Extreme Chess
Love chess, but just not cutting it with excitement? The pace and plodding strategy too slow for your extreme sports lifestyle? Not enough risk and chance? When you’re done bungee jumping or slamming that Red Bull and would love to play but it’s just not happening, then get yourself some dice and enter the world of Extreme Chess.
You play Extreme Chess on a standard chess board with all the usual pieces. The only difference is instead of freely choosing what to move on your turn, you roll two dice and the dice decide how many pieces you move and how many squares. Things get more random and as out of control as you can manage on a chessboard.
1. The Basic Roll
On your turn, roll both dice. The two numbers determine your move for that turn.
Lower die → number of pieces to move
The smaller number tells you how many of your pieces you must move this turn.
Higher die → squares you need to move
The larger number is your total number of squares, distributed however you like across the pieces you move.
Example — rolling a 2 and a 5:
You must move 2 pieces, with a combined total of 5 squares between them. You could move one piece, let’s say a rook, 4 squares and another, a pawn for instance, 1 square. Or you could split them 3 and 2 or any other combination that adds to 5.
2. Doubles
When both dice show the same number, a special rule applies: move that many pieces, each exactly one square.
Rolling double 3s: Move 3 pieces, one square each.
Rolling double 6s: Move 6 pieces, one square each.
Rolling double 1s: Move 1 piece, one square.
3. How Pieces Move
Each piece still moves exactly as it does in standard chess with the same directions and same restrictions. The dice only change how many pieces move and how many total squares.
♟️ Pawn — Moves forward 1 square (or 2 from its starting position). Captures diagonally. Each square of movement costs 1 square from your budget. Not very extreme, average waves.
♜ Rook — Moves any number of squares in a straight line. Move as many squares as you like from your budget in one direction. Racing a stolen car down Main Street.
♝ Bishop — Moves any number of squares diagonally. Within a single move, it may change diagonal direction, but only up to the amount of your roll. Paragliding to the bar in Cabo.
♛ Queen — The most flexible piece. May move in any direction and even change direction mid-move. 100% pure adrenalin.
♚ King — Moves 1 square in any direction. Can be moved on any roll as one of your pieces for 1 square. ATV maybe. By the way, protecting your King is more unpredictable than in standard chess, so keep him defended from multiple directions whenever possible.
♞ Knight — Requires a 3 on your dice to move at all. See Rule 4. No extreme sports references or metaphors because in Extreme Chess knights are sort of useless because of the special rules…
4. The Knight’s Special Rule
Knights move in an L-shape and can jump over other pieces, just as in standard chess. In Extreme Chess they have one additional restriction:
A Knight may only be moved on a turn where at least one die shows a 3. Without a 3 on either die, Knights cannot move.
A 3 on either die unlocks the Knight. Rolling 3 and 5, or 1 and 3, or double 3s all allow Knight movement.
Note: if you roll double 3s, the doubles rule applies — move 3 pieces, 1 square each — but Knights are unlocked and may be one of those 3 pieces.
Other note: Knights basically suck in Extreme Chess.
5. Incomplete Rolls
Sometimes the board won’t let you use every piece or every square your roll calls for. In that case, move as many pieces and squares as the board allows. Any you cannot legally use are simply lost. Your turn ends when you’ve moved what you can.
Example: You roll a 2 and a 4 - move 2 pieces, 4 squares total. If only one of those pieces has a legal move, move that piece as far as possible within 4 squares, and your turn is over.
6. Roll Reference
| Roll | Pieces to move | Squares to spend |
|---|---|---|
| 2 & 5 | 2 pieces | 5 squares total |
| 1 & 6 | 1 piece | 6 squares |
| 4 & 4 (doubles) | 4 pieces | 1 square each |
| 3 & 3 (doubles) | 3 pieces | 1 square each — Knights unlocked |
| 1 & 3 | 1 piece | 3 squares — Knights unlocked |
| 1 & 1 (doubles) | 1 piece | 1 square |
7. Winning
The game is won by checkmate just like in standard chess. A King in check must be resolved on your next turn. If you have no move to escape check, you lose.
Credits
I wish I could take credit for this, but my kid made up more than half of it.
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