Future Chess Rules
General Concepts
How a Pawn moves
How a Bishop moves
How a Knight moves
How a Rook moves
How the Queen moves
How the King moves
Check and Checkmate
Tips
General Concepts:
There are 30 pieces in Future Chess 15 of each color. White always makes the first move. Players always move alternately, the same player will never make two consecutive moves.
Captures are made by landing on a square that an enemy piece occupies, the captured piece is removed from the board. Two pieces can never occupy the same space at any time.
*****In the following instructions, the blue squares on all of the figures indicate the the squares that the particular piece can move to.
How a Pawn moves:
The pawn can only move in the forward direction, one space at a time. The Pawn cannot jump over any pieces, so a piece in front of it will block any further advance. A pawn can only capture a piece that is in front of it diagonally. When a White Pawn gets to the end of a level, it moves up one level to the opposite side of the level it was just on in the same row. When a Black Pawn gets to the end of the level, it moves down one level to the opposite side of the level it was just on in the same row. The Pawn cannot capture when it moves to a new level in that same move.
If a Pawn reaches the end of its second level, it can then be promoted, replaced with any piece (except a King), a Queen will be chosen, therefore permitting a player to have possibly more than one Queen on the board.
How a Bishop moves:
The Bishop can only move diagonally and in only one direction per move. Of the two Bishops you have each controls one color. The Bishop can slide diagonally, on the same color, until it reaches the desired square, the end of a level, or until it reaches another piece; If it is an enemy piece, the Bishop captures it. The Bishop can also move up or down one level by moving directly to any unoccupied square of the same color on the new level; therefore, it cannot capture on a new level in the same move.
How a Knight moves:
The Knight is the only chess piece that can jump over its own or its opponents pieces. When remaining on the same level the Knight can move two spaces in a row, any direction, and then one over (as it does in Traditional Chess). The Knight can also move up or down one level at a time. First it moves to the same corresponding square on the next level, then it moves one space in a row, any direction, and then one over. The Knight can capture whatever occupies the square it lands on, even on another level. (NOTE: The Knight always ends up on the opposite color square it started on.)
How a Rook moves:
The Rook can move horizontally or vertically but not both in the same move. The Rook will slide in a horizontal or vertical direction until it reaches the desired square, the end of a level, or until it reaches another piece, if the piece is an enemy piece, the Rook captures it. The Rook can also move up or down one level by moving directly to any unoccupied square that was in its path when it was on the initial level. Once the Rook moves to a new level, that is the end of its turn. Unlike the Bishop, the Rook can capture a piece on the next level, but only if the piece occupies the same corresponding square that the Rook occupied on the previous level. In other words it can move up or down to the same square on a new level, and capture a piece if the piece occupies that square. In the figure below the Rook can move up and capture the pawn in one move
How the Queen moves:
The Queen can move in eight different directions on the level she is on, she cannot jump over another piece. The Queen can slide in any direction until she reaches the desired square, the end of a level, or another piece. If the other piece is an enemy piece the Queen captures it. The Queen can also move up or down one level by moving directly to any unoccupied square on the next level. Once the Queen moves to a new level, that is the end of her turn. Like the Rook the Queen can capture a piece on the next level, only if the piece occupies the same corresponding square that the Queen occupied on the previous level. In figure below the Queen can move up one level and capture the bishop that is on the same corresponding square, in the same move.
The Queen can also move up or down two levels, from the bottom level to the top level, or from the top level to the bottom level. When she does this she can only move directly to the corresponding square that she occupied on her initial level; however, the Queen cannot capture a piece on this square on the same move; therefore, if another piece is occupying the corresponding square, the Queen is unable to move (up or down) two levels to the corresponding square.
How the King moves:
The King may move one space in any direction, he may capture an enemy piece if it occupies that space. The King is not allowed to move to a square where he would be liable to capture from an opposing piece. The King can also move up or down one level, but only if he is in a corner. He then moves to the same corresponding corner on the new level. He can capture a piece on the new level, only if by doing so he is not liable to capture by an opposing piece.
Check and Checkmate:
Check
Check is when your King is being attacked by a piece (the piece could capture it in it's next move). The King can do one of the following:
1. Move to a square where it is not liable for capture by an opposing piece.
2. Move a piece between the King and the attacking piece, therefore blocking the other piece from attacking the King.
3. Move a piece to capture the attacking piece.
Checkmate
One wins the game when he Checkmates his opponents King. To do this the King must be in a state of check as explained above; however, this time the King cannot do any of the above three things. (Basically, he is being attacked, and he cannot make a move without being liable to capture.)
Tips:
*** All pieces move in the same manner as they do in traditional Chess when they remain on the same level.
*** Remember: With the exception of the Pawn, all other pieces can move up or down to a new level in one move. Black is not restricted to just moving down, nor is White just restricted to moving up.
*** In Traditional Chess there is a special move known as an Enpassant Capture, this move is not allowed in Future Chess.
*** Watch your middle Pawn on the Queens (middle) Level, If you move this on your first move, your opponent can move his Queen right to the square it was on, and you are in Checkmate. To avoid this, watch that particular Pawn carefully, see what is attacking it, and capture or block it, or move a piece that is in front of your King; therefore, allowing your King to have a space to move out of Check.
*** Be sure you know what each piece is attacking, and be on the lookout for the Knight, the Rook or the Queen; which can capture from another level.
