In the following document it is assumed that you are familiar with the game of chess, it’s basic set up and play, and the game checkers and its basic set up and play.
Go here to learn how to play if you don’t: http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/chess/chess.html
And here for checkers http://boardgames.about.com/cs/checkersdraughts/ht/play_checkers.htm
And the most useful page
Three Player Chess aka Yalta: This game takes place on a uniquely shaped board.
The queen must be put to the left of the king (for the sake of symmetry). If you checkmate a player, you remove his king and can use his men as yours. You do NOT get two moves though. You can, for instance, let his pawns reach the last row and promote by putting a piece in a square where the pawn can capture it (a real sacrifice). I think that, logically, the "drafted" pieces must not put your king in check. But maybe such details should be solved by negotiations at the table. All forms of alliances are allowed, but remember that they are always bound to be broken.
Fortress Chess: This game takes place on a standard 8 X 8 board, and has all 16 standard chess pieces for each side. A barrier is placed between the fourth and fifth row dividing the board in half so each player cannot see the other’s section during setup. The players then arrange their pieces any which way they want on their side. Everything is legal, you can have pawns on the back row if you like. Castling is not a possible move in fortress chess, and pawns can only move one space on their first move so there is no in passing. Game play is the same as regular chess as soon as both sides indicate they are ready to play. White goes first.
Double Fortress Chess: This game has two 8 X 8 boards. Each player has one whole chessboard, one king, two queens, four rooks, bishops, and knights (horses); sixteen pawns. They met set these pieces anywhere they wish. There is no castling or double move for pawns. Not all the pieces need to be used. If some are left out, they stay out for the entire game. Pawns must reach the 16th to become or queens (or whatever else) White goes first.
Chessers: This game takes place on a standard 8 X 8 board, and is set up with both sides having their 16 standard chess pieces in their normal positions, and a single line of checkers in front of the pawns. These 8 checkers can advance like normal checkers, always staying on their original color, and can jump any piece next to them, so long as they are not jumping backwards. Like in Chinese checkers, the checkers can jump friendly pieces without removing them from the board. They can jump horizontally, and diagonally. Checkers upon reaching the eighth row become dukes or checker kings. The only benefit of a checker being a duke is they can jump in the three backwards directions. A checker must jump an opponent’s piece if it is given the opportunity to do so. It does not need to jump if it would need to first jump a friendly piece, nor does it need to jump if your king is in check.
A pawn upon reaching the eighth row can become any chess piece or a duke. Checkers cannot threaten the enemy king. They cannot put him into check or checkmate him. They can jump over him, but it will not remove him from the board. Victory is by checkmate only using chess pieces. If your checker must jump and that action will put you into check, it is a checkmate. However if you are already in check, and also have a jump, you may deal with being in check before you jump. Rocks/paper/scissors determines who goes first.
8 |r | n | b | q | k | b | n | r |
7 |p| p | p | p | p | p | p | p|
6 |c| c | c | c | c | c | c | c|
5 | | | | | | | | |
4 | | | | | | | | |
3 |C|C |C | C | C | C| C| C|
2 |P| P | P | P | P | P | P | P|
1 |R|N | B | Q| K | B| N| R|
Fortress Chessers: This absurd game takes place on at least two 8 X 8 boards. Like in double fortress chess, each player has one whole chess board, one chess king, two queens, four rooks, bishops, and knights (horses); sixteen pawns and checker pieces. They may set these pieces anywhere they wish. There is no castling or double move for pawns. Checkers move and act as they do in Chessers. They may double up the checker pieces and start with dukes. Not all the pieces need to be used. If some are left out, they stay out for the entire game. If there is no possible opening move to start the game, (which means there is nothing but checkers on the eighth and ninth rows) two more rows (16 squares) may be added between the two boards. Pawns and checkers must reach the 16th (18th in the advent of a neutral zone) to become dukes or queens (or whatever else). Rock/paper/scissors determines who goes first.
Grand Fortress Chessers: Same as above, except there is a 64 square (8 X 8) neutral zone in the center. This zone connects up to four players. In the event of three players, a Yalta board is drawn up connecting them evenly. That would have the four rows on the right connect with the opponent on the right and the four rows on the left connect with the opponent on the left at the fourth row of the neutral zone. Pawns and dukes must reach the last row of any opponent to be promoted. Play goes clockwise. Rocks/paper/scissors determines who goes first.
There are two versions of this game for multiplayers. The first one is domination. This give you control of an opponent’s pieces when he/she is checkmated by you. His/her pawns and checkers will continue to go in the same direction that they were.
The other version is destruction. This eliminates players and all of their pieces when A. they are checkmated B. they cannot make any piece move (stalemate) C. they only have checkers (including dukes) and their king left.
Blind chess aka kreigspiel: each player has his setup, but plays from a place where he/she cannot see the other player’s pieces. A third player is required to be arbitrator. This player tells the other two whether or not the move they made is legal. In other words, each player is left to guess where the enemy is, and act accordingly. The player making the move, moves the piece they wish to move in the direction they wish to move. Once they take their hand of the piece, the arbitrator tells them if it was legal or not. If it was not legal, i.e. it moved through another piece or a pawn trying to take a piece that is not there then the arbitrator simply tells that player that the move was not legal and they then need to make another move instead. If it was legal, then the piece is left there, and the other player makes his move. It is the arbitrator’s job to announce check.
