Chessplus: Combine & Conquer
Chessplus: Combine & Conquer Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Game
CHESSPLUS is played by two opponents on opposite sides of a board, which contains 64 squares of alternating colours. Each player starts the game with 16 pieces: 1 King (K), 1 Queen (Q), 2 Rooks (R), 2 Bishops (B), 2 Knights (N) and 8 Pawns (P).
During play each player has the ability to create and split new pieces called merged pieces (see About Merged Pieces below) and gain extra queens through promotions (see Promotion below).
The goal of the game is to checkmate the other opponent's king. Checkmate occurs when a king is in a position to be captured (in check) and cannot escape from capture.
Getting Started
At the beginning of the game the chessboard is always positioned so there is a light square at the closest right-hand side for both players. On the first row the rooks are placed in each corner, the knights are placed in the squares next to the rooks, followed by the bishops next to the knights. The queen is placed on the square that matches her colour (light queen on light, dark queen on dark), and the king is placed on the remaining square. The second row (or rank) is filled with pawns.
Each player's remaining 2 queens stay inactive unless a promotion occurs (see Promotion below).
The player with the light pieces always moves first. Players may decide who will be light by an act of chance such as flipping a coin or having one player guess the colour of the hidden pawn in the other player's hand. Light then makes the first move, followed by dark, and they take turns until the end of the game.
About Merged Pieces
- A merged piece is a powerful new piece created during play by merging (or joining) two pieces.
- Players can create a merged piece as a turn during play. There is no limit as to how many merged pieces you can create.
- Any two pieces of the same colour can merge (except the king). For example, a pawn and a rook can merge, a bishop and a knight can merge, two rooks can merge, and so on.
- To create a merged piece a player moves one of their pieces onto the square of another of their pieces and joins them together. Remember all pieces must always move according to their abilities. For example, if a knight moved onto the square of a pawn to merge with the pawn, the knight must move as knight onto the pawn's square.
- A merged piece can move using the abilities of either of the two joined pieces. For example, a rook merged with a bishop could move as a rook or as a bishop, effectively creating a queen.
- If a players piece lands on an opponents merged piece, the merged piece is captured and removed from the board.
- A merged piece does not have to stay merged; it can be split into its original pieces as a players turn.
- To split a merged piece simply move one piece, according to that pieces abilities, away from the merged piece. From this point onwards, the split pieces can only move according to their original abilities (unless they are merged again) and the merged piece no longer exists.
Possible Merged Pieces
There are 15 possible merged pieces, they are:
QP (Quawn), QR (Quook), QN (Quight), QB (Quishop), QQ (DQueen), RP (Roawn), RN (Roight), RB (Rishop), RR (DRook), NP (Knawn), NB (Knishop), NN (DKnight), BP (Biawn), BB (Dbi) and a PP (Dpawn).
Moving the Pieces
There are 6 kinds of pieces. Each piece has a unique way of moving. Pieces cannot move through squares that contain other pieces (although a knight, or a merged piece containing a knight, can jump over pieces).
Pieces are moved into positions where they can capture opponent's pieces or merged pieces, defend their own pieces or merged pieces, create a merged piece, split a merged piece, control important squares in the game, or if the piece is a pawn or a merged piece that contains a pawn, receive a promotion (see Promotion below).
To make a capture, a player must land their piece or merged piece on a square that contains an opponent's piece or merged piece. Captured pieces or merged pieces are removed from the board and are not returned. Note: A queen may be returned to replace a pawn or a merged piece containing a pawn, which has been promoted.
A piece (except for the king) can land on a square that contains another piece of the same colour to create a merged piece.
The King
The King is the most important piece. If the King is checkmated the game is over. The King can only move one square in any direction.
The King is the only piece you cannot merge.
The Queen
The Queen is the most powerful piece and can move as far as it pleases forwards and backwards, to either side, and diagonally, always in a straight line.
If you merge the queen, you can move the merged piece as a Queen or as the piece you merged it with. For example, if you merge a Queen with a Knight, you can move the merged piece as either a Queen or a Knight.
The Rook
The Rook can move as far as it pleases forwards, backwards and to either side.
If you merge a Rook, you can move the merged piece as a Rook or as the piece you merged it with. For example, if you merge a Rook with a Pawn, you can move the merged piece as either a Rook or a Pawn.
The Bishop
The Bishop can move as far as it pleases in any diagonal direction.
