4 Player Chess Online
Four armies, one cross-shaped board and nobody on your side. Capture pieces for points, checkmate kings for a big bonus, and stay alive while three rivals do the same — against computer bots or friends on one device.
How to play 4 Player Chess Online
- The board is 14×14 with the four corners cut off. Red starts at the bottom, Blue on the left, Yellow at the top and Green on the right. Turns go clockwise: Red, Blue, Yellow, Green.
- Pieces move as in normal chess. Pawns move toward the opposite side, capture one square diagonally forward, may move two squares from their starting row, and promote to a queen when they reach the 8th row from their own side (just past the center line). There is no castling and no en passant in this version.
- You may not make a move that leaves your king attacked by any player. A player with no legal move is out: if they are in check it is checkmate, otherwise stalemate.
- Points: capturing a pawn is worth 1, a knight 3, a bishop or rook 5, a queen 9 and a promoted queen 1. Checkmating a player earns 20. A stalemated player earns 20 for themselves. If a king is left in check by someone else’s move, the next player may capture it for 20.
- When a player is out, their pieces turn grey. Grey pieces stay on the board as obstacles; anyone can capture them, for 0 points.
- The game ends when only one player is left, when every human player is out, or after 50 full rounds with no capture or pawn move. The highest score wins.
Controls
- Tap a piece, then tap a highlighted square — or drag and drop.
- Choose You vs 3 computers or a hot-seat mode for 2, 3 or 4 people on one device; empty seats are filled by bots.
- Undo takes back your last move and any bot moves after it.
Tips
- Don’t rush into the middle: the player who attacks first often loses pieces to the other two.
- A queen is worth 9 points — keep it safe from all three opponents, not just the one in front of you.
- Look for a checkmate on a weakened neighbour: 20 points can decide the game.
- Pawns promote at the center line, so an advanced pawn on a quiet side of the board is a real threat.
FAQ
How do you play 4 player chess?
Each player has a normal chess army on one side of a cross-shaped 14×14 board. Turns go clockwise. Pieces move as in chess; you earn points for captures and checkmates, and the highest score at the end wins.
How does scoring work in 4 player chess?
Pawn 1, knight 3, bishop 5, rook 5, queen 9, promoted queen 1, and 20 points for checkmating a player. Pieces of eliminated players turn grey and are worth nothing.
Can I play 4 way chess with friends?
Yes. Pick 2, 3 or 4 players and pass the device around; any seat without a person is played by a computer bot.
Where do pawns promote in four-player chess?
On the 8th row from their own side, which is just past the middle of the board. They become queens automatically, but a promoted queen is only worth 1 point when captured.
What happens when a king is checkmated?
That player is out of the game and their pieces turn grey. The player who delivered the mate scores 20 points.