Objective of the Game
The Board
The Board is circular and divided into seventy, sixty-eight, or sixty-six spaces. Spaces are alternately colored dark and light.
The center of this board is not part of the playing field of the game. The center has been removed in order to avoid the visual confusion resulting from the board's converging files. Throughout this document this center area will be referred to as the "center-circle". Void spaces on the left and right of each board are also not part of the playing field and will be referred to simply as "void spaces." The center-circle and void spaces are fundamentally different with respect to piece movement.
Rows of playing field spaces that are aligned along circle diameters will be referred to as files, while rows of spaces that lie along circles or circle segments will be referred to as ranks.
The Set Up
The board should be placed between the players. The right-most space in White's first rank should be light-colored.Each player controls a set of pieces consisting of two Rooks, two Knights, two Bishops, one Queen, and one King. White's pieces are placed on the spaces in White's first rank (rank "1"), while Black's pieces are placed on the spaces in Black's first rank (rank "8"). Each Rook is placed adjacent to a void space, Knights are placed adjacent to Rooks, and Bishops are placed adjacent to Knights. White's Queen is placed on the vacant, light-colored space, and White's King is placed on the vacant, dark-colored space. Black's Queen is placed on the vacant, dark-colored space, and Black's King is placed on the vacant, light-colored space.
Each player also controls eight Pawns. White's Pawns are placed on the spaces in White's second rank (rank "2"). Black's Pawns are placed on the spaces in Black's second rank (rank "7").
Movement and Capture of Pieces
White always makes the first move. White and Black then take turns making moves, making one move per turn. A move must consist of repositioning one of a players own pieces (or in the case of Castling, two pieces) or capturing an opponent's piece. While in play, no two pieces may occupy the same space simultaneously, nor may they ever occupy the center-circle or a void space.
The same etiquette with regard to touching and moving pieces applies to Circular Chess as in traditional Chess. That is: Once a piece has been touched, it must be moved if it has a legal move. And once a piece has been moved to a space constituting a legal move or capture and has been released, the move is complete and cannot be taken back.
+ The Rook
The Rook may move to any space on the file it occupies, as long as there are no pieces between it and its destination. It may also move to any space on the rank it occupies, as long as there are no pieces or void spaces between it and its destination.
The Rook may capture an opposing piece if the opposing piece occupies a space that constitutes a legal destination within the Rook's range of movement. To capture, the Rook is placed in the destination space and the opposing piece occupying the space is removed from the board.
While the Rook is permitted to pass through the center-circle, it may not move across void spaces. Also, the Rook may not occupy the center-circle or void spaces. A Rook may not make a move that returns it to the space from which it started. A Rook may not make a move or capture that places its own King in check.
The Rook may capture an opposing piece if the opposing piece occupies a space that constitutes a legal destination within the Rook's range of movement. To capture, the Rook is placed in the destination space and the opposing piece occupying the space is removed from the board.
While the Rook is permitted to pass through the center-circle, it may not move across void spaces. Also, the Rook may not occupy the center-circle or void spaces. A Rook may not make a move that returns it to the space from which it started. A Rook may not make a move or capture that places its own King in check.
+ The Bishop
The Bishop moves similarly to the Rook except in a "diagonal" manner rather than a "file and rank" manner. To visualize a "diagonal" on the Circular Chessboard consider that every space on the board is at an intersection of two curved diagonal arcs of like-colored spaces. Each of these diagonal arcs extends from a space on the outer circle of spaces through successive circles into the center of the board, moving one space clockwise (or counterclockwise) for every successive circle transited. The arc continues through the center of the board and back out to the outer circle, always curving in the same direction.
The Bishop may move to any space on the two curved diagonal arcs that intersect on the space it occupies, as long as there are no pieces or void spaces between it and its destination.
The Bishop may capture an opposing piece if the opposing piece occupies a space that constitutes a legal destination within the Bishop's range of movement. To capture, the Bishop is placed in the destination space and the opposing piece occupying the space is removed from the board.
While the Bishop is permitted to pass through the center-circle, it may not move across void spaces. Also, the Bishop may not occupy the center-circle or void spaces. A Bishop may not make a move or capture that places its own King in check.
The Bishop may move to any space on the two curved diagonal arcs that intersect on the space it occupies, as long as there are no pieces or void spaces between it and its destination.
The Bishop may capture an opposing piece if the opposing piece occupies a space that constitutes a legal destination within the Bishop's range of movement. To capture, the Bishop is placed in the destination space and the opposing piece occupying the space is removed from the board.
While the Bishop is permitted to pass through the center-circle, it may not move across void spaces. Also, the Bishop may not occupy the center-circle or void spaces. A Bishop may not make a move or capture that places its own King in check.
+ The Queen
The Queen may move or capture in the manner of the Rook or in the manner of the Bishop.
The Queen may move or capture in the manner of the Rook or in the manner of the Bishop.
A Queen may not make a move that returns it to the space from which it started. A Queen may not make a move or capture that places its own King in check.
+ The King
The King may move to any space adjacent to it on the file, rank, or curved diagonal that passes through the space it occupies.
Movements of the King that cross the center-circle can be easily determined if the player keeps in mind that spaces directly across the center-circle from one another are considered adjacent spaces that are in the same file.
When a King occupies a space adjacent to the center-circle, the spaces it can move to that are across the center-circle are the one directly opposite the space it occupies and the two spaces on either side of the opposite space.
Movements of the King that cross the center-circle can be easily determined if the player keeps in mind that spaces directly across the center-circle from one another are considered adjacent spaces that are in the same file.
