Four-Player Chess
Four-player chess is chess for 4, about 30 minutes, on a cross-shaped board. Play 2 vs 2 teams or free-for-all. Free. In-browser. No account.
Four-Player Chess in 30 seconds
- Set upFour players set 16 chess pieces each on the four arms of a cross-shaped board, 14×14 with the corners cut away. Play goes clockwise.
- TeamsThe player opposite is your partner, and you cannot capture their pieces. The first team to checkmate an opponent wins.
- When mate countsIn teams, checkmate is decided when the mated player's turn comes — until then, their partner can still save them.
- Free-for-allIn free-for-all you score points for captures and checkmates. When three players are out, the highest score wins.
At a glance
| Item | This game |
|---|---|
| Players | 4 players |
| Play time | About 30 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 | 2026-09-25 |
How to play Four-Player Chess 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
- The board is 14×14 with the 3×3 corners removed — a cross of 160 squares. The four players sit at its four arms.
- Each player has a full set of 16 pieces — king, queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns — set up on their own arm as in chess. Your king faces the queen of the player opposite.
- Seats go clockwise from the bottom: Red (●), Blue (▲), Yellow (■) and Green (◆). Every piece carries its owner's mark.
- Moves go clockwise in the order players sat down. Each time you play again, the first player moves on one seat (you can fix it in the settings).
How to play
- Pieces move exactly as in chess. Pawns advance towards the player opposite and capture diagonally forwards; a pawn's first move may be two squares.
- Castling and en passant work as in chess.
- In teams, the player opposite is your partner: you cannot capture their pieces, and their pieces never put you in check.
- A pawn promotes on your 11th rank in teams (to a queen, rook, bishop or knight) and on your 8th rank — the middle of the board — in free-for-all (to a queen).
- You may never leave your own king in check.
Winning
- Teams: the first team to checkmate an opponent wins. Mate is decided when that player's turn comes, so their partner can still save them. A player with no legal move who is not in check is stalemated, and the game is drawn.
- If a king is left in check and another opponent moves before its owner does, that opponent may capture the king — which wins for their team.
- Free-for-all: captures score points (pawn 1, knight 3, bishop 5, rook 5, queen 9, promoted piece 1). Checkmate scores 20. A single check scores nothing, but checking two kings with one move scores 5 (1 if the checking piece is a queen) and three kings scores 20 (5 with a queen).
- In free-for-all a checkmated player is out, and their pieces turn grey on the board (they never move, and capturing them scores nothing). The game ends when three players are out, or when two are left more than 20 points apart; the highest score wins.
- A position repeated three times, or fifty moves each with no capture or pawn move, is a draw (in free-for-all, everyone still in scores 10).
House rules
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| FormatFormatIn Teams, the players sitting opposite are partners, cannot capture each other's pieces, and win by checkmating either opponent. In Free-for-all everyone plays alone and collects points by capturing (pawn 1 up to queen 9) and checkmating (20). The game ends once three players are out, or when the last two players are more than 20 points apart; the most points wins. Teams is shorter and easier for a first game. | Play teams, where the players opposite are partners and mating one opponent wins (about 20–30 minutes), or free-for-all, where everyone scores points until three players are out or the last two are more than 20 points apart (about 30–40 minutes). | Teams | Yes |
| Move limit | When all four players' moves together reach this number, the game ends — a draw in teams, or decided on points in free-for-all. | None | Yes |
| Show legal moves | Mark the squares a selected piece can reach. | On | Yes |
| Rotate the first player | Each time you play again, the first player moves one seat clockwise. | On | Yes |
Recommendations
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FAQ
How many players?
Four. If you are short of players, the CPU fills the empty seats — play alone against three CPU players.
How long does a game take?
About 30 minutes. Teams usually finishes sooner, since one checkmate ends it. There is no clock.
How is it different from chess?
Four players share a cross-shaped board and move clockwise. The pieces move as in chess, but in teams the player opposite is your partner, and in free-for-all you race for points.
Teams or free-for-all?
Start with teams: work with your partner to mate one opponent and the game is yours. Pick free-for-all when you want a game of shifting alliances and points.
Can I practise alone?
Yes — press Play vs CPU to play against three CPU players. The CPU has two levels, Easy and Normal.
Can I play at school or work (unblocked)?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser, with nothing to download or install, so it works on most school and work networks that block app stores or game downloads.
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 2026-09-25 · Run by Qdan, Inc.