Match of the Century Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• How to Play
• The Cards
• Playing a Game
  • Resigning the Game
  • Starting a New Game
• Mental Endurance
  • Reshuffling Your Deck
  • Updating Your Status
• End of the Match
• Overview of the Effects on Cards
  • Effects Needing Further Clarification
• Credits

Components

• 1 deck of 16 cards for Boris Spassky (red-backed)
• 1 deck of 16 cards for Bobby Fischer (blue-backed)
• 2 overview cards
• 1 game board
• 16 pawns (8 red, 8 blue)
• 1 advantage marker
• 2 kings (1 red, 1 blue)
• 1 queen (white)
• 2 status markers (1 red, 1 blue)

Setup

1. Choose who will play as Spassky (red) and who will play as Fischer (blue). Place the game board in the middle of the table with the red side facing Spassky and the blue side facing Fischer.

2. Place the advantage marker onto the neutral space (A) in the center of the advantage track. Then, place all 16 pawns next to the board to create the common supply (B).

3. Each player takes the following components of their player color:

   1. Take your king and place it onto your color's space on the match track (C).
   2. Take your deck of cards. Shuffle the 16 cards and place them as a face-down draw deck next to the game board. Leave room for your face-up discard pile next to it (D).
   3. Take your status marker and place it onto the highlighted starting space of your mental endurance track (E).
   4. Take your overview card and place it near the game board (F). Next to it, leave room for your personal reserve where you will store your pawns later.

4. As the reigning world champion, Spassky receives the white queen (G). This is to indicate that Spassky plays with the white pieces in the first game of the match.

5. According to the starting space of their mental endurance tracks, each player takes 2 pawns of their player color from the common supply and adds them to their personal reserve. Then, each player draws their starting hand from their draw deck: Spassky draws 6 cards and Fischer draws 7 cards.

   Finally, before starting the match, each player may do the following once: choose any number of cards from your hand and discard them to your face-up discard pile. Then draw that many cards and add them to your hand.

How to Play

In Match of the Century, you simulate the final match of the 1972 World Chess Championship between challenger Bobby Fischer and defending champion Boris Spassky.

As in a real chess match, you will play a series of games. Each of these games comprises up to four exchanges, and in each exchange, you and your opponent play exactly one card each.

As a result of an exchange, you usually gain or lose advantage relative to your opponent. This advantage is tracked with the advantage marker on the advantage track. At the end of a game, if the advantage marker is on your side of the board, you win that game and score 1 point. If at the end of a game the advantage marker is on the neutral space in the center of the track, you and your opponent draw that game and score 1 point each.

Game and match: In the rule book and in the card texts, the term "game" is solely used to refer to a single chess game within the simulation (and therefore resembles the usual term "round"), while the term "match" refers to the whole series of games.

The Cards

Each player has their own unique deck of 16 cards.

Each card represents 2 of the 32 chess pieces and is separated into two parts: one part shows a white chess piece and the other part shows a black chess piece. Each of these parts has two important elements:

• The strength of the chess piece, ranging from 0 to 5.
• The effect of the chess piece.

The top two-thirds of each card belongs to the main chess piece and its powerful and unique effect. The bottom third always shows an upside-down pawn of the opposing chess color. All pawns have a uniform strength of 1 and have the same weaker effect. The effects are explained under "Overview of the Effects on Cards" below.

Note: The headline of the card's newspaper article serves as the title of the card, while its subheading adds some loose historical or chess related context to the effects of the stronger piece.

What is the difference between the white and the black pieces? During the match, players will take turns playing games as white and as black. In the first game, Spassky will play with the white pieces and Fischer will play with the black pieces. In the next game, it's Fischer who will play with the white pieces and Spassky with the black pieces, and so on.

Whenever you play cards, you can only play them with the side showing the piece of your current chess color pointing upwards.

Example: In the first game, Fischer could only play a given card as the black knight. In the second game, he could only play that same card as the white pawn.

Playing a Game

Each game comprises a maximum of four exchanges. During each exchange, starting with the player who has the initiative, each player plays one card (with a piece of their current chess color pointing upwards) to the same exchange section on the board. The player with the lower total strength loses the exchange but can carry out the effect of their piece, while the winner gains the advantage printed on the board between the two opposing cards.

Follow these steps to carry out each exchange:

1. Determine the initiative. In the first exchange of each game (when there are no cards on the board), the player playing with the white pieces (indicated by the white queen) has the initiative. In each of the subsequent exchanges of that game, the player who won the previous exchange has the initiative. If the previous exchange was tied, the initiative goes to the player who did not have it in that previous exchange.

2. The player with the initiative chooses an exchange section and plays a card. If you have the initiative, play one card from your hand face up onto any free exchange space on your side of the board. Remember, that the piece of your current chess color must point upwards.

   Each of the four exchange spaces on your side of the board forms an exchange section with the opposing space on your opponent's side and is associated with a value from 1 (I) to 4 (IIII). This value represents the advantage that is assigned to the player who wins that exchange.

   In addition to playing the card, you may immediately strengthen its piece by adding up to 2 pawns from your personal reserve to the 2 pawn spaces above the card. As each space can hold one pawn, no card can ever have more than 2 additional pawns.

