Turn Sequence

As in a regular game of chess, the players alternate

turns. However, on each turn, you may play one card
from your hand. Each card has a special effect,
changing the rules of the game. Some cards modify
your regular move. Others add to it, or replace it
entirely!
You may also play one card on each of your
opponents turns, if you have an appropriate card. Each
card can only be played at a specific time, which is
shown on the card itself. Some cards can only be played
in response to an opponents card. Others can be
played on his turn, even before he uses a card.
You may never play more than one card on your
turn, or on your opponents turn.
When you play a card, put it on the discard pile, face up.
The cards effect takes place immediately. Exception: If a card
has a continuing effect (see below), place it beside the board
to remind both players of that effect. Such a card does not go
to the discard pile unless another card cancels it.
Until your deck is used up, your hand must always consist
of five cards. When your deck is gone, you do not reshuffle the
discards you just have no more cards to draw. Then, when
your whole hand is used up, you must finish the game
according to the regular rules of chess, modified by any
continuing effect cards (see below) that are still in play. So try
not to run out . . .

More Chaos on the Chessboard

Based on the original French game Tempte sur lEchiquier,
by Pierre Clequin and Bruno Faidutti
Translated by Stephane Bura
Editing and development by Steve Jackson
Card art by Rogrio Vilela
Graphic design by Jeff Koke and Anthony Rezendes
Database design by Derek Pearcy
Production by Jack Elmy and Lori Schwartzberg
Print buying by Monica Stephens
Development coordinator: Hunter Johnson
Set 2 Playtest and additional card ideas: Keith Bissett,
Carl D. Cravens, Bruno Faidutti, Richard Forster, Scott Haring,
L. Scott Johnson, Ed Meier, Steffan OSullivan, Ian Schreider,
Chris Nason, Bob Proctor, Jeffrey Paulsen, Hunter Johnson
Copyright 1998 by Steve Jackson Games. All rights reserved.

Move a piece. Play a card.

Chess will never be the same . . .
This is chess . . . with a difference! The goal remains the
same: to checkmate the enemy King. But the moves may be a
bit unusual . . .
Each player has a deck of cards. Each card modifies the
traditional rules of the game in a different way, so every move
is a surprise. In Knightmare Chess, victory is never certain
until the last move.
This set is a complete game in itself, but it is also fully compatible with
the original Knightmare Chess set. You may combine any or all of the
cards from the two sets.

Building a Deck
Divide the cards equally between the players. Each player
now selects 150 points of cards to create his play deck. (You
may change this number if you like. With more points, you
can play a card every turn. With fewer points, youll have to
conserve your cards. You can even handicap the game by
giving the stronger player a smaller deck.) The unused cards
are set aside.
The point value of each card is shown in the upper right
corner, and is used only when choosing the initial deck. An
asterisk (*) beside the value indicates that the card is
considered unique. Each unique card can appear only once in
a deck, even if the deck is built from several sets of cards (see
Multiple Sets, below).
Build your deck with a strategy in mind. If you are an
aggressive player, pick aggressive cards. If you like using the
Queen, pick cards to make her stronger (or to help defend
her). Or, if you like the psychological game, choose cards that
will cause the most irritation to your opponent . . .

Setting Up
Youll need a standard chessboard with its pieces set up as
usual. Decide who will move first. Shuffle your own deck and
draw the top five cards as your beginning hand. You may
look at these cards.
Put the rest of your deck face down. You will draw cards
from this deck to replace those you play.
When you play a card, put it on your discard pile, face up.
(Some cards let you recover cards from your discard pile or
your opponents!)

Continuing Effects
Most cards change only a single move, but some last
indefinitely . . . even through the whole game. These are called
Continuing Effect cards. A card does not have a continuing
effect unless it says so at the bottom! When you play a
Continuing Effect card, put it beside the board, on your right.
If the initial conditions for a Continuing Effect are no
longer met, the card is not discarded, but its effect is
suspended until these conditions are once again met.

Transformed Pieces
Some Continuing Effect cards transform a piece, turning it
into a new kind of piece with a new name. Place a coin, poker
chip, etc., under the piece to mark it. Or use a sticky note. If
you put an identical marker on the card, it will be easy to
remember which card is affecting which piece!
Unless the creating card specifies otherwise, a transformed
piece can be affected by cards that name the original piece.
If a transformed piece is captured and then immediately
rescued (on that move or the following one) by the play of a
card, it keeps its special powers. If a card returns the piece to
play later, it returns as the original type of piece.

Moving Without a Card

You are never required to play a card. In fact, if you use one
every turn, youll probably run out of cards. When you move
without playing a card, follow all the normal rules of chess . . .
subject to all Continuing Effect cards in play!

Discarding
After your own turn, if you did not play a card, you may
discard one card from your hand and draw a replacement. You
may not discard on your opponents turn. Discarded cards are
lost, unless another card returns them to play.

