Commander Chess
Commander Chess Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Winning Conditions
- Full Scale Battle: game over when the commander from one side is captured.
- Navy Battle: game over when 2 navy pieces from one side are destroyed.
- Air Battle: game over when 2 airforces from one side are destroyed.
- Land Battle: game over when 2 tanks + 2 artilleries + 2 infantries from one side are destroyed.
- For advanced rules and instructions, please visit www.commanderchess.com or scan the QR code on the back of this booklet.
Game Components
- 1 x instruction booklet.
- 1 x high quality playing board (22.5' x 20.5').
- 19 blue pieces includes: infantry (2), engineer (2), tank (2), artillery (2), missile (1), militia (1), anti-aircraft gun (2), navy (2), airforce (2), commander base (2), commander (1).
- 19 red pieces includes: infantry (2), engineer (2), tank (2), artillery (2), missile (1), militia (1), anti-aircraft gun (2), navy (2), airforce (2), commander base (2), commander (1).
The playing board of Commander Chess is a square checkered board numbered by row and column, with the center area, and pieces move by squares. The playing board has a sky field, sea field and river field with reef-base segments.
Board Set Up
Commander Chess is a two-player board game played on a playing board, with pieces moving along the vertical axis (VA) and horizontal axis (HA). VA are numbered from 0 to 11 and HA are numbered from 0 to 11, with the origin of axes numbered 0 at the bottom left corner of the playing board (bottom left corner of the sea field).
Example of pieces' positions:
- Red militia (VA:HA): 6:7
- Blue militia (VA:HA): 6:4
The basic starting placement of pieces is shown in the booklet's diagram. Blue side plays first.
Pieces Rules
Infantry (I)
Carried by: navy (N), airforce (AF), tank (T).
Move and capture right/left, forward/back by one segment. Stand and capture enemy on sea without moving.
Starting positions: Blue 2:4 | 10:4. Red 2:7 | 10:7.
Militia (M)
Carried by: navy (N), airforce (AF), tank (T).
Move and capture right/left, forward/back and diagonally (45 degree) by one segment. Stand and capture enemy on sea without moving.
Starting positions: Blue 6:4. Red 6:7.
Tank (T)
Carried by: navy (N), airforce (AF). Can carry: commander (C), infantry (I), militia (M).
Move and capture right/left, forward/back by one to two segments. Stand and capture enemy at sea without moving.
Starting positions: Blue 5:3 | 7:3. Red 5:8 | 7:8.
Artillery (A)
Carried by: engineer (E).
Move and capture right/left, forward/back and diagonally (45 degree) by one to three segments. Stand and capture enemy on sea without moving.
Starting positions: Blue 4:3 | 8:3. Red 4:8 | 8:8.
Engineer (E)
Can carry: artillery (A), anti-aircraft gun (AA), missile rocket (R).
Move and capture right/left, forward/back by one segment. Stand and capture enemy on sea without moving.
Starting positions: Blue 3:4 | 9:4. Red 3:7 | 9:7.
Airforce (AF)
Can carry: tank (T), commander (C), infantry (I), militia (M). Carried by: navy (N).
Move and capture 4 segments orthogonally and diagonally (45 degree).
- Airforce will be destroyed when reaching the Prohibited Fly Zones (fire circle) of an anti-aircraft gun or missile rocket.
- Airforce can sacrifice itself to destroy an anti-aircraft gun or missile rocket (1 for 1).
- Airforce can capture the piece then stay at the spot or return to base (bombing).
- Airforce can overcome blockages.
Starting positions: Blue 4:2 | 8:2, and 4:9 | 8:9.
Anti-Aircraft Gun (AA)
Carried by: engineer (E).
Move and capture right/left, forward/back by one segment. Creates a Prohibited Fly Zone with a radius of one segment orthogonally. Airforce that passes the radius will be destroyed immediately. Airforce may sacrifice itself to destroy an anti-aircraft gun (1 for 1).
Starting positions: Blue 3:2 | 9:2. Red 3:9 | 9:9.
Missile Rocket (R)
Carried by: engineer (E).
Move, capture and create a Prohibited Fly Zone with a radius of two segments orthogonally and one segment diagonally (45 degree). Aircraft that passes the radius will be destroyed immediately. Aircraft may sacrifice itself to destroy a missile rocket (1 for 1).
Starting positions: Blue 6:2. Red 6:9.
Navy (N)
Can carry: tank (T), commander (C), infantry (I), militia (M).
Navy is equipped with Navy Missile (sea), Land Artillery (land) and Anti-aircraft gun (air). Move and capture right/left, forward/back and diagonally (45 degree) by 4 segments on a sea target (Navy Missile) and 3 segments on land targets (Land Artillery). Anti-aircraft gun creates a Prohibited Fly Zone with a radius of one segment orthogonally.
