Quick Guide to Magic Checkers

Could something similar be done for chess? Absolutely. Would it be as effective and elegant? I doubt it.
Magic works in checkers because they are more dynamic, aggressive, and in a sense, "simpler." There is no prolonged accumulation of small advantages - the game is often decided by one sharp combination. Magic becomes its organic extension - just as sudden and spectacular.
Magical abilities in checkers are a tactical explosion that shifts the balance of power but does not negate the fundamental principles of the game. In chess, however, such interference would be a strategic apocalypse.
Formally, creating "Magic Chess" is possible. But the spirit, depth, and beauty of the game of chess would be irrevocably lost. In checkers, on the contrary, they would be enhanced, because magic becomes that very missing element of scale and drama that transforms the game into a legend.

Quick Guide to Magic Checkers

The Gist

These are standard Checkers, but if you capture an opponent's checker, it can use magic against you. Capture wisely!

Setup

Shuffle all your 12 checkers on the board with their faces up.

Arrange them on your dark squares as usual.

Hidden among your 12 checkers are 9 magical checkers (with numbers* 1-5 on the reverse side) and 3 ordinary ones.
The magical checkers: One checker is marked with the number one, and two checkers each are marked with the numbers 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Gameplay

Move and capture according to the standard rules.

Capturing is mandatory. If there are multiple capture paths, you can choose any.

Magic activates when your checker is captured.

After the opponent has completed their turn, you use the magic of your captured checkers (if any).

Magic is performed one after another, in the order the checkers were captured:

Dragon's Breath (1): Remove ALL checkers (both yours and the enemy's) from any file of your choice.

Witch's Potion (2): Teleport ANY of your own checkers or kings to any free square. A regular checker cannot be placed in the opponent's first row.

Skinwalker Whisper (3): Teleport ANY of your opponent's checkers or kings to any free square. A regular checker cannot be placed in your own first row.

Summoning of the Phoenix (4): Instantly transform ANY of your regular checkers into a king (if possible).

Revenge of the Lich (5): Return to the board ALL of your captured non-magical checkers (checkers without numbers on the back). Place them on any free squares within your first four rows.

Important

After you have performed all magical actions (or if there were none), you are obliged to make your regular move. If you have no move — you lose.

The checkers returned by "Revenge of the Lich " are ordinary, with no numbers on the reverse side.

Magic is your weapon of revenge! Sometimes it's better to sacrifice the "right" checker to later deliver a crushing counterblow!

Winning: Same as in standard checkers (destroy all opponent's checkers or deprive them of a move).

The Main Twist: Think two steps ahead. Capturing recklessly is dangerous. Now, even a losing position can turn into a victory with one successful magical action!

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*Ideally, instead of numbers on the reverse side of the checkers, there should be well-recognizable images of the characters presented in the game. A set of such checkers would be not just game equipment, but a true work of art that immerses players in an atmosphere of magic from the moment they are placed on the board.

The design on the back of the checkers could feature the following:

Checker #1: Dragon's Breath - A stylized, fierce dragon's head in profile, mouth open, unleashing a powerful plume of fire that fans out.

Checker #2: Witch's Potion - A bubbling, ornate cauldron (like an iron pot with three legs) with a thick, mystical vapor swirling out of it. The vapor curls around a single, simple icon of a checker, lifting it.

Checker #3: Skinwalker Whisper - A gnarled, ancient tree with a face vaguely formed in its bark. From its branches, a spiral of mist reaches out to encircle a single checker, pulling it.

Checker #4: Summoning of the Phoenix - A majestic phoenix rising from a nest of flames. Its wings are spread, and its light forms a crown or coronation aura around a simple checker icon below it, which is transforming into a king (e.g., a second checker is shown stacking onto it).

Checker #5: Revenge of the Lich - A crown made of bone or dark iron, cracked and ancient. Below it, spectral, ghost-like hands are rising from the bottom of the design, lifting several checker icons back onto the board.

Ordinary Checkers - These should be blank or feature a simple, neutral pattern like a geometric knotwork or a shield icon. This clearly differentiates them from the magically charged pieces and makes the return of "non-magical" checkers via the Lich's ability visually logical.

Such a design would make the game instantly more intuitive - it's far easier to remember that capturing the "Witch's Potion" checker triggers a teleportation spell than to associate the effect with an abstract number. Furthermore, it transforms the set into a stunning piece of art.

More details here