Aliya Explains Chess Variants: BUGHOUSE

Whether you’re goofing off with your friends, playing by yourself on a computer, or even competing in a chess variant tournament, chess variants offer many different ways to have fun playing chess and improve in different aspects of the game.

pngegg.com

BY ALIYA SALDANHA-SURI
NYC LAB MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR COLLABORATIVE STUDIES
COACH AND COLUMNIST

Chess variants are one of the most enjoyable parts of chess. Whether you’re goofing off with your friends, playing by yourself on a computer, or even competing in a chess variant tournament, chess variants offer many different ways to have fun playing chess and improve in different aspects of the game.

Chess.com

Bughouse

Bughouse is one of the most popular chess variants, especially for younger players, and it is a lot of fun to play! This game is played with four players, with two players on each of two teams. This variant requires two chess boards, and teammates sit next to each other on individual boards facing the other team, who are also in the same setup. Each participant plays as the opposite color of their teammate. 

Time control: In most tournaments and informal games, the time control will be five minutes on each side and each board gets their own clock. However, time control can vary based on who you’re playing with. Three minutes is a very common time control on chess.com.

How to win the game: The game ends when one player is checkmated or their king is captured (yes, you can capture your opponent’s king in bughouse if they don’t move it out of danger!). Regardless of their teammate’s position on the other board, the team will lose if one player on the team loses.

Rules: Bughouse has almost all of the same rules as regular chess, but the main thing that differentiates them is that any pieces you capture from your opponent go to your teammate, and vice versa. On each move, you can choose to either make a regular chess move or put down a piece on the board that your teammate gave to you. You and your teammate are allowed and encouraged to communicate verbally to see what the other person needs to attack or defend, but you are not allowed to touch the pieces on each other’s boards. Doing so will most likely result in both of you being forfeited from the game, assuming you are playing in an official tournament or game.

Specific rules:

• Pawns cannot be placed on the first or eighth ranks

• If someone promotes a pawn and the promoted piece is captured any time during the rest of the game, then the captured piece is given to the player’s teammate as a pawn, as if it had never been promoted. 

• Usually, moves like putting down a piece to checkmate your opponent are allowed, but make sure to clarify that before starting the game.