3. The opponent plays a card into the same exchange section. The opponent must then play a card (with a piece of their current chess color pointing upwards) from their hand and place it face up onto the exchange space on their side of the same exchange section. In addition to playing the card, they may also add pawns from their personal reserve to its 2 pawn spaces.

4. Compare the strengths of the two pieces. Once both cards have been played, the strengths of the two pieces are compared, with each pawn adding +1 to the strength of its piece.

   If the total strengths of the two pieces are different from one another, continue with step 5. If they are tied in strength, skip to step 7, as no effects are triggered or advantages are assigned.

5. The player with the lower strength may carry out their piece's effect. Now, the player who played the piece with the lower total strength may carry out that piece's effect or choose to forfeit it. Keep in mind: if you played the card with its pawn pointing upwards, you can only carry out the effect printed beside that pawn. The effects of the pieces are explained in detail under "Overview of the Effects on Cards" below.

6. The winner of the exchange gains the advantage. The player who played the piece with the higher total strength is the winner of the exchange. If the effect triggered by the loser's piece does not imply otherwise, this means that the winner now gains the advantage shown in the middle of the exchange section between the two cards by moving the advantage marker that many spaces on the advantage track towards their side.

   Attention: Whenever a player wins the exchange showing the advantage of 4 (IIII), they not only gain that advantage (4 spaces on the advantage track) but they must also immediately lose 1 mental endurance (mental endurance is explained under "Mental Endurance" below).

7. Check whether the current game is finished. If the effect triggered by the loser's piece does not imply otherwise, the played cards and pawns remain where they are until the game is finished. To check if the game is finished, sum the advantages of the exchange sections that have no cards (unresolved exchanges). If that sum is lower than the advantage that either player has already gained on the advantage track, the game ends. Otherwise, continue with step 1 of the next exchange.

   Example: Fischer has an advantage of 5 on the advantage track. Since the sum of the advantages of the unresolved exchanges (II and I) is only 3, the game ends.

Once a game is finished, the player with the advantage marker on their side of the advantage track wins that game and thus gains 1 point by advancing their king one space towards the center space of the match track. If, after four exchanges, the game ends in a draw because the advantage marker is on the neutral space in the center of the advantage track, both players advance their kings one space each.

Resigning the Game

If it is a player's turn to play a card but they cannot or do not want to, they must resign instead. This means the other player wins the game and advances their king one space.

After a game has ended, check if either of the kings has reached the center space on the match track. If so, the entire match ends now (see "End of the Match" below). Otherwise, start a new game.

Starting a New Game

1. Return the advantage marker to the neutral space in the center of the advantage track.
2. Discard all cards and pawns from the board. Each of these cards is put face up in its owner's discard pile. Discarded pawns are returned to the common supply.
3. Each player may discard any number of cards (of their own choice) from their hand to their face-up discard pile.
4. Update your status according to the space of your mental endurance track that your status marker is on (see "Updating Your Status" below).
5. Finally, the queen is passed to the other player. So now this player is playing with the white pieces and begins the first exchange of this new game.

Mental Endurance

Each player has a mental endurance track on their side of the game board to mark the changes in their focus and fatigue throughout the match.

Whenever you gain mental endurance, move your status marker that many spaces to the right on your mental endurance track. Your marker cannot move past the rightmost space of the track. If it is on the rightmost space, any additional mental endurance you gain is ignored.

Whenever you lose mental endurance, move your status marker that many spaces to the left on your mental endurance track. Your marker cannot move past the leftmost space of the track. If it is on the leftmost space, any additional loss of mental endurance is ignored.

Your mental endurance's most important feature is the hand limit shown on the space that your status marker is on.

Your hand limit: 5, 6, or 7 cards, depending on the icon shown on your status marker's current space.

Whenever you exceed your hand limit (because you draw additional cards or because your status marker is moved to a space with a lower card limit), finish the current step you are in. Then, discard cards of your choice from your hand to your face-up discard pile until your hand limit is met.

Reshuffling Your Deck

Whenever you would draw a card when your draw deck is empty, reshuffle your discard pile to form your new draw deck and continue to draw. When you are finished drawing cards, immediately lose 1 mental endurance. Then, if necessary, adjust your hand to your hand limit by discarding cards as usual.

Updating Your Status

Apart from your hand limit, all icons on your mental endurance track are relevant only when you update your status in step 4 of "Starting a New Game". To update your status in that step, do the following:

1. Replenish your hand to your hand limit. Draw cards from your draw deck and add them to your hand until you meet your hand limit. You may choose to draw fewer cards.

2. Additional pawns. If your status marker is on a space with a "+1 pawn", "+2 pawns", or "+3 pawns" icon, take the shown number of pawns from the common supply and add them to your personal reserve.

   You can only take pawns of your player color. If the common supply has run out of your color, any additional pawns you would gain are forfeited.

3. Modify the start advantage. If your status marker is on a space with a "+1 advantage", "+2 advantage", "-1 advantage", or "-2 advantage" modifier, move the advantage marker the shown number of spaces up or down the advantage track: if you gain advantage, move it towards yourself; if you lose advantage, move it towards your opponent.

