Did Chess buff Bishops in new rule change? Players confused by chess “patch notes”

Chess enthusiasts found themselves puzzled when a fresh rule surfaced, enhancing the strength of Bishops in games, though you shouldn’t anticipate implementing this change during your personal chess matches.

On January 17th, I noticed that my favorite online chess platform, chess.com, announced they were rolling out an update, introducing a fresh move for the bishop character, dubbed as “Bishop Bosse.” This new addition significantly boosted the power of this piece in the game, making it even more exciting to play!

In every game of chess, players have the opportunity once per game to advance their bishop to an open square of a different color on the board. This special move consumes one of your turns. (Chess platform’s post)

Making this move would significantly enhance the power of Bishops in late game situations, offering a strategic advantage for establishing fresh assault opportunities.

In Chess Update V2025.b, a new feature called “Bishop Bosse” has been introduced:

– Each player gets one chance per game to make their bishop leap to an empty square of the opposite color adjacent to its current position.
– This special move consumes your turn when used.

— Chess.com (@chesscom) January 17, 2025

Initially, the declaration took the players by surprise, leaving several wondering whether it signified a genuine rule modification or merely a playful prank from chess.com.

“We got chess updates before GTA 6,” many remarked.

“DID CHESS REALLY JUST GET A FRICKING UPDATE!!!???” another exclaimed in confusion.

“Wait, chess can get patches?” a perplexed YouTube questioned.

New chess rule just isn’t real

Luckily for traditionalists and regrettably for those anticipating a shift, it appears that the “Bishop Bosse” event is merely a misconception.

On occasion, Chess.com’s X account can engage in playful teasing, but this instance was no different.

The account even responded to the “patch notes” confessing that this rule change was a big joke.

“This is a lie,” they said.

Apologies for any inconvenience! However, please remember that we’re merely following the guidelines. In this case, it’s just a single exception to the rule.

Sorry! We don’t make the rules.

except this one

— Chess.com (@chesscom) January 17, 2025

Chess rules seldom get modified except during professional matches, and it’s not often that new moves are introduced. An example is the rule of ‘en passant’, which wasn’t universally adopted until the mid-1800s.

To put it simply, you won’t likely witness the execution of fresh strategies imminently, but remember, the game of chess often delights in keeping us guessing.

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2025-01-21 01:56