Progressive chess: same a regular chess except the number of moves that can be made on a turn increase by one each turn. In other words white would go first, making one move, followed by black making two moves and then white making three and so on.
Progressive Kreigspiel Grand Fortress Chessers (Destruction) with four players: No.
Alternative pieces:
There are too many to list here, so go here to get the list. The only piece I thought to add is called an egg. It must start on the first row, and only moves one forward. If it reaches the final row, like a pawn it can be promoted. It then becomes The Wyrm (working name). Can move like a queen, knight and a duke. It can put a king in check even it’s from a distance and would need to move like a duke.
The snake: it can move a random number of spaces (1-6) in any direction until it takes a piece, much like a king. It cannot jump over pieces like a knight.
For chessers (all versions): dukes can put the kings in check.
Tips and strategies:
For Fortress chess: Keep your king in one of the corners surrounded by pawns and keep any pawns those pawns protected by at least one knight. You’ll also want to make sure your queen cannot be taken on the first move. You may also want to do the same for your rooks. All of the rest of your pieces will be free to advance, as will your opponents. It plays similar to a game of chess in mid-game.
An example layout:
4 | P | P| | | | | N| |
3 | P | P|N| | | | | |
2 | | P| P| | B |B | | |
1 | | K|P| P | R |R | Q| |
In that layout a wall of pawns protects the king. The only pawn that is not protected by another pawn or the king himself is protected by a night. The other night shadows the queen preventing her immediate capture. The two bishops are paired in front of the rooks preventing their immediate capture and at the same time threatening a significant part of the board. This layout is designed to execute a quick checkmate if the opponent is grouped him/herself together, or to do a series of forks a go in for the kill with the rooks otherwise.
For double fortress chess: promoting pawns is not a likely hood so they will be needed more to protect other pieces. Knights are also good protectors of the king, as well as they can be effective on the front line for the first few moves. Bishops, and rooks are deadly when used with their own kind, same with queens.
For chessers: the checker pieces are cannon fodder, but if can be deadly with making multiple jumps over themselves and then over enemies. It is often hard to foresee multi-jumps.
Fortress chessers: this is my favorite out of the bunch. A lot more planning needs to go into the setup for this game. The game usually goes, checkers annihilate many pieces, bishops and knights then move out, followed by queens and rooks for the endgame. In your opening setup, keep pieces clustered together to avoid giving your opponent multi-jumps. Avoid putting the stronger chess pieces up front as they will be needed for the endgame. Use you checkers and make all the forks you can (even trades).
An example layout:
8 | P | P | P | N | | | | |
7 | P | P | P | N | | | | |
6 | P | P | P | N | | | | |
5 | P | P | P | N | | | | |
4 | P | P | R | Q | | | | |
3 | P | P | R | B | | | D | D |
2 | R | C | B| B | | D | D | D |
1 | R | C | B | Q| D | D | K | |
In that layout I named “Slow Ride”, the left hand side is chock full of pawns, meant to get to the last rank at all costs. They are vulnerable to opposing checker forces, and many casualties are expected. The knights are to fend off the approaching attacks from the right, as are the bishops and queens. The rooks don’t come out until the end game. The dukes have the advantage of being able to jump and then return to their station. There are also two checkers held in reserve and I wouldn’t be surprised if they become the most valued defenders in the end game.
Hearts: While not at all a chess game, I was originally taught a variant and have trouble playing the more conventionally accept variations. It seems that hearts, spades, poker, and rummy all are subject to many versions of house rules. Here is my version. For the most part it is identical to the windows variation with two key exceptions. Three players are an option, and there is something called a kitty. Game play is as follows:
All but four cards are dealt out to the players. You can have three or four players. The four remaining cards are kept on the table face down and are called the kitty. Play goes as per normal hearts, with the two of clubs being led first by the possessor. If the two of clubs is suspected to be in the kitty, the player with the three of clubs then leads and so on. Reneging with regards to the two of clubs or failure to have the correct amount of cards in one’s hand at the end of the game is subject to immediate end of hand and full penalty of points (26). Points are one for each heart, and thirteen for the queen of spades. The kitty is won by the first person to take a heart in a trick. The four cards are added to the player’s hand at which point the player must choose and discard four cards. If they are point cards the count against the player. Every hand is always worth 26 points, except when there is a successful run. Running aka shooting the moon, takes place if a player successful collects all 13-heart cards and the queen of spades. Instead of being penalized the player gets a score of zero and the other players get 26 points each. Game play continues until any player reaches 100 or more points. The person with the lowest score at that time wins.
Deuces Chinese Poker: This game was brought to the US by my friend, Dawn, and actually originates in china. Any number of players can play with any number of decks. Familiarity with poker is assumed here. All of the cards are dealt out, with the object being to get rid of your hand first. Suit values are changed here with Spades being high, followed by hearts, clubs and diamonds being lowest. Deuces are high, above aces. Game play starts with the holder of the three of diamonds (with multiple decks the three must be distinguished by its back, or first play can be determined by position of the dealer). The first round is of the bearer’s choice. It can be single card, pair, three of a kind or a five-card hand. A strait is the lowest five-card hand. Each player in clockwise order may play an identical number of cards or pass. Play continues until all players have passed. The last person to have played then leads the next round. If a player has only one card remaining, they must announce “last card”. Cash or chips are exchanged at the end of the game, and is based on the number of cards held at the end by the other players. Someone with seven cards left at the end of a given game would pay seven dollars for example to each of the players. The other players pay likewise.
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