Starting positions: Blue 1:1 | 2:3. Red 1:10 | 2:8.
Commander Base (B)
Can carry: commander (C).
Commander Base is a stationary object to protect the Commander. Base cannot move or capture other pieces. Base can be destroyed by other pieces.
Starting positions: Blue 5:1 | 7:1. Red 5:10 | 7:10.
Commander (C)
Carried by: navy (N), tank (T), airforce (AF), commander base (B).
Move freely along VA and HA without restriction as long as there isn't any obstacle (cannot move through sea field). Not allowed to move diagonally, and can only capture other pieces orthogonally by 1 segment.
Starting positions: Blue 6:0. Red 6:11.
River Crossing Rules
- The river has two reef-base segments; all pieces can pass through them.
- Besides the two reef-based segments, the rest of the river is the deep water segment. Tanks, infantries, militia, commander and engineer can pass through the deep water segment.
- Heavy vehicles — anti-aircraft gun, artillery and missile — must be transported to the other side by an engineer when crossing the river. Anti-aircraft gun, artillery and missile rocket can pass the river without the need of an engineer if capturing an opponent's piece at the other side of the river.
- A heavy vehicle accidentally maneuvering through the deep water without the purpose of capturing an opponent's piece at the other side of the river is against the rule. Therefore, the piece has to move back and the other player will take the turn.
Prohibited Fly Zones Rules
- Anti-aircraft gun can create a Prohibited Fly Zone of one segment orthogonally.
- Missile rocket can create a Prohibited Fly Zone of two segments orthogonally and one segment diagonally (45 degree).
- If an aircraft wants to bombard targets deep inside the opponent's territory, the player must find strategies to destroy anti-aircraft forces beforehand. An aircraft inadvertently flying through the Prohibited Fly Zones will be destroyed. If an aircraft intends to bombard an anti-aircraft force or other targets in the Prohibited Fly Zones, it will sacrifice itself as 1 for 1.
Commander Rules
- Commander can't be face to face with the opponent's Commander. It will be captured by the opponent's Commander if revealed. This is allowed if the opponent's Commander hides in a Tank, Airforce or Navy.
- Commander can move freely along VA and HA without restriction as long as there isn't any obstacle (cannot move through sea field), but is not allowed to move diagonally and can only capture other pieces orthogonally by 1 segment.
- Allowed to enter the Commander Base. Allowed to be carried by Tank, Navy, and Airforce.
Commander Base Rules
- On the playing board, each side has two pieces of bunker (Commander Base). They form the headquarters of the Commander. Base is an object and cannot move or capture an opponent's piece; they are used to protect the commander.
- Opponent's forces can break the base. Only the Commander is allowed to enter the Commander Base.
Rules of Heroic Pieces
- Any piece that checkmates the opponent's Commander will be honored as a heroic piece. A heroic piece will move and capture one more segment. For example: a heroic Tank can move and capture 3 segments orthogonally.
- A heroic Aircraft will become a stealth Aircraft (also moving and capturing five segments orthogonally and diagonally). A stealth Aircraft can capture an anti-aircraft cannon and anti-aircraft missile without being destroyed.
- The last piece that protects its commander will also be honored as a heroic piece, including the Commander Base. When the Commander Base becomes a heroic piece, it is allowed to move and capture like the heroic Infantry (move and capture orthogonally by two segments).
Standstill Capturing Rules
- All the landing forces can standstill to shoot and capture targets on sea.
- Navy artillery can standstill to destroy targets on land. If capturing an opponent's piece along the coast, Navy has to occupy the position. On land, Airforce bombing is the only form of standstill capturing.
Coastlines Rules
- Pieces on land can move along the coast as long as they are not obstructed by Navy pieces.
- Likewise, when moving along the coast, Navy must not be obstructed by pieces on land.
- Note: pieces on land and Navy must not stand at the same coordinates. 2 pieces are not allowed to stand on the same coordinate (except for pieces being piggybacked).
Army Marching Rules
- Pieces can move faster by letting other pieces carry them.
- Commander, Infantry, Militia, Tank and Airforce are allowed to be carried by Navy (max 2 pieces at once).
- Commander, Infantry, Militia and Tank are allowed to be carried by Airforce (max 1 piece at once).
- Commander, Infantry, Militia are allowed to be carried by Tank (max 1 piece at once).
- Anti-aircraft gun, Missile Rocket, Artillery are allowed to be carried by Engineer to pass the river.
- One turn will be used when pieces move to board the host carrier.
- When marching, pieces can move and capture multiple targets in the same turn. For example: if Navy carries Tank, Navy can attack a sea target 4 points front while Tank can attack a land target 3 points left in the same turn.
- If being attacked when marching, all pieces are destroyed in the same turn.