I invented a chess variant that my friends and I have been addicted to for years. Here's an overview and breakdown:
Overview: Team chess. The game is played using teams of 2 against each other. Each individual sets up their pieces in their side of the board.
Phase 1: In the first phase each person draws a team from the hat. White1, Black1, White2, and Black2.
Phase 2: Class draft. Using the order listed above, each person takes a turn drafting a class of their color for their control. For example, when you draft "rook", you personally control all of your colors rooks. Only 4 pawns are used by each side. This process continues until all classes have been drafted.
Phase 3: Board position. Using the same order, each player takes a turn selecting a side of the board.
Phase 4: Class placement. Using the same order, each player takes a turn placing 1 class of pieces within their start zone. Because each side of the board is used, pieces can not be placed into the corner cross sections to begin. So a player's available spots would appear as follows: xxooooxx for the first 2 rows of a player's side
Phase 5: Starting. A random player is chosen from the hat to begin. Order continues in W1,B1,W2,B2 format from starting position.
Additional notes:
1) A king owner must have the opportunity to get out of check. This means a king could be in check for 3 straight moves.
2) A pawn upgrades a piece to whatever it wants, but if a player upgrades his pawn to a class he doesn't own after reaching the opposite side of his starting position, his partner (that class owner) will take the piece's control.
3) Pawns can start anywhere within the start zone and still move 2 spaces in their first move.
4) A bishop owner can place his bishops on any squares in the start zone, including the same color.
I'm sure there's a few more minor things I've left out, but that's the basics. If anybody wants to help me build this into a web game, let me know. It's incredibly addictive.
As mentioned below, the main issue here is that you're violating a host of SEC regulations. In simple terms, by crowdfunding a company to strangers on the Internet, you've made your own "public offering".
I bought the domain ClusterFunder a few years ago with the same basic idea, and even toiled with a dozen variations, but to maintain the site's value you inevitably run into SEC issues.
They are currently reviewing a proposal that would make crowdfunding possible up to 100K, so I'd stay up to date with that and proceed accordingly.
http://bit.ly/1g9aTMP