The Checkmate Rule

No regular card may directly cause a checkmate situation
(or a non-checkmate victory from a goal card) or the
capture of a King! This rule takes precedence over any other
rule, or anything on a card. If a played card breaks this rule, it
has no effect. It is still considered played; the player must
discard it and draw a new card. (It is fine to use a card to check
the enemy King . . . but you may not use a card to mate.)
And you cannot use a before-move card to check the

enemy King, and then capture it with your regular move.

The King cannot be captured!
However, you could use a before-move card (say, Double
Kill, to remove an obstructing knight) and then make a
regular move to checkmate the enemy King.
Likewise, if any continuing effect would cause (or help to
cause) a checkmate, that is what happens; the continuingeffect card is not removed from play. (Thus, if a piece has been
given permanent special powers by a card, it can use those
powers to checkmate a King.)
Note also that a piece cannot check or threaten check with
a move which a card has made impossible. For instance, if
some effect of a card prevents a piece from moving at all, it
cannot check the enemy King at all.
Thus, you may place or leave your King in check, if on the
same turn you play a card to remove the check!

Card Name
Point Value

Second Sight

Anatomy
of a
Card

Conflicts
The Checkmate Rule takes precedence over everything.
When a card conflicts with any other rule, or with the rules of
chess, the card takes precedence.
When two cards appear to conflict, Continuing Effects
take precedence. If both, or neither, are Continuing Effects,
the last card played takes precedence.

Effect
When to Play

Look at the top four undrawn cards in

your deck (or in the common deck). Choose
which one you want to replace this one.
Reshuffle the deck.
Play this card immediately after your
opponents turn.

Special Pawn Rules

Any pawn in its owners first or second rank may make a
two-square initial move, even if it has already moved. Any
pawn making such a move may be captured en passant.
Pawns may promote only to Queen, Rook, Knight or
Bishop. They may not promote to new types of piece.
Pawns which reach the last rank by any means except a
normal Pawn move do not promote unless the card which
moved them specifically says they do promote, and may not
promote to a piece which creates an immediate checkmate. If
your Pawn reaches the last rank on your opponents move, via a
card which allows promotion, it promotes immediately. In
case of simultaneous promotions by both players, the moving
player must declare first.

The Blank Cards

Two blank cards are provided; you may use them to design
your own cards. Or . . . leave them blank and use them as
Knightmare cards. Knightmare is a 10-point card to be
played immediately after your opponents turn. Its effect is:
Your opponents move is canceled. He must make a different move,
with the same piece or another one. If he used a card, he may take it
back.
Extra sets of 20 blank cards are available from our online
catalog at www.sjgames.com/catalog.

Terminology
Adjacent squares: Those which touch the given square either
orthogonally or diagonally. Unless a square is on an edge of
the board, eight others are adjacent to it.
Lost and Dead: When a card refers to the loss or removal of
a piece, treat it as captured for all purposes. Captured pieces
may be returned to play by cards. But if a card specifies that a
piece is dead, set it aside; nothing can return it to play.
Move: The displacement of one piece from one square to
another. This can be either a Regular Move, or a move
specified by a regular card.
Piece: This term always includes pawns.
Regular card: One without a continuing effect.
Regular move: A move which is legal by the rules of chess,
as modified by any continuing-effect cards in play.
Replace: Take a piece from play and put another piece in its
place. If a card specifies that the replacement must be a
captured piece, dead pieces cannot be used.
Return: Take a piece which has been captured and put it back
into play. Dead pieces cannot be returned.
Swap: Exchange positions of two pieces on the board.
Transformed piece: One that has been given a new name and
new powers by a continuing-effect card.

Turn: The period of one players action. This normally

includes one Move and, optionally, the play or discard of one
card. In addition, a card may also be played by the acting
players opponent, either during or immediately after the turn.

Variants
Extra Discards
Before the cards are divided between the players, discard
the top 15 to 20. That way, a player who knows the deck
cannot assume his opponent has all the cards that he himself
does not!

Common Deck
Place all the cards in the middle of the table in one deck,
face down. Both players draw their hand of five cards, and all
replacements, from this deck. (This is how the original
French Tempte sur lEchiquier worked.)
In this version, any time you do not play a card on your
opponents turn, you may discard and draw a replacement. You
may still discard on your own turn as well.
If you use up all the cards, just reshuffle the discards.

Handicapping
If one player is stronger than the other at regular chess, give
the less-experienced player more points to work with. A rated
player with a deck of 80 to 100 points might be a fair match
for an unrated player with 200 points. If its still no contest,
increase the handicap . . .

Personal Sets
Each player starts with his own Knightmare Chess set, and
creates a deck from his own cards. This way, you can be sure
of getting the cards you want . . . but your foe may have some
of the same ones.

Multiple Sets
If each player has more than one set of Knightmare Chess
cards to work from, decks can be even more specialized. You
may have several copies of some cards. But a card with a *
beside its point value must be unique; no deck may contain
more than one of any such card.

For more strategy tips and play variants, visit our web site at
www.sjgames.com
and check out the Knightmare Chess mailing list at
www.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/
knightmare-list/