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Every rule in Chaos Chess

Chaos Chess starts as a normal game of chess. Every few turns, the player about to move is shown a few rule cards and picks one. Some rules happen once, right away. Others stick around for a few turns, and several can be active at the same time.

You win by capturing the enemy king, since checkmate stops making sense once kings can move like queens and the floor is lava. When two active rules contradict each other, the one that was picked first wins.

Instant rules (39)

Happens right away

Going Woke

All Pieces in the right half of the board get pushed to the left 1 square (if open)

Happens right away

March of the Pawnguins

All Pawns advance one square if it's empty (no captures)

Happens right away

The Rumbling

All Pawns advance one square and kill everything they touch

Happens right away

They Deserved It

One random non-King Piece is killed

Happens right away

Born Again Christian

All Queens becomes Bishops

Happens right away

Dub Thee Knight

Two random Pawns become Knights

Happens right away

Back That Shit Up

All Pawns move backward one square (if open)

Happens right away

Column Swap

All Pieces in two random columns are swapped

Happens right away

Mind Control

Each player chooses one opponent non-Royalty Piece and converts it to their team

Happens right away

Drafted for Battle

Both Players swap their King with a friendly Bishop or Knight of their choice

Happens right away

Hot Drop

Each Player gets a Queen in a random open square

Happens right away

Minefield

Mark 2 random empty squares with mines. If a Piece enters that square, they die and the mine is removed

Happens right away

Risk it Rook

50% chance for a free Rook in a random empty square. Your opponent gets 25% chance for the same thing.

Happens right away

2 Kids in a Trenchcoat

Sacrifice 2 Pawns to put a new Bishop anywhere on the board

Happens right away

CHAAAARGE!

All your Pieces move one square towards the enemy (if open)

Happens right away

The Enemy is Routed

All enemy Pieces move one square backwards (if open)

Happens right away

Nuclear Fallout

2 random empty squares cannot be entered or crossed for the rest of the game

Happens right away

Get Up In Their Face

All your Pieces slide forward until they hit an empty square

Happens right away

A Light Breeze

All Pieces in columns D and E move one square to the right, killing anything in the way

Happens right away

Anti-Camping

Pick an enemy Piece, swap it with a random friendly Piece

Happens right away

Bottomless Pit

Pick an empty square. For the rest of the game, any Piece who enters it dies

Happens right away

Moving Up the Corporate Ladder

Pick 2 Pieces in the same column, then swap them

Happens right away

Hurricane

Pick 1 row, all Pieces in it are pushed to the left-most empty square (starting with left-most piece)

Happens right away

Sophie's Choice

Each player selects 2 random friendly non-King Pieces. They must pick one to kill

Happens right away

Sunday School

Pop quiz! Both players answer a random trivia question. Whoever gets it right gets a Bishop in a chosen empty square

Happens right away

Horse 1 Always Wins

Watch a horse race, whoever's horse places higher gets a Knight in a chosen empty square

Happens right away

Thanos Snap

Half of each player's non-King Pieces turn to dust, chosen at random

Happens right away

Freaky Friday

All Pawns switch sides and swap to the mirror square on the other half of the board. Good luck.

Happens right away

Musical Chairs

Each player's non-King Pieces are shuffled randomly among the squares that player's pieces are standing on

Happens right away

Gravity Gun

Flip a coin. All non-King Pieces fall toward that side of the board until they hit something

Happens right away

Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V

Pick one of your Pieces (not a King or Queen). A copy spawns on a random empty square

Happens right away

Witness Protection

Your King gets a new identity: it moves to a random empty square on your half of the board

Happens right away

Pawn Shop

Sell one of your Rooks, Bishops, or Knights. It turns into a Pawn, and you get a second Pawn next to it

Happens right away

Participation Trophy

Whoever has fewer Pieces gets a free Knight on a random empty square. Ties get nothing.

Happens right away

Yeet

Pick an enemy non-King Piece. It gets thrown to a random empty square

Happens right away

Identity Theft

Pick one of your Pawns and one enemy non-King Piece. They swap identities

Happens right away

Loot Box

Open a loot box and get a free random Piece on a random empty square. 60% Pawn, 25% Knight or Bishop, 10% Rook, 5% Queen

Happens right away

Objection!

Throw out any one rule that's currently in play

Happens right away

VAR Review

The last capture goes to video review. 50% chance it's overturned and the captured Piece comes back

Timed rules (66)

Lasts 3–5 turns

Blood Sacrifice

Players pick one of their own pieces to die after every turn

Lasts 3–9 turns

Living Bomb

Pick a friendly Piece. If it's alive when this rule expires, it explodes and kills all adjacent pieces

Lasts 3–9 turns

Mitosis

Pick a Piece. It cannot move, but if it's alive when this rule expires, spawn a duplicate into an empty adjacent square

Lasts 3–9 turns

Treasure Chest

Select a random empty square. The first Piece to enter that square is promoted

Lasts 3–9 turns

Mr Freeze

Pick 1 column. All Pieces in it are frozen and immune until this expires.

