Using PowWow BoardGames to Play Chess
Before Play
Choose colors for the board and the pieces.
Choose whether or not to use a ChessTimer.
The pieces are set up for a chess game.
The lightest color goes first.
Customizing the Chess Colors
At any time during a game of chess you can change your colors by selecting CHESS PIECES ¦ CHANGE COLORS from the menu.
Using a ChessTimer
On the Chess Options dialog box you can choose to include a timer for use with your Chess game.
To show or hide a ChessTimer, choose CHESS PIECES ¦ SHOW TIMER from the menu.
There are two kinds of ChessTimers:
- Tournament Style
A running total is kept for the time each player has spent thinking. Once the clock has started it will
continue to run until it is manually STOPped using the menu. After a player's turn, they should punch the clock by
clicking on the lever above their name. This will switch the active timer to the other player, signifying the end of a turn.
- Countdown Style
You can choose a time limit to be given for each player's turn. The clock will count down to zero from the allotted time. At
the end of your turn, punch the clock to begin your opponent's clock ticking. If you run out of time, the clock will stop at
zero and it must again be manually restarted.
Moves
To move a chess piece, click and drag it to its new location.
Keep an eye on your opponent to make sure they do not make an illegal chess move. There is no checking for move validity at this time.
No chess piece can make more than one capture per move.
Each piece moves in a distinct way:
- The Pawn
The pawn may only move straight ahead, towards its opponent's first row.
On its first move, a Pawn can advance either 1 or 2 squares, at the player's choice. However, on every following move the Pawn may only move 1 square forward.
If a piece happens to be immediately in front of it, the Pawn is blocked and cannot advance until
that piece gets out of the way. The Pawn can capture any opposing piece which appears in the next
square diagonally ahead, either on its right or left. As in the case of all captures, the captured piece is removed from the board
and the captor moves to the square formerly held by the captured.
If a Pawn safely reach his opponent's first row, it can be exchanged for any other piece the player chooses except the King.
- The Bishop
The Bishop moves only along the diagonal, forwards or backwards.
In one turn the Bishop can go as few or as many squares along the diagonal as are vacant.
It may capture any enemy piece appearing on the same diagonal, providing no other piece lies between captor and captured.
- The Rook
The Rook moves in a straight line, either across the board or up and down the board.
Like the Bishop it can move back and forth over any number of vacant squares on any horizontal or vertical.
It too can capture any opposing piece appearing on the same row, providing no other piece lies between captor and captured.
- The Queen
The Queen is the most powerful piece on the board. She has the combined moves of the Bishop and the Rook.
The Queen can move back and forth on the diagonal like the Bishop, and back and forth on the horizontal or vertical like the Rook, capturing any exposed piece she meets on her way.
- The Knight
The Knight's move is to go two squares in one direction, then one square sideways from there.
The Knight is the only piece allowed to pass over other pieces without capturing them.
- The King
The King can only move one square at a time-but he can go in any direction: forwards, backwards, sideways, or diagonally.
The King can capture any piece in any square adjacent to him.
The King is forbidden from moving into Check.
Overtaking Another Player's Pieces
When a piece is moved to a square occupied by an opponent's piece, the piece already there is overtaken and automatically removed from the board.
Castling
If there are no pieces between a Rook and a King, and neither the King nor the Rook has yet been moved, the King can be Castled.
To Castle, move the King to the square between the King and the Rook that is right next to the Rook. Then move the Rook to the opposite side of the King.
The King is the only piece that cannot be taken off the board when captured. Whenever a player can capture his opponent's King, he says "Check". (Use the GAMES ¦ TALK menu option.) The King is then said to be "in Check."
Now the Checked King must be freed him from Check in one of three possible ways:
- By capturing the Checking piece
- By moving the King into an adjacent square, free from Check
- By moving another piece to interpose between the King and the Checking piece-thus intercepting the Check
Unless a player can free their King in one of these three ways, their King is CHECKMATED and the opponent wins the game.
To setup for another chess game choose CHESS PIECES ¦ SETUP FOR PLAY from the menu.
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