Lessons

Learn Ohio Chess

15 short puzzles on tiny boards. Each one teaches one trick: how kings die, how cards bend the rules, and the combos that win games.

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Start: Kings have lives →

How to play

The rules in five steps. Start here if you've never played.

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Kings have lives

It's chess, but your king has 3 lives (1 in 4-player). Check alone never costs a life: the king has to actually be captured, then it respawns. Lose the last life and you lose.

Finishing drops you into a practice game against the easiest bot. Or pick a game mode.

How a turn works

Beginner · Kings with lives, one card before your move, and the cards that are your move.

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Your hand

Beginner · Draws every 3rd turn, a 6-card hand, discarding, secret cards and cards that work from your hand.

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Tips and tricks

Intermediate · Freeze, protect, break through, promote, build and combo.

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Glossary

What every chip, square and countdown on the board means.

Statuses show as chips along the bottom of a piece's square, with the turns left. Press 🔍 Inspect (I) in a game to read them on any square.

Bad for the piece

  • DoomedDies when the timer runs out. Under Bad Time, it dies if it moves on two turns in a row.
  • Flyer overheadA flying piece above it lands on it when the timer runs out.
  • Bomb or blastA bomb strapped to it, or a blast aimed at its square, goes off when the timer runs out.
  • Incoming shellA shell hits its square when the timer runs out.
  • Hot potatoThe first capture of its piece lights it; then whoever holds it dies when the timer runs out. Capturing the holder passes it on.
  • SwimmingCaught in water: moves 1 square at a time and drowns after 3 turns unless it reaches land.
  • BurningStanding on lava or fire, or set on fire by Ignite: dies when the timer runs out unless it moves.
  • ParalyzedEach turn there's a 50% chance it can't move, until the timer runs out.
  • ShrunkMoves 1 square at most until the timer runs out.
  • Ice stormFreezes for 2 turns when the storm hits, unless it leaves the storm first.
  • Piranha biteA piranha plant bites its square next turn.
  • Frozen or stunnedCan't move until the timer runs out.
  • InkedAn Inkjet destroys the enemy on this square next turn unless it moves off.
  • Can't move this turnIt can't move this turn.
  • Stuck in a craterCan't move until the crater fills in.
  • Stuck in mudMoves 1 square at most while in mud. Knights still jump.

Good for the piece

  • Can't be capturedNothing can capture it until the timer runs out.
  • Power PelletIts side's pieces can't be captured until the timer runs out.
  • Holy groundCan't be captured, and can't capture either.
  • InvisibleOpponents can't see or target it until the timer runs out.
  • DisguisedStatic Noise: opponents see it as a different piece until the timer runs out. On a Decoy King, it marks the fake. Only you see this chip.
  • Real kingYour real king while a Decoy King is out. Opponents can't tell the two apart.
  • In a bubbleNothing can capture it while the bubble covers its square.
  • TauntingAn enemy that could capture it can't capture anything else until the timer runs out.
  • Hidden in the bushesHidden from anyone without a piece in the bushes next to it.
  • Holding the ledgeOn the edge under Ledge Grab: can't be pushed, flung or knocked off.
  • Hidden in smokeOpponents can't see it while it stays in the smoke.
  • UndercoverYours now, but its old owner still sees it as theirs. If they try to move it, it's revealed and their turn ends.
  • Dodge or speedEither hops aside from the next capture, or slides extra squares for a while. The chip's text says which.
  • Golden appleCan never be frozen or stunned, and shrugs off a capture 25% of the time.
  • ParryWhatever captures it is frozen for 3 turns.
  • InsuredYou draw cards if it's captured. Only you see this chip.
  • ParachuteStays put the next time something would knock or fling it.
  • UmbrellaSafe from blasts and bombs until the timer runs out.
  • Juggernaut or Hylian ShieldJuggernaut: only the enemy's most valuable piece can capture it. Hylian Shield: the next capture from straight in front of it fails.
  • CheckpointIf it dies before the timer runs out, it comes back on its checkpoint square.
  • GhostSlides through its own side's pieces until the timer runs out.
  • Koopa ShellIts diagonal slides can bounce off a side edge once, until the timer runs out.
  • WardedBad statuses wash off it at the start of each turn, until the timer runs out.
  • Hermes BootsEach slide can pass through 1 piece without taking it, until the timer runs out.
  • Bull chargeThis turn it can capture through two pieces.
  • Space suitCan slide over water and craters until the timer runs out.
  • JumperJumps over pieces in its way.
  • Epic RangeIts next capture also takes up to 2 enemy pieces in the way.
  • Defensive FormationThis pawn can also step sideways until the timer runs out.

Changes how it plays

  • PetrifiedTurned to stone: can't move or be captured until the timer runs out.
  • TauntedAn enemy is taunting it: if it captures this turn, it can only capture the taunting piece. Also shown when En Passant Forced leaves one move.
  • ControlledAnother player moves it until the timer runs out.
  • Moves like…Moves like a different piece, for a while or for good.
  • Also moves like…Keeps its own moves and can also move like another piece until the timer runs out.
  • Short rangeSlides only a few squares at most.
  • Long stepThis pawn can always step up to 2 or 3 squares forward.
  • HoveringFlying (Jetpack, Rocket Boots): out of reach and moves over anything, then crushes what's below when it lands.
  • BalloonFloating out of reach but can't capture. It drops down beside whatever is below.
  • InkjetFlying out of reach. Each turn it inks an enemy next to it, then it flies home and crushes what's there.
  • Can't captureCan't capture anything this turn.
  • On a conveyor beltShifts 1 square at the start of the belt owner's turns.
  • BountyWhoever captures it draws cards.
  • Voodoo dollLinked to an enemy piece: if this one dies, the linked piece dies too.
  • On a dateIt and its date can never capture each other.
  • Leech seedThe player who planted it draws a card each turn while it lives.
  • CloneA temporary copy. It fades when its timer runs out.
  • GluedUltrahand glued it to a piece next to it: moving one drags the other along.
  • CyberwareRanks up every turn: pawn, knight, bishop, rook, queen. As a queen it has a 30% chance to go cyberpsycho and switch sides.
  • AWPWhen it captures, it shoots the target from where it stands instead of moving.
  • SandevistanThis turn it moves up to 5 times in a row, capturing at most once, while nothing else moves.