Lasts 3–9 turns

Portal 3

Pick 2 squares. At the end of every turn, those two squares swap

Lasts 3–9 turns

No Mans Land

Pick 1 column. No Pieces may enter or cross the column. (Pieces currently in the column can leave it)

Lasts 3–9 turns

Cash Grab

Any Piece that reaches the back line can promote

Lasts 3–9 turns

Summoning Ritual

When this expires, whichever Player has more Pieces on the 4 corner spots gets a Rook at a chosen empty square

Lasts 3–9 turns

Call Down Lightning

Mark a random empty square. When this expires, whoever controls that square picks a non-King Piece to die

Lasts 3–9 turns

Get The Fuck Off

Pick 2 squares on the board. When this expires, any Pieces on those squares die

Lasts 3–9 turns

Gigachad Aura

When this expires, all Pieces adjacent to a King die

Lasts 3–9 turns

Bloodthirsty

You must make a move that captures an enemy (if possible)

Lasts 3–9 turns

Severe Constipation

Bishops and Knights cannot move

Lasts 3–9 turns

Hobbit Battle

ONLY Pawns can be moved

Lasts 2–4 turns

Hobbit Slaughter

Only Pawns can die

Lasts 3–5 turns

Christmas Truce

No Pieces can die

Lasts 3–9 turns

Ice Age

Pieces currently in columns 1 and 8 are frozen and immune

Lasts 3–9 turns

Portal Storm

Two random non-King Pieces swap places at the end of every turn

Lasts 3–7 turns

Proletariat

Every piece moves like a Pawn

Lasts 3–9 turns

Down with the Ship

Any capture also kills the capturing Piece

Lasts 3–4 turns

God Kings

Kings are immune and can move 2 squares at a time

Lasts 3–9 turns

Early Promotion

Pawns promote on the 6th row instead of the 8th

Lasts 3–8 turns

Short Stop

Pieces may move a maximum of 1 square per turn. Knights cannot move.

Lasts 3–9 turns

Pawns with Viagra

Pawns can attack left or right

Lasts 3–9 turns

Trains Rights

Kings move like Queens, Queens move like Kings

Lasts 3–9 turns

Kamikaze

When a Piece dies, 25% chance that ALL adjacent Pieces die

Lasts 3–7 turns

Parry

Rock Paper Scissors for a chance to stop any attack

Lasts 3–9 turns

Pawns learned Strength!

Pawns can push Pieces forward (into empty squares). Works with multiple stacked Pieces.

Lasts 3–9 turns

All on Red

Flip a coin at start of your turn, if it's tails you can only move your King.

Lasts 3–9 turns

Estrogen

Kings can move like a Queens

Lasts 3–9 turns

Ice Physics

Bishops, Rooks, and Queens MUST move the maximum distance

Lasts 3–9 turns

Soul Link

If a Knight dies, both your Knights die. Same for Rooks and Bishops

Lasts 3–9 turns

Pacman Style

Pieces can wrap around the right and left sides of the board

Lasts 3–9 turns

No Cowards

All moves must move closer to your opponent's side of the board

Lasts 3–9 turns

Tornado

Pick an empty square. If any Piece *can* move to that square, it must

Lasts 3–9 turns

Religious Conversion

If a Bishop moves next to an enemy Pawn, you convert it to your team

Lasts 3–9 turns

Time Bomb

All Pieces in Column E die when this rule expires

Lasts 3–9 turns

Knee Surgery

Kings can now move 2 spots in every direction

Lasts 3–9 turns

Critical Strike

Every capture has a 50% chance to capture a random adjacent enemy non-King Piece

Lasts 3–5 turns

Invulnerability Potion

Two random Pieces on your team cannot die

Lasts 3–6 turns

Backseat Driver

At the start of each turn, your opponent picks which Piece you have to move

Lasts 2–4 turns

Opposite Day

You move your opponent's Pieces and they move yours

Lasts 3–7 turns

Lag Spike

Every move has a 25% chance to not go through

Lasts 3–6 turns

Horse Girl Energy

Every Piece except the King moves like a Knight

Lasts 3–5 turns

Main Character Syndrome

Pick one of your Pieces. It moves like a Queen and can't die, but none of your other Pieces can move (unless it's boxed in)

Lasts 3–7 turns

Hungry Hungry Hippos

Capturing a Piece gives you another move (up to 3 extra moves per turn)

Lasts 3–7 turns

Social Distancing

Pieces can't end a move next to an enemy Piece, unless it's a capture

Lasts 3–4 turns

Blindfold

Every Piece looks exactly the same, and move hints are off. Good luck remembering which one is your Queen

Lasts 3–4 turns

AI Slop

Each player gets an AI-generated Queen on a random empty square. It isn't real, so it vanishes when this rule ends

Lasts 3–4 turns

Mandatory Software Update

A random type of Piece can't move while it installs an update

Lasts 3–5 turns

Cookie Consent

Every turn, you have to get rid of a cookie banner before you can move. Good luck clicking the X

Lasts 4–6 turns

Inflation

Every turn, one random Pawn on each side inflates into a better Piece (Pawn, Knight, Bishop, Rook, Queen). When this ends, the bubble pops and they all turn back into Pawns

Lasts 3–9 turns

Knightmare

Every piece except the king can also jump like a knight.

Lasts 3–6 turns

Double Time

Each player makes two moves per turn.

Lasts 3–9 turns

Identity Crisis

Bishops move like rooks and rooks move like bishops.

Lasts 3–9 turns

Queen on Vacation

Queens can only move one square, like a king.

Lasts 3–9 turns

Short Leash

Sliding pieces can move two squares at most.

Lasts 3–9 turns

Ghost Walk

Sliding pieces pass straight through other pieces.

Lasts 3–9 turns

Kaboom

Captures explode, destroying the capturer and every non-pawn piece touching the square. Kings can't capture, except to take the enemy king.

Lasts 3–9 turns

Pawn Power

Pawns move and capture one square in any direction.

Lasts 3–9 turns

Pawn Rush

Pawns can charge up to three squares forward at any time.

Lasts 3–9 turns

Moonwalk

Pawns move and capture backward.

Lasts 3–9 turns

Friendly Fire

You can capture your own pieces, except your king.

Lasts 3–9 turns

Buddy System

Any piece can swap places with a friendly piece next to it.

Lasts 3–9 turns

The Floor is Lava

Four squares turn to lava. Anything that lands there burns. Kings refuse to step on it.