Did Chess buff Bishops in new rule change? Players confused by chess “patch notes”
Chess.comChess players were left baffled after a new rule was “announced” that made Bishops more powerful, but don’t expect this to be allowed in your own matches.
On January 17, chess.com claimed the game was undergoing an update with a new move called “Bishop Bosse,” which effectively buffed the piece in a big way.
“Once per game, each player can move their bishop to an empty adjacent square of the opposite color,” the chess platform tweeted. “This move uses your turn.”
This move would make Bishops much stronger in the endgame and could be a useful tactic to set up new attacking threats.
The announcement immediately caught players off guard, with many unsure if this was an actual rule change or just chess.com trolling.
“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
Fortunately for those who embrace tradition and unfortunately for those hoping this rule change was legit, the “Bishop Bosse” isn’t actually happening.
Chess.com’s X account, while an excellent source of news, does some trolling from time to time, and this was no exception.
The account even responded to the “patch notes” confessing that this rule change was a big joke.
“This is a lie,” they said.
Responding to a player who was upset about the change because the “base game” is already good, Chess.com further stated: “Sorry! We don’t make the rules. Except this one.”
The game of chess rarely actually sees rule changes outside of professional play, with new moves being even rarer. For instance, en passant was only became universal in the mid-1800s.
As such, don’t expect to see new moves actually implemented anytime soon, but if history has taught us anything, it’s that chess always has a way of surprising us.