"Chess played by three players"
3 Man Chess
Number of people: 3 ｜ hours: about 60 minutes
Three Man Chess is played on a circular board, similar to traditional chess but designed for three players. The goal was not to improve the game, as that's not possible, but to create unique situations through the interaction of three players, which don't occur in regular chess.
Table of Contents
[1]. Components
[2]. Set Up
[3]. Game Progress
[4]. How to Finish the Game
[1]. Components
- 1 Game Board
- White Chess Pieces
- Gray Chess Pieces
- Black Chess Pieces
[2]. Set Up
Pieces are arranged on the two outer rows between green lines.
Kings must be placed on white squares.
[3]. Game Progress
White moves first, followed by gray, then black in a clockwise order.
The rule and how to play the game is all similar with the original 1 v 1 chess.
But there are additional rules due to 3 player, and you can find it right below.
Center of the Board:
The center can only be passed through, not occupied.
Pieces move straight through the center, maintaining the same color.
Knights retain their color when moving through the center.
Diagonal Movement:
Follow trajectory lines through the center.
You can capture pieces on the other side of the center.
Pieces cannot turn a corner in one move; they must wait until the next turn to continue.
Movement Across the Board:
Pieces can move vertically through the center or horizontally around the board.
Knights must move two squares vertically then one square horizontally, or one quare vertically then two squares horizontally.
Moats and Creeks:
Thick green lines are called moats; pieces can't check kings through moats unless bridged.
Moats are permanently bridged if a player is eliminated or vacates their outer row.
Thinner green lines are creeks; pawns can't capture across creeks until they reach the 4th row from the outside.
[4]. How to Finish the Game
Checkmate both opponents.
Checkmate and Elimination:
Checkmate occurs when a king is captured on the next team's move.
Eliminated players' pieces remain on the board but do not move or check kings.
To occupy a space with an eliminated player's piece, it must be captured.
Stalemates result in checkmate and elimination if three players remain. If only two players remain, it's a draw.
The game continues until one player remains, who is then the winner.
Checkmating both opponents simultaneously results in an immediate win.
These simplified rules help maintain the unique dynamics of Three Man Chess while ensuring the game remains fair and challenging.
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