*Note: This is adapted from a Google Doc from 2014. It’s cute. I even put a Copyright notice on it!
A short, asymmetrical game that can be played in 20 minutes with a few pieces from any chess set. It’s challenging in its own right. Good play dramatically emphasises the importance of thinking ahead.
Cheyss is a quick game that borrows from chess. So if you hate chess, you won’t like Cheyss. One thing to note: While White has a huge numerical advantage, Black has a dragon!
The Pieces
Use a subset of pieces from a normal chess set to play. The new names are an homage to Cyvasse.
| Chess Piece Name | Cheyss Piece Name | Cheyss Piece Capability | No. of Pieces (Black player) | No. of Pieces (White player) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pawn | Spearman | Moves one space orthogonally or diagonally. May only take pieces diagonally. | 2 | 8 |
| Knight | Light Horse | Moves up to three spaces orthogonally. May only take pieces orthogonally. | 1 | 2 |
| Bishop | Heavy Horse | Moves up to two spaces orthogonally or diagonally. May take pieces orthogonally or diagonally. | 1 | 2 |
| Castle | Castle | May not move. May not capture pieces. | 2 | 0 |
| Queen | Dragon | May move up to four spaces orthogonally or diagonally. May take pieces orthogonally or diagonally. If a player’s Dragon is destroyed, that player loses. The Dragon also does a special thing (see below) | 1 | 0 |
| King | King | May move one space orthogonally or diagonally. May take pieces orthogonally or diagonally. If a player’s King is destroyed, that player loses. | 1 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 8 | 13 | ||
Playing the Game
Play like in chess, your moves take place alternately.
- To set up, put a divider in the middle of the board and set up in secret, any way you like. For a first game, I suggest setting up as below (see ‘Setup’).
- White goes first.
- Special Dragon Rule: If, at the start of any Black turn, the dragon can destroy the White King (and only the King) in two moves from their current location, they may take those two moves now and win the game instantly. An example is shown below, entitled ‘Death by Dragon’.
Setup
This is a suggested setup for playing your first game. It avoids some rookie errors that might spoil the fun.
Death By Dragon
It is Black’s turn. If they make the following move, they will win.
Yes. The dragon is very powerful. It’s a useful tool to teach people how to think ahead. I PROMISE that it can be beaten, even against a good player, and it’s very satisfying when you do!
I hope you enjoy this game!
Hints and Tips
- Think ahead.
- Think ahead.
- If someone feels they are the weaker player, let them play black. Having victory always just around the corner tends to be an excellent motivator.
- If your games get a little like a stalemate, give the black player a set number of turns to kill the king or admit defeat.