Chess Mixer
Chess Mixer Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Games and Components
- Four Red "Chess N Ladders" game boards
- Four Blue "Chess N Ladders" game boards
- One Red "Quantum" game board
- One Blue "Quantum" game board
- Sixteen colored winks (of eight different colors)
- Ten yellow gems
- Eighteen "Bomber Pawn" cards
NOTE: You need to supply your own chess pieces and board, as they are not included with Chess Mixer.
Game Objective
Checkmate (or capture) your opponent's king.
Game #1: Chess N Ladders (CNL)
Setup
Each player takes four of the "Chess N Ladders" (CNL) game boards (of the same color).
The player controlling the black chess pieces puts the first CNL game board down on the chess board; then players alternate placing a CNL board down.
Each game board should be centered on a 2x2 space of the chess board. The black squares on the game board need to line up with the dark (black/green) squares on your chess board, with the board text facing each player.
Once a board is placed, it cannot be moved and the 2x2 space on the chess board cannot be used with another CNL game board. (Aka no overlap). If any board(s) cannot be played down, board placement ends.
Finally, the chess pieces are placed onto the chess board in their normal positions.
Game Play
The CNL boards are used to open up additional movement and attack options.
Movement Changes: Movement is altered in the following ways:
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Starting on a Ladder: If you start on one of your ladder spaces (top or bottom), you may slide the piece to the other end of the ladder and then perform a normal chess move.
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Using a Ladder in mid-movement: A game piece may move up or down the ladder in the middle of a legal move of your game piece, and continue going in the same direction it was going in before it reached the ladder.
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Ending on a Ladder: If your chess piece reaches the end of its movement on your ladder (top or bottom space), you may slide the chess piece to the other end of the ladder.
Restrictions/Clarifications
As in regular chess, two of your own pieces can never be on the same space, including when you are going up/down a ladder.
If an enemy piece is on the far end of a ladder you are climbing (or descending), you capture the opponent's piece when you reach the far end and then stop your move; You cannot capture multiple pieces in one turn with a single move.
You can only use your color CNL game boards, not the opposing player's.
Since Knights "jump" from a starting space to an ending space, they cannot use a ladder for the mid-movement option.
Example
The White Rook slides up the ladder, and The White Bishop moves diagonally, then moves as normal. The Rook can capture either the Black Queen or Knight.
The White Rook uses the ladder and continues on in the same direction to capture the Black Queen --- not the Black Knight.
Game #2: Quantum Chess
Setup
Each player takes one of the "Quantum Chess" boards and two yellow gems. Place the yellow gems onto your "Quantum Chess" board. The remaining yellow gems are set within reach of either player for later use.
Game Play
Initiate: When it is your turn to move in chess (and you are not in check), you can choose to start a time jump if you have at least one yellow gem. Turn in a yellow gem. Then, take two unused winks of the same color. Remove one of your chess pieces from the board and place one of the colored winks onto the unoccupied space. Place the removed chess piece on one of your quantum board "tracks", in the right-most circle (with the graphic). You may place your piece on any of your unused tracks. (The longer tracks give you more free moves, but at a later time.) Then, place the second (matching) colored wink into the small circle to the right of the same track so that you know which space this piece will return to on the chess board. Finally, your turn is now over as you have forfeited your current turn. (Be sure to read the clarification section below for further details and options.)
Time Displacement: If you have any pieces on any of the quantum tracks at the beginning of your turn – make your normal chess move first. At the end of your normal chess turn, move each chess piece on the quantum board track one space to the left. If the chess piece started on the left-most position (with the underlying number), that piece now comes back into play on this turn. (See Re-Entry).
Re-Entry: When a piece re-enters the board from Time Displacement, it pops onto the same space on the chess board that it came from (signified by the matching color wink). If any piece is on this re-entry space, it is immediately captured, regardless of what piece it is or who owns it. Once the piece has been placed back onto the chess board, the player makes the same number of free moves with that piece as listed on the associated track from the quantum board from which it came. These free moves have to be legitimate chess moves.
Re-Charging: When you capture one of your opponent's pieces, your quantum board powers up. Take one of the unused yellow gems. If no yellow gems are available, you do not receive any.
Restrictions/Clarifications
When you Initiate a time jump, you may move more than one chess piece from the board and place them onto separate tracks on the quantum board on the same turn, provided there are enough empty tracks. You use one yellow gem for each chess piece moved to the quantum board.
Multiple pieces can re-enter the chess board on the same turn, creating a cascading effect of multiple moves in a single turn. Resolve these moves by going from the top track to the bottom track, in order.
If you capture a king during the re-entry process, the game is over immediately, and whoever lost their king loses the game.
If you Initiate a new time jump, none of your pieces move on the quantum track, as this process takes your entire turn.
You cannot use the Initiate option if it would put your king into check.
You cannot use the Initiate ability on your king.
A piece that comes back from the Quantum board can capture more than one piece since it can perform multiple moves. However, once an enemy king is checked, any remaining free moves are lost by the returning piece.
Example
White makes their normal chess move, and then each unit on the Quantum board is moved one space to the left. In this case, the Rook re-enters the board and will be able to make two free moves immediately.
To continue, the White Rook comes back to the chess board, immediately capturing the Black Knight (on the matching color wink spot) and then makes two normal Rook moves to capture the enemy Queen!
Game #3: Bomber Pawn
Setup
Shuffle the "Bomber Pawn" deck and place them face-down onto the table where both players can reach the deck.
Game Play
Boom: Move or capture with your pawn as normal. If your pawn ends the turn with the space directly in front of it occupied by one of the opponent's chess pieces, you have the option to blow up your pawn, triggering an explosion. The steps are as follows:
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Take the top card from the "Bomber Pawn" deck.
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Examine all of the spaces on the card with explosions shown on them relative to the space occupied by your exploding pawn. If any piece is on any of these matching explosion spaces, they are captured and removed from the board, regardless of who owned them.
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Place the used "Bomber Pawn" card into a discard pile.
Restrictions/Clarification
If a king is captured by an exploding pawn, the opponent wins the game. In the case of two captured kings at the same time, the game is a draw.
If, thru an explosion, you cause yourself to become in check, you lose the game.
Example
White moves their pawn one space forward. The space in front is occupied, so they decide to blow up their pawn and draw a "Bomber Pawn" Card.
Comparing the explosion against the board results in White losing the Rook and Pawn, and Black losing a Pawn and Knight. However, since White has now checked their own king (by Black Queen), they lose the game!