How to play horse racing chess helps friends and family entertain during joyful moments together.
Understanding the principles of operation and the rules of the game will help you master this game easily.
Origin of the horse racing chess game
The horse racing chess game originated from India. Here, this game is called Pachisi. When it came to Vietnam, due to the shape of the chess pieces resembling the knight in chess and the seahorse, it was named horse racing chess for easier remembrance and visualization.
Structure of the horse racing chess game
In the basic rules of horse racing chess, a complete set includes:
- Dice: Can be 2 or 4 pieces along with dice cups.
- Chess pieces shaped like knights in chess: 16 pieces divided into 4 colors, each type has 4 pieces. Including yellow, red, green, and blue.
- The chessboard is printed with the paths and stables of all players.
Principles of the horse racing chess rules
The principle of the standard horse racing chess rules is to move the knight to complete a full round on the pre-designed path. Each player is assigned from 1 to 4 chess pieces, and the number of pieces of all players will be equal. Each color of the chess pieces corresponds to the color of the stable on the chessboard that has been chosen beforehand.
The player who completes the game is the one who goes around completely. The starting point to the finishing point must be traveled counterclockwise.
The ability to move close or far, fast or slow, depends on the number of points rolled by the player. Because the player rolls the dice, the number of points determines how many steps the horse will move.
The winner is the one who has all 4 horses start and successfully reach the finish line, lined up in the stable at positions 6, 5, 4, 3 will be the winner.
According to the rules of horse racing chess, the rankings in the game are arranged in order: Rank 1, 2, 3, and the last person to reach the finish line or not complete the entire distance will be ranked 4.
The most basic way to play horse racing chess
How to play horse racing chess for beginners can also be easily understood through the following content:
1/ How to determine who starts the round of horse racing chess?
In the rules of horse racing, to determine who starts first, various methods can be used such as mutual agreement in turns, rock-paper-scissors, but the most convenient and fair way is to roll dice. Depending on the initial agreement, the player with the highest or lowest score will go first.
2/ Principles of rolling dice and turns in horse racing
According to many guides on playing horse racing, depending on whether players want a fast or slow game pace, each person can roll 2 dice or 1 die.
- Members agree on their own or based on the results of the methods for determining the order of players mentioned.
- Dice are rolled in a tray or a bowl. To save space, many people use the empty area in the middle of the board to roll the dice.
- Any player who rolls the dice and they fall outside will lose their turn and the result of that roll will be canceled. In this case, “Thúi” is a term specifically used to refer to cases where the result of the dice roll is canceled.
- In the agreement to roll only 1 die, if a 1 or 6 is rolled, the player will get to roll again
For the rules of playing horse racing with 2 dice, players are allowed to roll the dice again when rolling duplicate faces: 11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66 or 16. Players will end their turn when they roll a result different from the above faces, then pass the turn to the next player.
3/ Rules for allowing horses to leave the stable
In the way to play horse racing, before rolling the dice, all horses must not be in the starting position but must be in the “stable”.
To be able to enter the race, players must roll the dice with a result similar to the right to move again, specifically, they must have the faces and can only move 1 piece at a time, and the horse must start from the first position.
- Rule for playing with 1 die: 1, 6.
- Rule for playing with 2 dice: 11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 16
4/ How to move when playing horse racing
Players in horse racing can only move their horses along the pre-drawn path if they have horses participating in the race. The number of steps taken by the horse is counted by the exact number of points on the dice. Horses cannot move more or less than the number of dots on the dice.
The number of dice determines the rhythm and speed of the game. If there is 1 die, the maximum number of steps is 6 steps, while in the way to play horse racing with 2 dice, the maximum number of steps is 12.
If the number of players is small, you can choose to play with 1 die to extend the time a little longer. In the case of a larger group, you can choose to play with 2 dice to shorten the pace to play more rounds.
5/ How to determine the winner in horse racing
Horse racing for 2 players or 4 players determines the winner based on who gets all 4 horses into the stable first. As long as the horse racing has as many pieces in the stable first, that player will win.
The positions of the horses must be arranged in the order of squares 6, 5, 4, 3 as follows:
- First place: The player who gets all 4 horses into the stable first.
- Second place: The player who gets their horses in second.
- Last place or quits early: The player who loses last.
Notes when playing horse racing
During the game, there will be some situations that make players feel awkward, directly affecting the outcome of winning or losing.
1/ Being blocked when rolling the horse
This is a case where the player rolls unfavorably because the movement path is blocked by another player’s piece. According to the rules, a piece cannot move past another player’s piece; the player must use another piece from a different position to replace it.
If the player has no horses left to continue, they must skip their turn.
2/ Hitting the horse
This is a case where the horse racing game benefits the player because it will eliminate the opponent’s piece from the race. The player can replace the piece in front of their path with their own piece when the distance from their horse to the opponent’s piece is exactly the number rolled on the dice.
Depending on their desire, the player can choose to “hit” the opponent’s piece or not. They can move another piece if they want to keep the opponent’s piece.
Note: When you can hit the opponent, you can also be hit by the opponent’s horse off the board, even if you have completed one lap and are right next to the “stable” point.
3/ Rules for entering the stable
Players can bring their horses into the stable at any position, not necessarily at the point next to the stable.
To enter the stable according to the numbers on the board.
- Entering stall number 1: Fall into the pit. In some agreements, anyone entering the stall in position number 1 must share the odds with all players.
- Entering stall number 6 first: The contractor: Depending on some agreements, players can double or triple the prize amount.
- After entering the stall, the horse can still move based on the dice roll to have enough horses in stalls 6-5-4-3.
Some simple tips for playing horse racing chessHow to play horse racing chess easily to win
Playing horse racing chess with 1 die depends 99% on the number of steps the horse takes. Therefore, you should practice how to roll the dice so that the horse moves according to plan. Calculate the number of nodes so that the horse does not lose turns, fall into the pit, or get knocked out of the racetrack by opponents. Additionally, playing psychological tricks on opponents whenever they roll the dice is also a good way to make them make mistakes.
Conclusion
Playing horse racing chess is very simple, anyone can master it after being introduced and experiencing it once. Among board games, horse racing chess is always rated as easy to understand, easy to play, and suitable for all ages.
