Schachen
Schachen Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
This booklet contains all the necessary rules. Knowledge of conventional chess rules is not strictly required for the game. The movement of each individual piece is described starting at the page "Overview 3".
Components
- 2 x 16 cards showing the familiar chess pieces
Goal of the Game
As in chess, the aim is to checkmate the opposing king, i.e. to threaten it in such a way that it can no longer make a valid move.
Preparation
Agree with your opponent who takes the white and who takes the black pieces.
Take the cards of your colour, find the king and four pawns, and lay the cards out as shown in the illustration (the pawns side by side in a row, with the king behind them).
[Illustration caption: The pawns must have an imaginary gap of two squares between them.]
Shuffle your remaining 11 cards face down and place them as a draw pile in front of you on the table.
Draw the three top cards of your pile into your hand. Keep the cards in your hand hidden from your opponent.
Course of Play
You and your opponent alternately take one turn each until the game ends. The player with the white pieces takes the first turn.
A Turn
When it is your turn,
a) you must first move one of your pieces, b) afterwards you may place a card from your hand, i.e. bring it into play as a piece. Then you draw a card from your pile into your hand (provided the pile is not yet empty).
You may have at most three cards in your hand at any time.
a) Move a Piece (mandatory!)
You move your pieces largely according to the rules of chess. You use an imaginary grid of squares that is not limited on any side. Compared with the rules of chess, there are the following changes:
- There is no castling.
- Pawns do not make a double step from their starting square.
- Pawn promotion takes place under different rules.
- The king moves only sideways, or vertically or diagonally forward. He may only move backwards if he captures a piece while doing so.
If you are not familiar with chess itself, use the rules for moving the pieces in this booklet (starting at the page "Overview 3").
Moving the Pieces
- You may always move a piece to a square if you capture an opposing piece while doing so.
- Otherwise you may only move to a square if it is adjacent horizontally, vertically or diagonally to a piece (your own or an opponent's).
[Example: target squares for the knight]
Special rules apply to the king:
You may only move him sideways or (diagonally or vertically) forward. You may move the king one square in any direction if you capture an opposing piece while doing so.
If your king is threatened (check), you must bring him out of check in order not to lose by checkmate.
[Example: target squares for the king]
If you cannot move any of your pieces and your king is not threatened, the game ends in stalemate (a draw).
b) Place a Piece (optional)
If you wish, you may now bring a piece from your hand into play.
- You may place a pawn only on a free square to the right or left next to one of your own pawns. [Illustration: pawn next to own pawn]
- Other pieces you must place on a free square directly behind one of your own pawns. [Illustration: other pieces behind a pawn]
If your pile is not yet empty, afterwards draw a card into your hand.
You cannot bring your king out of check by placing a piece.
Pawn promotion is not possible when placing (see page 6).
Note: If you no longer have a pawn in play, you can no longer place any pieces!
Pawn Promotion
Pawn promotion is handled as follows:
- (Only!) at the moment when you move a pawn onto the row of the opposing king, you may exchange it for another piece of your own that was captured by your opponent at some earlier time.
- If a king moves onto a row with opposing pawns, no promotion takes place.
[Illustration caption: Pawn promotion with checkmate (the rook was captured earlier).]
End of the Game
A player loses by checkmate if his king is threatened (i.e. an opposing piece could capture it) and the player cannot make a move to remove this threat.
Otherwise the game ends in stalemate (a draw) if one of the players is unable to move a piece.
The players may agree to a draw (remis) at any time.
Overview: Preparation
- Choose colours.
- Lay out the king and four pawns as shown.
- Shuffle the remaining cards and form your own pile.
- Take three cards into your hand.
- The player with the white pieces takes the first turn; after that the players alternate.
Overview: A Turn
Move a piece (mandatory!) You must move one of your pieces already laid out. If you cannot, the game ends in stalemate (a draw).
Place a piece (optional) You may place a piece if you wish and are able to.
You must lay a pawn on a free square to the right or left of one of your own pawns already placed.
You must place other pieces on a free square directly behind one of your own pawns already placed.
If you place a piece, afterwards draw a card from your pile.
Overview: King and Queen
The king moves one square sideways or (vertically or diagonally) forward. He may only move backwards if he captures while doing so.
He may not move to a square where he can be captured on the opponent's next move (check). You may not move other pieces in such a way that he is put in check.
If the king is threatened, you must make a suitable move so that he is no longer in check afterwards.
The queen moves any distance horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
Overview: Rook and Knight
The rook moves any distance horizontally or vertically.
The knight moves two squares straight and one square to the left or right. The knight is not blocked by pieces. If there is no piece of your own on a target square, he can always reach it.
Overview: Pawn and Bishop
The pawn moves vertically forward, but only if the square in front of it is free, i.e. it cannot capture an opposing piece by simply advancing.
The pawn may move diagonally forward to the right or left if it captures an opposing piece on those squares. In this way it cannot move to a free square.
The bishop moves any distance diagonally.