If you merge a Bishop, you can move the merged piece as a Bishop or as the piece you merged it with. For example, if you merge a Bishop with a Rook, you can move the merged piece as either a Bishop or a Rook.
The Knight
The Knight moves in a very different way from the other pieces. It moves in an 'L' shape, which consists of two squares forwards, backwards or to either side, followed by one square to either side at a 90 degree angle. Note: The Knight is the only piece that can jump other pieces.
If you merge a Knight, you can move the merged piece as a Knight or as the piece you merged it with. For example, if you merge a Knight with a Bishop, you can move the merged piece as either a Knight or a Bishop.
The Pawn
Pawns are unusual because unlike other pieces their possible moves from the start position are different from their other moves and they do not capture in the same direction as they move.
From their starting row a Pawn can always move forward one or two squares, all other moves allow a move forward by one square. A Pawn captures by moving diagonally forward one square to the left or the right.
If you merge a Pawn, you can move the merged piece as a Pawn or as the piece you merged it with. For example, if you merge a Pawn with a Knight, you can move the merged piece as either a Pawn or a Knight.
Note: i. Pawns can be promoted (see Promotion below), and ii. Pawns can be captured by "en passant" (see "En Passant" below)
Promotion
If a Pawn, or a merged piece that contains a Pawn, reaches the other side of the board it is promoted to a Queen. Only Pawns and merged pieces that contain a Pawn can be promoted.
To carry out the promotion, the Pawn or the merged piece containing the Pawn is removed from the board and replaced by a queen.
Castling
When castling, you use a turn to move both your King and one of your Rooks. The King moves two squares towards the Rook, and that Rook moves to the square on the other side of the King. However, to be able to castle, the following conditions must be met:
- It must be the King's very first move.
- It must be the Rook's very first move.
- The King cannot be in check, pass through check or go into check.
- There cannot be any pieces between the King and Rook.
A merged piece containing a Rook can castle as long as it meets the above conditions.
A merged piece containing a Rook can split and castle using the Rook as long as it meets the above conditions.
Check and Checkmate
The goal is to checkmate the opponent's King. This happens when the King is put in check and cannot move out of check. A King can only move out of check by:
- moving out of the way (although not by castling)
- blocking the check with another piece
- capturing the piece that is threatening the King.
If a King cannot escape checkmate, then the game is over.
Draws
Games can end in a draw. There are 5 ways a game can end in a draw:
- The game reaches a stalemate where it is a player's turn to move, but their King is not in check and they do not have any legal moves available.
- The players agree to a draw and stop playing.
- There are not enough pieces on the board to force a checkmate. For example, one player has only a King and a bishop on the board and their opponent has only a King.
- A player may declare a draw if the same configuration of movements is repeated three times (although not necessarily in a row).
- Fifty moves (one after the other) have been played where neither player has moved a pawn or captured a piece.
Optional Play - En Passant (French for "in passing")
History
En Passant was introduced to Chess in the 15th Century after the introduction of the 2 square move for Pawn's. The rule was introduced to stop opposing Pawn's from passing without the opportunity for capture. The rule is not generally known, but always applied for competition play.
En Passant in Chessplus
If a Pawn, or a merged piece containing 2 Pawns, moves out two squares from it's starting row, and by doing so lands to either side of an opponent's Pawn, or a merged piece containing a pawn (effectively jumping past the other pawn's ability to capture it), then the other pawn or merged piece containing the Pawn, has the option of capturing the first Pawn. This special move must be done immediately after the first Pawn has moved, otherwise the option to capture it is no longer available. The capturing Pawn, or merged piece containing a Pawn, lands 1 space directly behind the captured piece (i.e. on the diagonal).
The Quick Rules
Apply the rules of Chess, plus new moves for an exciting evolution of the traditional game:
- Create new 'merged' pieces by moving any piece (except for the king) onto to the square of another piece of the same colour
- Move merged pieces as either of their joined pieces, or split them by moving either piece away individually.
- Gain extra queens quickly by moving a merged piece containing a pawn to the far end of the board, with 3 extra queens included for a knockout finish.
Note: The merging or splitting of a piece is considered a move. Individual pieces must always move according to their traditional abilities and, when captured or promoted a merged piece leaves the board.
These rule adaptations allow for the creation of 15 new pieces, adding extra dimensions of intrigue and unpredictability to the game.