CHIVALRY

the rules

Aim and nature of the game

Chivalry is a game for two players, played on a square checked board of a hundred squares. At the beginning of the gam the players decide on whether to play white or red. White moves first, moves then take place alternatively.(Only one piece can be moved per move)

The aim of the game is to capture your opponents king, thus winning the game.

The Pieces

At the beginning of the game each player has the following pieces.

The pieces are arranged as in figure 1 at the commencement of the game.

RED

NOTE: White square in the right hand corner.

The foot-soldier

Movement

These pieces can move one square at a time in any direction, that is forwards or backwards or sideways or diagonally. (see figure 2)

fig 2

The Foot-soldier can move to any of the squares marked X

Capturing

Capturing is made when a square into which the Foot-soldier can move is occupied by an opponents piece. The Foot-soldier moves onto the occupied square, and the opponents piece is removed from the board. (see figure 3)

fig 3

The red Foot-soldier can capture either the white Foot-soldier or catapult.

The catapult

Movement

The Catapult can move any number of unoccupied squares up or down the board. (see figure 4). The Catapult cannot `jump over pieces' and therefore must either stop or capture the pieces if desired on the occupied squares.

  Fig 4

The Catapult can move to any of the squares marked with an  X.

Capturing

The Catapult captures by moving onto a square occupied by an opponents piece. The opponents piece is then removed from the board (see figure 5). However, the Catapult can capture more than one piece if the opponents pieces in the Catapults path are adjacent to one another (see figure 6). If there is a gap then the Catapult can only capture pieces up to this point. (see figure 7)

Fig 5

The Catapult can capture the red Archer

Fig 6

The Catapult can capture the opposing Foot-soldier, Catapult and Archer in one move.

Fig 7

The Catapult can only now capture the red Foot-soldier and cannot now capture the other two pieces, i.e. it must stop before the gap.

The archer

Movement

The Archer can move any number of unoccupied squares in any direction in a straight line, that is forwards, backwards, sideways or diagonally. (see figure 8). The Archer may not jump over any piece, but must stop before them.

Fig 8

The Archer can move to any of the squares marked with an X

X					X
	X				X				X
		X			X			X
			X		X		X
				X	X	X
X	X	X	X	X		X	X	X	X
				X	X	X
			X		X		X
		X			X			X
	X				X				X

Capturing

Capturing by the Archer is made in a unique way, any enemy piece that is within five squares of the archer, in a straight line, can be captured and thus removed from the board. (see figure 9)

Fig 9

The Archer can capture either the Knight or the Silversword. Note, that the captured piece is removed from the board, but the Archer itself does not move.

								ì
							ì
						ì
				í
			í
		í

NOTE:

1. Only one piece can be captured in one move, this means that the captured opponents piece is removed from the board. However, the capturing player does not physically move a piece.
2. The capturing player must clearly indicate which archer is making the capture.
3. The Archer may `fire over the heads' of his own army i.e. capturing can be made if a piece or pieces of the same colour are between the archer and the opposing piece, but the archer can only capture the nearest opposing piece and cannot `fire over the heads' of the enemy. (see figure 10) 

Fig 10

The Archer can only capture the either of the white Foot-soldiers but cannot capture the Catapult or the Silversword.

		é		ì

The knight

Movement

The Knight moves four spaces forward, backwards or sideways and then to one of the adjacent diagonal squares. (see figure 11) The Knight can ‘jump’ over other pieces of either colour, as long as the square in which the Knight comes to rest is available.

Fig 11

The Knight can move to any of the squares marked with an X

				é
			X	é	X
				é
	X			é			X		X
ç	ç	ç	ç		è	è	è	è
	X			ê			X		X
				ê
			X	ê	X
				ê
			X		X

Capturing

Capturing occurs when the square in which the Knight would land is occupied by an opposing pieces. The Knight may land on the square and remove the captured piece from the board (see figure 12)

Fig 12

The Knight can capture either the opposing Archer or Foot-soldier.

				é
				é
				é
				é
					è	è	è	è

The silversword

Movement

This piece can either move any number of vacant squares in any direction in a straight line i.e. in the same way as the Archer or it can move in the same way as a Knight. NOTE: Although the Silversword moves as a Knight it cannot jump over pieces. (see figure 13)

Fig 13

The Silversword can move to any of the squares marked with an X

X				X	X	X
	X				X				X
		X		X	X	X		X
			X		X		X
X		X		X	X	X		X
X	X	X	X	X		X	X	X	X
X		X		X	X	X		X
			X		X		X
		X		X	X	X		X
	X				X				X

Capturing

Capturing, this can occur in two ways.

