4 Player Chess

I've been playing 4 Player Chess after seeing it on Danny's Chess Today.  What does everyone else think about it?

https://www.chess.com/4-player-chess

It is a ton of fun and I love it.  The theory is interesting and I'm thinking of making piece maps for the giant 4 player grid....try to make sense of where to put my pieces in the middle.

Getting an early extra queen, and blocking other players from doing so, seems to be a common tactic in the opening.  Interesting battles ensue when players get adventurous and play in the center early.

What do you guys think of the variant!?

Interesting, but don't like the 5 minute time limit.  Too much to think about to just box me in.  

Ive been playing a lot myself.  Ive found trying to push your pawn to a queen really early actually isnt the best idea.  You should instead castle asap because if someone lands a check, it usually has horrible consequences.  King safety and developing like in a regular game works really well in the long run and making sure no one can land a check, even with a sacrifice, is essential because everyone will gang up on you.  

 The last three games Ive played the person who pushed for a second queen ended up losing because they were very undeveloped.  Slowly and steadily pushing pawns throughout the game seems to work best and makes you less of target.  The people who start off aggressive almost always get backlashed (someone lands a check on them) while the ones who fianchetto both of their bishops, castle, develop knights, and create strong pawn chains usually become dominate later in the game.  Ive been winning almost all the games Ive played so Im doing something right.

I've been pushing my queen-pawn pretty far the first few moves, then leaving it and creating a pawn chain around it.  Seems to work as long as I don't over extend (and most times my opponents will handle the "early queeners" while I do my thing). 

You are right about not being able to get checked even by sacrifice.  I find you cannot have any weaknesses because two people can attack two of your pieces and then you're screwed especially if someone can throw in a check.

Early checks don't really bother me, what does bother me is when people take my bishops because they think I'll take theirs......it's the beginner trade-itis.  Why on earth would I trade pieces 3 moves into the game?!  It only hurts the two people now without a bishop. 

I understand you can trade pieces especially bishops when it will force someone to lose castling rights, but people are trading left and right for no gain....it really is the trade-itis.

Chat has got to be a MUST for 4 player chess (and the option to report players).

Also because the rules are a little tough to get the first few times, I find people don't play the best way they can.  Everyone goes for cheap play and they're not thinking about actually winning or surviving.  No one seems to recognize that if Blue is attacking Green, and you are Yellow, why not let Blue take the heat instead of stopping Blue or attacking Blue.  I mean do what you have to do to create a good position for yourself but let the other guys waste pieces and kill your enemy for you!

I had a situation today where I was going to checkmate Yellow, which would've left just me against Red who had an extra queen and piece against me, but instead Red decided to block my mate and consequently let Yellow win.  Red could've let me mate Yellow, then easily taken me out with his extra queen and piece but he/she wasn't thinking guess.  I see that kind of stuff happening almost every game, even when I stand to lose.

Ian, I believe part of it (the let you mate another) with the few days ago version where points make a much bigger impact vs lasting tell the end. So people are still adjusting to the new game style. As for the taking bishops early I agree until people figure out they are down a piece now to 2 other players then they start to adapt and not be so quick. I will say there has been a case where 1 player was much stronger than the other 3 and two were much weaker than I so I took the strong players bishop early to try and handicap him before the other two could not really do much to help(and he was more extended than I at the time. *Still not sure it was a smart move on my part but I did end up winning the game. 

I think a check or trade initiated by the player after me is really scary since the other players (especially the one next to you to the right) can take advantage of the check. The player before me creating threats like a check is not as scary since it is hard for the other players to predict when the check is coming and take advantage of it, even if it still is a bit scary. I tend to block lines with checks and trades or initiate the trades myself. In the opening I like to do the opposite of others. If a lot players fianchetto their bishops I run a pawn in the centre and might get away with a promotion or someone saccing a piece for it. If a lot of players run a pawn in the centre they will stop each other while I play solid, fianchetto my bishops and castle.

Sometimes I can leave the tension between a trade and hope the other player blocks it off or I can take advantage of it later if he is checked or something. You need to pay close attention when doing that though since it might backfire later.

Martin, that's good advice I was doing part of it naturally but now I understand better why it was working and more to the point what more to watch for clearly. Thanks

I must admit, when arrived in a resignable position, I turn my remaining power simply against the player who took my Queen. On top of that I've played with my son and secretly (or not so secretly) teamed up with him.

A few minor improvements would be:

- Clear time warning

- Clearly show who is to move in a more visual way, now we have to look who's clock is running which is a bit more difficult

The thing with the chat is that people tend to share hints to co-players about threats of other co-players. That should not be part of whatever kind of chess variant.

I played a couple a games and while I got absolutely thrashed, I like the direction that this is going in. It shows that chess.com is starting to dip its toe into the world of more 'radical' chess variants. I predict that sooner or later this will give way to stuff like s-chess being offered on the site. Maybe not, but we'll see.

