Frontline Chess

What if chess started with a secret battle plan?

In Frontline Chess, the game begins before the first move.

Place your entire army wherever you want on your half of the board. The opponent does the same. Then the pieces are revealed, and suddenly the match begins in a completely new position.

Maybe your king is safe.

Maybe it is already in trouble.

Maybe your opponent built a fortress.

Maybe they put a rook right in your face.

Good luck!

How it works

Before the match starts:

• You place all your white pieces anywhere on your half of the board.
• The black side secretly places its pieces on the opposite half.
• Then both armies are revealed.
• From there, the game plays like chess.

But because every match starts differently, every game creates a new tactical challenge.

Why I made this

Frontline Chess is a small game design prototype about changing one familiar rule and seeing how much the experience changes.

Chess usually begins from the same position every time. I wanted to explore what happens when the opening is no longer fixed, and players get to design their own starting formation.

The result is a chess variant focused on surprise, planning, adaptation, and chaotic first-turn discoveries.

Features

• Secret deployment phase
• Strategic AI opponent
• Difficulty selection
• Checkmate and stalemate detection
• Pawn promotion choices
• Animated piece movement
• Sound feedback
• Tutorial, options, and credits
• Playable in browser

Prototype note

This is a portfolio prototype focused on game design, rule experimentation, AI behavior, UI flow, and player feedback.

Castling and en passant are disabled for this version.

So… can you outsmart the board before the game even starts?

Set your trap. Hide your king. Face a new challenge every time!