Partners Chess where you dont have to be the best to win!
4-Way Chess
Rules of Play
All of the chessmen are set-up the same way as they are in regular chess as shown here
Partners sit across from each other.
All of the rules of regular chess apply. All the pieces move the same way they do in normal chess.
All of the queens start on white squares. Just as in regular chess the light colored armies have the king to the right of the queen, and the dark armies have the queen to the right of the king.
White moves first and play continues clockwise around the board with each player moving one piece per turn.
Regicide Rules
REGICIDE means to kill the King. In 4-Way Chess Regicide Rules you must actually capture both enemy kings to win the game. When one king is captured the rest of his army remain exactly where they are on the board and can not move, except they may only move to capture an enemy piece if possible, although you may pass your turn rather then capture as well. Because of the four player dynamics in 4-Way Chess the traditional concepts of Check and Check-mate do not apply. You do not have to get out of check, and the king is a fighting piece too, therefore you may even move into check if you want to. When both enemy kings are captured your team has won the game.
Pawns always move straight forward with respect to the side of the board they start on. Pawns are promoted when they reach the other side of the board, or the opponents first rank by a series of captures. They may only be promoted to a piece you have already lost. En Passant also applies.
Also, since check and check-mate dont apply, players are free to castle if they are in check and if the king travels through check. A pawn that may advance to the last square in either opponents kingdom is also promoted. If two pawns from the same team meet face-to-face either pawn may move one square forward and advance the partner's pawn to the square the first pawn was on, switching places as one move.
Original Rules
In the traditional rules of 4-Way Chess when a king is put in check he must get out of check on his next move and a player may never move into check. When a player is check-mated play continues until his turn. When a player is in check-mate on his turn all of his pieces are removed from the board and he is out of the game. Play continues clock-wise and after his partners next move the two opponents armies combine into one army for movement purposes only allowing one piece to move from either army per move that the lone player makes. In this variation you may not castle out of check or through check either.
Regicide Rules - Free-for-all
You can also play every man for himself by Regicide Rules, when a player's king is killed he may not win the game, although he may still play for a draw if all the other kings can be captured too.
copyright 2006
4-Way Checkers
Rules of Play
In 4-Way Checkers you play every man for himself. You must get all the way to the other side of the board to be crowned.