   The modifiers of both players are offset against each other. So, for example, if both players have a +2 advantage, the advantage marker starts on the neutral space of the advantage track. If Spassky has a +2 advantage modifier and Fischer a -1 advantage modifier, the advantage marker starts on space 3 (III) on Spassky's side of the advantage track.

End of the Match

As soon as a player's king reaches the center space on the match track, that player wins the entire match, as they gathered the necessary 6 points.

If the kings of both players reach the center space at the same time, Boris Spassky wins the match and keeps the title of World Chess Champion. (In the actual Championship match, it would have been enough for the defending champion Spassky to reach 12 points, while his challenger Fischer needed to get at least 12½ points in order to win).

Overview of the Effects on Cards

Most of the effects that belong to a card's chess piece should be clear if you consult the following icons and phrases. Effects that need further clarification can be found under "Effects Needing Further Clarification" below.

• +1 / +2 / +3 (cards icon): Draw up to this many cards from your draw deck and add them to your hand. You may draw fewer cards. As usual, obey the rules of "hand limit" and "reshuffling" (see "Mental Endurance" above).
• +1 / +2 / +3 pawns (people icon): Add this many pawns from the common supply to your personal reserve. As usual, if your color has run out, you must forfeit any excess.
• +1 card / +1 pawn (either/or icon): You may draw 1 card from your draw deck and add it to your hand OR add 1 pawn of your player color from the common supply to your personal reserve.
• -2 / -1 / +1 / +2 / +3 (mental endurance icon): Lose or gain this many spaces on your mental endurance track by moving your status marker accordingly (see "Mental Endurance" above).
• -I (teal) / +I (red): Move the advantage marker on the advantage track 1 space towards Spassky's side.
• -II (teal) / +II (red): Move the advantage marker on the advantage track 2 spaces towards Spassky's side.
• -I (red) / +I (teal): Move the advantage marker on the advantage track 1 space towards Fischer's side.
• -II (red) / +II (teal): Move the advantage marker on the advantage track 2 spaces towards Fischer's side.

"The advantage of this exchange is not assigned" means the winner of the current exchange gains no advantage but is still considered its winner and therefore has the initiative in the next exchange (if any) of the current game.

"Unresolved exchange" means an exchange section on the board that has no cards in it.

"Discard" usually means to put cards face up in their owner's discard pile. If pawns are discarded, they are returned to the common supply.

"Resign the game" means the other player wins the current game and therefore advances their king 1 space on the match track.

"Draw" a card means to take the top card from your draw deck and add it to your hand. Drawing a card is always optional. As usual, obey the rules of "hand limit" and "reshuffling" (see "Mental Endurance" above).

"Replenish your hand" means draw cards from your draw deck and add them to your hand until you reach your hand limit. You may draw fewer cards.

Effects Needing Further Clarification

Several cards carry unique effects that go beyond the standard icons above:

• White Bishop (Spassky) — "You must incur -1 mental endurance. Then discard both cards and all pawns (if any) in this exchange section. Its advantage is not assigned." This means you must discard this card, Fischer's card, and all pawns that are in this exchange section. Since this happens before resolving step 6 of the current exchange, Fischer does not gain this section's advantage but has the initiative for the next exchange. As this exchange section is then empty, it can be chosen again for any later exchange of the current game.

• Black Rook (Fischer) — "Pick 1 random card from Fischer's concealed hand. Choose whether Fischer must discard it or play it in this game's next exchange." You (Spassky) cannot choose that Fischer must play the picked card if you are in the last exchange of the current game, as this effect cannot be carried over into the next game.

• Black Rook (Fischer) — "EITHER Fischer chooses to incur -2 mental endurance OR the advantage of this exchange is not assigned." It's Fischer's choice whether to resolve the first or the second option of this effect.

• Black Bishop (Fischer) — "For the remainder of this game, when playing cards, Fischer cannot add pawns to them to increase their strength." The effect of Fischer's card "Promotion" is not affected by this.

• Black Rook (Spassky) — "Spassky must choose to incur EITHER -2 mental endurance OR -II advantage." It's Spassky's choice whether to resolve the first or the second option of this effect.

• Black Knight — "Choose and discard 1 card from your hand and note its strength. Draw up to that many cards." Choose either the white strength value or the black strength value printed on the discarded card (irrespective of the chess color you are currently playing with). You may draw up to that many cards from your draw deck and add them to your hand. You may draw fewer cards. As usual, obey the rules of "hand limit" and "reshuffling" (see "Mental Endurance" above).

Credits

We wish to thank Francesco Sirocchi, Simone Berti, Andrea Bortolotti, Nicolò Merusi, Daniele Molinari and all other testplayers for their valuable feedback. Special thanks go to Ernst Strouhal.

Game design: Paolo Mori Artwork: atelier 198 Development: Matthias Nagy, Moritz Thiele, Viktor Kobilke, Peter Eggert Rule book: Moritz Thiele, Viktor Kobilke Proofreading: Neil Crowley

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