NonVi Games

Rules for Double Chess

Double-board rules

The following are the rules for Double Chess in double board mode. The rules for single board mode are the standard rules of chess.

  1. The standard rules of chess apply, with the following differences.
  2. When a piece is taken, it goes into the partner's "hand". The hand is located by the appropriate player's side of the board.
  3. Instead of moving, a player (or the computer) can drop a piece onto an unoccupied square.
  4. Pawns can be dropped in the first through the seventh ranks only.
  5. If you are still in check after a drop, then the drop is not a legal move.
  6. You can drop to put your opponent in check or checkmate.
  7. If a pawn is promoted to a queen, then it will become a pawn again when it is captured.
  8. If you run out of time, you lose.
  9. You may not leave your king in check.
  10. If you make an illegal move, there is a warning but no penalty, other than the fact that your clock continues to run.

Medieval rules

  1. The normal rules of chess apply, with the following differences.
  2. There is no castling.
  3. Bishops leap two squares at once, on the diagonal. Thus, you can open with a bishop move by leaping over the pawns. Bishops can capture on their leap.
  4. Pawns leap for their double move rather than sliding. Thus, a pawn can jump over a piece for its first move. A pawn cannot capture with this leap.
  5. The queen moves one square at a time on the diagonal. The queen can start with an initial leap, which is a double move. This leap can move over pieces. Note that pawns promoted to queens do not get this initial leap.
  6. The king's first move can also be a leap. Basically, the king can make a double move as its initial move, provided that it doesn't start, end, or move through check. If there are two squares which the king could move through and one of them is not in check, then that is a legal move.

Note that the queen and bishop are roughly equal in power to a pawn. The only long-range piece you have is the rook.

Openings are slower but are less constrained as to the order of moves because of the leaps.

Last updated: April 15, 2004