Wild... such a lot to consider...

get pawn to 8th, so one past middle to queen seems to be sensible... but remember, she is only worth 1pt, so look to sac... just remember which is the REAL queen... and also which are the over real/fake queens...

Not developing tunnel vision, as that trap you are setting up could turn to either a pyrrhic victory or utter defeat when another player has spotted your idea and turned you into the shock troops for her victory...

It's about points!!!! My super cautious, fairly fast idea was great as I was going to easily flag everyone... but remember the rules people - no, the 4player rules, Glenngary Glennross rules... say it with me, ABC, ALWAYS BE CAPTURING! You need to put points on the board, you can't just grind it out, protecting everything. It's not just ol' 'arry that you might need to fling down the board (yes, I to am a total mark for the Ginger one, GM Simon Williams!), you'll be flinging everything... who knows, that maybe the actual key to being the Magnus/Bobby of this thing, just do the opposite of everything chess.com has taught you and play like you did as a kid... queen out, took out and grab everything you can... 

but at the moment I'm still going to stick to at least some of the classical ideas (I then instantly forget around move 8, still!) and develop, castle etc... but with one key difference...

get a pawn to the 8th square (middle of the board!!!), fake queen, and then look to sac her in combo with your heavy pieces (bishop/rook... long range is key), hopefully checkmating someone.

Oh, and remember to then CAPTURE their king. The grey pieces are worth nothing (but are useful shields) but that king is still up for grabs... just hope it's still there when your turn comes around again.

Any tips appreciated, this game is pretty awesome.

A promoted Queen is worth one point, an original Queen 9 points. But in that case, the difference should be visualised. One should know from the position, not only from memory, which move has which consequences and also in terms of gaining points.

I hear a buzz sound when it's my turn to play.. I just look at the clock to see if the other players are playing slower.

In 4-player chess you have to exchange whenever it's possible. Like others said if someone checked you, you lose your piece without being able to recapture. It's all about points so, try to take as many as possible.

One more thing, I just love capturing the king of flagged players, most people dunno that you have to capture the dead king, not checkmate him.

Showing who's turn it is shouldn't be that hard:

I suggest making these suggestions in the 4 player chess group. https://www.chess.com/club/4-player-chess

Doesn't work on iPads

What are the rules?

 It's certainly a lot of fun so far; and the changes made have been in the right direction (indicating the weaker 1pt queen/repositioning the clocks etc). Although I still get absorbed into the position, and run through my delay all too easily!

Its also been nice to see the general shift in strategy amongst players - away from the immediate queen/king pawn pushes for promotion - to a more cagey approach with early fianchettos gaining in popularity. There's still pushes, but they're usually more subdued / backed up.

 Avoiding obvious trades is my go to strategy at the moment; using the knights to clog up diagonals to allow my pieces to co-ordinate. If there isn't an obvious weakness to be attacked, it usually gives me time to capitalise on other players weaknesses - even if that means letting them queen in the centre. (Its rare, in my experience so far, that the player who gains the early queen capitalises on it to win - as it usually makes them a target for all three players).

 Does anyone know if there is a fixed algebraic notation for this variant; been wondering how best to record games, like the one below? (OK. I liked how my opponent let me win with the perfect chess score XD ).

0: RBYG
1. h4 c5 j12 k8
2. h5 Bb5 Ni12 j8
3. h6 Bg10 Bj13 i8
4. e3 c4 Nf12 h8
5. h7 Bb5 h11 Bj5
6. Be2? Bf9 g12 g8=Q
7. Bxm10 Bxg8 Bxm10 Qxg8
8. hxg8=Q Nc6 Bxn11 Bxg8
9. Nf3 Nc9 Bg13 l9
10. g4 d5 O-O 0-1@6
11. Qm7+G c10 Bl9+G -
12. Qxm6 Nc9 Bxn7 -
13. Qxn7 O-O Nk11 -
14. Qm8 c7 h10 -
15. Ni3 Nd8 h9 -
16. Be5 d6 Ng10 -
17. Bd4 Qb7 h8 -
18. O-O Qe10 h7=Q?? -
19. k3 Qxe13#Y 0-1@30 -
20. Ng5 e6 - -
21. f4 d7 - -
22. Nxh7 Ncb7 - -
23. g5 e7 - -
24. Qxg8 f7 - -
25. Qxg10 d9 - -
26. Rh1 Qe8 - -
27. Nh5?? Qxg10 - -
28. Nf8?? Qf9 - -
29. Bg7 e9 - -
30. Nxe6 Nxe6 - -
31. Bh6 Qj9 - -
32. Nf6 g7 - -
33. Bj4 f9 - -
34. Rf1 g9 - -
35. Rg1 h9=Q - -
36. f5 Nbc5 - -
37. fxe6 Nxe6 - -
38. Nd7 Qb9 - -
39. Nb6? Rb4 - -
40. Nxd5 cxd5 - -
41. e4?? Rxe4 - -
42. Rf8? Nxf8 - -
43. Bxg7 Ne6 - -
44. 0-1@21 1-0@64