8 Player Chess

8 Player Chess

White moves first then turn order goes clockwise. Pawns promote on the 11th rank. 

There was keen interest in the game idea when I first posted this so I've made a club for peeps to play correspondence games. We use a system of editing board images in order to play... it can take a while for games to get going but it's still early days and we are hopeful that we can play on a proper server one day (2 of our members is currently developing an app :0 ).

There are 3 main gamemodes:

FFA - Free for all. Everyone for themselves in a battle to win the most points.

FFT - Free for teams. 2v2v2v2. 4 teams of 2 battle it out to win the most points for their team.

Teams - 4v4. 2 teams of 4 battle it out to be the first team to checkmate 2 (or 3) opponents.

We are hoping one day our game will be made and exist as a server here on Chess.com and the only way we can do this is by convincing the website developers and staff that this is something people want to get made. To that end I ask you to join and come play games with us in the forum-image editing format that we currently use, but also to join even if you don't want to play using the forums because it will help us get one step closer to seeing this game manifest itself as an immediately playable variant game in the future.

You can check out the 8 player chess club here.

Alternatively, you can join the 8 player chess club here.

Thank you for reading.

- Eldar

Just realised that I got the ranks the wrong way round, the bottom rank is supposed to be "1" and its supposed to increase as you ascend up the board (like regular algebraic notation for 2PC)

Interesting! Can I play in the correspondence game?

Sure! First come first serve

I have once studio Qiguo Xiangqi, it had seven players. Here are some things I and my friends noticed:

a. At a seven-player stage, getting rid of the left flank is important, yet you are forced to co-operate with your opposite AND your direct-left side. Your direct left-side can hold of further flanks, but even if you mate that side, it will be easy for two flanks to eliminate YOU and obtain an ideal position. I suppose you should firstly get rid of two flanks in the 8-player stage here.

b. At the 6-player stage, if your direct flank eliminates HIS flank, he becomes someone you do want to eliminate. If he manages to get rid of flank, the next enemy that can backstab him is you. However, attacking him early is a bad idea. Instead, weaken your direct left flank, and only then switch to your direct right flank. The same continues in the 5-player stage, too.

c. At the 4-player stage, that's where it gets complicated. Teaming with the opposite is not a bad idea, yet the best thing to do is to keep it balanced, with a slight imbalance in favor of you and your opposite(s). Only then, drastically weaken one player.

d. 3-player stage. If there is a leading player (in qiguo it was leading on mates, here it is on points), then it is best to make him harmless and temporarily team up against him. If somehow everyone is equal, keep balance. 

e. 2-player stage. Well, this is obvious.

Also, why black has a pawn instead of rook XD

Interesting. How will the game happen?

this will be better as teams imo

That is really cool!

how tho?

This will better with teams because it will be much easier cuz you don't need to attack the opponents on the same side as you. Let's say, if you are white, then you you don't need to attack black anymore. Attacking black is the hardest because you can't use your pawns. (I'm assuming the teams are the ones on the same side you are on)

I would like to play this game if any slots are open.

i think in teams like @33eric2008 it will be too similar to 4PC.

As teams i think WG, BY, RP, BO.

But i think it will also be funny as FFA.

I want to play this. Where can i?

also I’d like to play too

now, How will that game occur?

@bsrti Interesting, I like the historical reference. Also, haha! Just noticed the pawn. I was very tired last night so I this is a mistake lol.

Looks like there's a lot of interest in this... I will set up a club shortly and explain everything.

Don't worry about how it will work too much, I thought this out already but wanted to see what people thought of it first. Correspondence game will obviously take a lot longer so I will define some rules for that too.

I originally thought of this game as FFA but it would be interesting to see how it plays in teams as well. So there would be three kind of team games... (feedback and suggestions welcome since I'm making this up on the fly) (D=Dark/Black to avoid confusion with Blue).

2x4 - WBGO vs RYPD - 2 teams of 4 where at least two players from a team must be checkmated for victory to be declared.

4x2 Last Team standing- WG, BY, RP, DO - If a player is checkmated then their team is out.

4x2 FFT - Free for Teams - WG, BY, RP, DO - Players work as a team to rack up points in the same sense of FFA - BUT - if a player is checkmated then that team is out and their Kings become capturables.

Quick note on zombie kings: there are no zombie Kings, points go to whoever captures the dead King.

Give us your feedback, I'll set up the club now

yes

nice

agree

seems nice

i wanna join!!!!

I think FFA is also a good variant. 8 players battling each other.

join