When a King occupies a space adjacent to the center-circle, the spaces it can move to that are across the center-circle are the one directly opposite the space it occupies and the two spaces on either side of the opposite space.
The King may capture an opposing piece if the opposing piece occupies a space that constitutes a legal destination within the King's range of movement. To capture, the King is placed in the destination space and the opposing piece occupying the space is removed from the board.While the King is permitted to pass through the center-circle, it may NOT move across void spaces. Also, the King may not occupy the center-circle or void spaces. A King may not make a move or capture that places it in check.
+ The Knight
The spaces to which the Knight may move can be found by starting from the space that the Knight occupies, and proceeding two spaces along the rank which it occupies, and then proceeding from that space, one space along the file; or by proceeding from the space that the Knight occupies, two spaces along the file, and then proceeding from that space, one space along the rank. Unlike all other pieces, the Knight is not blocked in its movement by other pieces that occupy intervening spaces. In other words, it is the only piece that may jump over other pieces.
Movements of the Knight that cross the center-circle can be easily determined if the player keeps in mind that spaces directly across the center-circle from one another are considered adjacent spaces that are in the same file.
Movements of the Knight that cross the center-circle can be easily determined if the player keeps in mind that spaces directly across the center-circle from one another are considered adjacent spaces that are in the same file.
The Knight may capture an opposing piece if the opposing piece occupies a space that constitutes a legal destination within the Knight's range of movement. To capture, the Knight is placed in the destination space and the opposing piece occupying the space is removed from the board.While the Knight is permitted to pass through the center-circle, it may not move across or jump over void spaces. Also, the Knight may not occupy the center-circle or void spaces. A Knight may not make a move or capture that places its own King in check.
+ The Pawn
The Pawn always moves forward; never backward, sideways, or diagonally. ("Forward" is a relative term in Circular Chess. It is defined as "toward the center of the board" if the Pawn has not crossed the center and is defined as "away from the center of the board" if the Pawn has crossed the center. Due to the way a Pawn captures, "forward" is not necessarily the direction of the opponent's first rank.)
From its starting position, the pawn may move one or two spaces toward the center of the board, along the file that it occupies. From any space other than its starting position, it may move only one space forward along the file that it occupies.
A movement of a Pawn that crosses the center-circle can be easily determined if the player keeps in mind that spaces directly across the center-circle from one another are considered adjacent spaces that are in the same file.
From its starting position, the pawn may move one or two spaces toward the center of the board, along the file that it occupies. From any space other than its starting position, it may move only one space forward along the file that it occupies.
A movement of a Pawn that crosses the center-circle can be easily determined if the player keeps in mind that spaces directly across the center-circle from one another are considered adjacent spaces that are in the same file.
The Pawn is the only piece that captures differently than the way it moves. Rather than capturing pieces that occupy spaces within its range of movement, a Pawn may capture any piece that occupies a space that is one space diagonally forward of the space the Pawn occupies. A Pawn captures pieces across the center-circle that occupy spaces to either side of the space exactly opposite the space the Pawn occupies.
If a Pawn has passed over the center-circle and occupies a space on its opponent's fourth rank, it may capture an opposing Pawn "en passant." A Pawn may capture "en passant" only on the turn immediately following the movement of the Pawn to be captured. And the Pawn to be captured must have been moved from the space it occupied at the start of the game to a space adjacent to the capturing Pawn. To capture in this case, the capturing Pawn is placed on the space in the opponent's third rank that is between the space on which the captured Pawn began the game and the space to which it moved. The captured Pawn is removed from the board.See Photo 12 for an illustration of an "en passant" capture where White's Pawn has crossed the center and Black's Pawn has moved two spaces from its starting position on the previous move. White may now capture Black's Pawn "en passant" by placing its own Pawn on the indicated space and removing Black's Pawn from the board. If White chooses not to capture Black's Pawn "en passant" on this move, it may not capture it "en passant" on subsequent moves.
While the Pawn is permitted to pass through the center-circle, it may not occupy the center-circle or void spaces. A Pawn may not make a move or capture that places its own King in check.
+ Castling
Under certain conditions, the Rook and King may both be moved in the course of one turn. This repositioning of a Rook and King is called "Castling". Castling can be performed on either the King's side or the Queen's side.The conditions under which a Rook and King may be Castled are as follows: If (I) neither the King nor the Rook has yet been moved, (ii) no piece is occupying a space on the arc of spaces between the King and Rook, (iii) no opposing piece is attacking a space on the arc of spaces between the King and Rook, and (iv) the King is not in check.
When Castling, the King is moved to a space on the first rank, two spaces away from the space it occupied. The Rook is then placed in the space on the opposite side of the King. The King always moves two spaces when Castling, while the Rook may move two or three spaces, depending on the side on which Castling is performed.
White has Castled on the King's side and Black has Castled on the Queen's side.
Pawn Promotion
Just as in traditional Chess, when a Pawn reaches its opponent's first rank, it may be promoted. When promoting a Pawn, the Pawn is immediately removed from the board and is replaced with a piece of the player's choice having higher value. This is done before the opponent's next turn.In Circular Chess it is also possible for a Pawn to reach its OWN first rank. Depending on its starting position and the number and direction of captures it makes during the course of a game, it may end up moving "forward" toward its own side of the board. In this case, when a Pawn reaches its own side's first rank, the Pawn may also be promoted.
Check
A player's King is in "check" when the player's opponent can capture the King on the opponent's next move. When a player concludes a move such that the opposing King is in "check", that player must announce this by saying, "Check." A player may not conclude a move that leaves that player's own King in "check."
Checkmate
A player's King is "checkmated" when the player's King is in check, and the player cannot conclude a move such that the King is not in "check."
