piece.

Queen:

Default Visibility: Two squares in every direction.

Additional Visibility: Along horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines until blocked by another piece.

Rook:

Default Visibility: One square in every direction and two squares along every horizontal and vertical line.

Additional Visibility: Along horizontal and vertical lines until blocked by another piece.

Bishop:

Default Visibility: One square in every direction and two squares along every diagonal line.

Additional Visibility: Along diagonal lines until blocked by another piece.

Knight:

Default Visibility: All squares within the knight move pattern extended by one in each direction. In other words all squares within three vertical and two horizontal or two vertical and three horizontal.

Additional Visibility: None.

Pawn:

Default Visibility: One square in every direction and two squares along every horizontal and vertical line.

Additional Visibility: None.