Chaturaji
Also known as: Chaturanga for four players / Four Kings
Chaturaji means four kings: rule an ancient Indian army, move only pieces allowed by two dice and collect captured points. Keep your king and take all three other kings to win with 54 points.
Play with friendsJust send the invite link. No sign-up for them either
Find an opponent onlineComing soon (October)
Chaturaji in 30 seconds
- Set upFour armies of eight pieces share an 8×8 board: Red ● bottom, Blue ▲ left, Yellow ■ top, Green ◆ right.
- RollRoll two dice together: 1/5 allow Pawn or King, 2 Boat, 3 Horse and 4/6 Elephant. Each die allows one move, in either order.
- Capture pointsCaptures give Pawn 1, Boat 2, Horse 3, Elephant 4, King 5 points. An army continues after its king is captured.
- FinishKeep your king and personally take a king from each of the other three seats: Chaturaji ends the game immediately with 54 points, or your higher existing score.
At a glance
| Item | This game |
|---|---|
| Players | 4 players |
| Play time | About 20 min |
| Type | Board |
| Ranked play | No |
| Practice against the CPU | Yes |
| Price | Free (no account needed) |
| Rights holder | A public-domain classic game |
| Last updated | 2026-10-07 |
How to play Chaturaji online with friends
- Tap "Play with friends"A party is created with a 6-character code. No account is needed.
- Send a link or QR codeShare it on LINE, or just read the code aloud.
- Everyone opens it in a browserOnce 4 players have joined, the host taps "Start".
Rule highlights
Setup, play, winning, and house rules
Setup
- Four armies of eight pieces share an 8×8 board: Red ● bottom, Blue ▲ left, Yellow ■ top, Green ◆ right.
- Each army has a King, Elephant, Horse, Boat and four Pawns. Turns move clockwise.
How to play
- Roll two dice together: 1/5 allow Pawn or King, 2 Boat, 3 Horse and 4/6 Elephant. Each die allows one move, in either order.
- Elephants slide any distance vertically/horizontally (not over pieces), Horses jump in an L (two and one), Boats jump two diagonally, and Kings step one square in any direction. Pawns move one square along their arrow and capture diagonally forward.
- Captures give Pawn 1, Boat 2, Horse 3, Elephant 4, King 5 points. An army continues after its king is captured. Captured pieces never return to the board.
- Pawns reaching the far edge become the piece type marked ↟ there, by default only when that type is missing from their army.
- A moved boat completing four differently owned boats in a 2×2 square takes the other three for six points. Unplayable dice are discarded, and if neither can move the turn ends.
Winning
- Keep your king and personally take a king from each of the other three seats: Chaturaji ends the game immediately with 54 points, or your higher existing score.
- The game also ends with at most one army retaining a king, 12 captureless rounds, the round limit, or three resignations. Rank by points, surviving kings, then remaining material; exact ties share a place.
House rules
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dice | Cubic dice favor pawns/kings and elephants. Long dice give each class an equal chance, displayed using the shared six-faced artwork with faces 2–5. | Cubic (1/5 Pawn or King; 4/6 Elephant) | Changeable |
| Promotion | Pawns reaching the far edge become Boat, Horse, Elephant, King, King, Elephant, Horse, Boat from one corner to the other. By default they wait until that piece type is missing from their army. Always removes the condition, but king squares stay pawns. | Only a lost piece | Changeable |
| Boat triumph | A moved boat completing a 2×2 square of four differently owned boats captures the other three. It gains six points; two boats from the same seat do not qualify. | On | Changeable |
| Throne points | A king entering an opponent’s original king square gains five points. Each seat scores each throne once, in addition to points from a captured king. | Off | Changeable |
| Using dice | By default you may end your turn without using playable dice. The other option requires every playable die to be used. | May leave dice unused | Changeable |
| Round limit | Four completed turns make one round. At the limit, points, surviving kings and remaining material determine the ranking. Time estimates for human play are provisional. | 30 (about 20–30 minutes) | Changeable |
| First seat next game | The first player moves one seat clockwise in each new game. Fixed keeps the same first player. | Rotate | Changeable |
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FAQ
How many players?
Four. Solo play fills the other three seats with CPU players.
Does losing my king end my play?
No, your army continues. At most one army retaining a king ends the game for everyone, ranked by points.
Who decided these rules?
An anonymous traditional game, reconstructed from al-Biruni and Raghunandana. Unusable dice, promotion and endings use BGJ choices.
What do Elephant and Boat look like?
Existing piece artwork carries Japanese name badges 象 and 船. Open the piece description to inspect its movement.
Can I play on a phone?
Yes. No app is needed — just open it in a browser. You can join the same party as people on a PC or tablet.
Can two people play?
Yes. This game supports 2 or more players.
Rights holder and physical edition
This is a public-domain classic game. The rules follow the standard reference rules.
Related games
Same type (Board)
Same player count
Last updated 2026-10-07 · Run by Qdan, Inc.