1. When the piece moves as a Knight it may only take one piece, that is the piece which occupies the square the Silversword moves to. (see figure 14)
2. When the piece is moving in the straight line method it can capture any opposing which is on a square in which the Silversword can move onto. (see figure 15). If the enemy pieces are in a straight line adjacent to one another, than the Silversword can take more than one piece if desired (see figure 16). However, if there is a space between the pieces then the Silversword must stop before the space (see figure 17)

Fig 14

Moving as the Knight the Silversword can capture either the red foot soldier or Knight

				é
				é
				é
				é
					è	è	è	è

Fig 15

The Silversword can capture the Archer or the Foot-soldier

								ì
				é			ì
				é		ì
				é	ì

Fig 16

The Silversword can capture either the four pieces in front of it or the three pieces on the diagonal.

		é				ì
		é			ì
		é		ì
		é	ì

Fig 17

The Silversword can only capture either of the Foot-soldiers, it cannot cross the ‘gap’ and continue the capture.

		é
		é			ì
		é		ì
		é	ì

The Queen

Movement

The Queen moves one square or two squares forwards as desired (see figure 18)

Capturing

The Queen can capture any piece which is on the squares that the piece can move onto. This means that the piece can take a maximum of two pieces if both of the squares into which the pieces can move are occupies (see figure 19) If only one of the squares are occupies, then the Queen can capture that piece, but if the opposing piece is adjacent , the Queen cannot move its allotted two squares.

Fig 18

The Queen can move to either square marked with an X

Fig 19

The queen can capture both red Foot-soldiers.

Fig 20

The Queen can capture the Foot-soldier but cannot move onto the square beyond.

NOTE: If the queen reaches the opposite side of the board, she can move any number of vacant squares in a straight line except the diagonal.

When the queen has been promoted in this manner, she can capture any enemy piece which occupies a square the piece can move onto. More than one piece can be captured if the enemy pieces are adjacent to each other, (see figure 21). However, there is a gap between the pieces then capturing is concluded before the gap (see figure 22)

Fig 21

The Queen can capture one or both of the enemy pieces, or move onto any of the squares marked with an X

				X
				X
				X
				X
X	X	X	X		X	X	X
				X
				X
				X
				X
				X

Fig 22

The Queen can only capture the Foot-soldier

				X
				X
				X
				X
X	X	X	X		X	X
				X
				X
				X
				X
				X

The king

Movement

The King can move any unoccupied and ‘un-controlled’ squares in any direction. A King cannot pass over a ‘controlled’, a ‘controlled square being one which is threatened by a opposing pieces (see figure 23)

NOTE:

A King may pass over a ‘controlled’ square if capturing an opponents piece or pieces (see figure 24)

If the King passes over a controlled square mistakenly, the piece must be replaced and the move retaken

If by mistake a King passes over a controlled square, and this remained unnoticed for several moves, then the game continues without penalty or attempt to re-set the pieces to their previous positions

Fig 23

The King can move to the squares marked with an X. It cannot pass over any other squares as they are ‘controlled’ by the Catapult and Silversword.

	é
						í	ê
	ê				í		ê
	ê			í	X	ë	ê
	ê		í	X		X	ê
	ê	í		X	X	í	ê
	ê		X		X		ê
í	ê	X			X		ê
	ê				X		ê
	ê				X		ê

Capturing

Capturing, the King can capture any number of adjacent pieces which are onto which the King can move, (see figure 25). However , the King must stop if there is a gap between the pieces

Fig 24

The king can take the Foot-soldier even though this passes through the square controlled by the Silversword.

	é
	é
	é
	é	ç	ç	ç	ç	ç	ç

Fig 25

The King can capture all three pieces

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	é
	é
	é
	é

Fig 26

The King may only capture the Foot-soldier 

						ì
					ì
				ì
			ì
		ì

GENERAL RULES

Only the Knight can ‘jump’ all other pieces must stop before or capture pieces in there path. NOTE: Capturing is not compulsory.

If an player touches a piece it must be moved if it is legally possible to do so. The only exception to this rule being if a player clearly stated that the piece is being moved to adjust it as it is not clearly on its square.

A move ends when a player removes his hand from a piece being moved.

If a illegal move is made then it must be immediately retaken. If it is not immediately retaken i.e. neither player spots the error, then the game continues with no penalties.

The game is won when one player capture the opponents King and removes it from the board, if a player is unable to make a legal move, i.e. the King cannot make a legal move then the game is lost. NOTE: it is unnecessary to warn your opponent that their King is about to be captured.

If a player feels that the situation is hopeless then the game can be conceded to the opponent.

A draw only occurs when both players agree that neither of them can gain an advantage and win the game.

In a series of games a win is worth 3 points, a draw 1 point and a loss 0 points.  

© Michael Asher August 28, 1997