A conversational, alliance-friendly chess variant. Start as four, Chess duel as two.
Play HereTalk, negotiate, and make deals to survive the short game.
Outwit opponents on a 12×12 board, then finish in a classic chess duel.
Mix human seats and AI, swap modes, and restart instantly.
Watch the two players to your right; you may need to help them to avoid a loss on your left. Weaker players can team up to topple a stronger one. Alliances matter until only two remain—then it’s pure chess.
Edwin J. Wilhelm
Bishops © 2016–2025
bishops@bishopsthegame.com
Canada
Short Game (Unrated Social Game : one player eliminated)
White moves first and play proceeds clockwise. Queen and King and may swap positions on their first move. Checkmate of the King on the immediate left is the goal. Other Kings may be placed in check or checkmated also. Any opposing colour may be captured on any move. Opposing pieces may be used to create a check or checkmate condition. Example White may employ a Black Knight, Pink Bishop and White Queen to check or checkmate Grey.
Pawns move ahead traditionally. A Pawn may check or checkmate a King occupying these spaces. Pawns must reach the 8th rank to become a Queen (for example a8 to h8 for White). Edge pawns may not capture edge pawns on the first round of moves. King and Queen may swap positions at the first move and that counts as the turn.
Kings may enter their own coloured corner square and become immune from check or checkmate, provided that both of their Bishops are not captured. When a King enters any corner square, both of his Bishops become Queens instantly. Castling is not allowed. If two Queens are captured, the King must on his next move return to an unoccupied space around the corner square, but may not move into check. If the King cannot re-enter then he must wait (miss a turn) until a square is available. The short game proceeds until a checkmate or a player resigns. That colour is then removed from the board. Play may end now with 3 players victorious.
Long Game (Rated : three players eliminated)
The next move is made by the next player to the left, or by the player whose King is in Check as a result of the pieces being removed. When two colours remain, and both remaining Kings are on the playing area, the game is then played as Chess in a duel. If a King is not able to move onto the board from a safe corner square when only two players remain then he will lose the game.
To prevent unauthorized reproduction a minor false rule has been included in this limited copyright edition.