Chaos Chess

Overview

Chaos Chess is an original fast-paced chess variant played on a 4×8 board. Unlike standard chess, every piece is deployed from the first move. There is no opening phase. Combat begins immediately and is governed by a per-turn timer — run out of time and you lose instantly.

The Board

A standard 8×8 chessboard with columns a, b, g, and h removed. Only files c through f remain, creating a 4-column-wide battlefield. The board retains all 8 ranks. Pieces move using standard chess movement rules within these boundaries.

Starting Position

Both sides deploy all pieces at the start. From rank 8 to rank 1 (Black perspective): Bishop–Queen–King–Bishop on rank 8, Rooks on the outer squares of rank 7, Knights on the outer squares of rank 6, and four Pawns on rank 5. White mirrors this on ranks 1–4.

Turn Timer

Each player has a fixed number of seconds to make their move. The timer resets after every move. Running out of time is an immediate loss — there are no extensions, no delays. The timer duration is determined by the league format.

Winning Conditions

Checkmate — place the enemy king in check with no legal escape. Instant win regardless of piece counts or remaining time.

Timeout — if a player's turn timer reaches zero, they lose immediately.

Stalemate/No legal moves — the player with the highest piece point total wins. If equal, it is a draw.

Piece Point Values

The Sacrifice Rule

Available in all non-Pure leagues. On your turn, instead of moving a piece, you may voluntarily remove one of your own pieces from the board. This costs double the piece's point value and counts as your full turn. The king cannot be sacrificed. Use it to open lines, bait your opponent, or deny them a capture.

Brawl Mode

Two players per team on a full 8×8 board — two mirrored setups side by side. Each player controls their own pieces but all pieces can move freely across the entire board. Teams win by checkmating both enemy kings. Turn order rotates: White P1 → Black P1 → White P2 → Black P2.

Standard Chess Rules

All standard chess rules apply within board constraints. You cannot move into check. Pawns promote on reaching the enemy back rank. White always moves first. No castling — kings are already exposed by design. No en passant.

ELO Tiers

Every league tracks your ELO separately. Play 10 total games to unlock Ranked mode. Your ELO starts at 1000 and adjusts after every game based on your result and your opponent's rating.

Levels & XP

You earn XP after every game regardless of result. Wins earn more than losses. Ranked games give double XP. Playing the featured league of the day gives 3× XP. Each level requires 250 XP and you can reach up to Level 30 before Prestiging.

Prestige

When you reach Level 30, you Prestige. Your level resets to 1 but your Prestige count increases permanently. Each Prestige unlocks a new symbol that displays on your profile and in every game you play. There are 10 Prestige tiers — reaching Prestige X is the highest honour in Chaos Chess.

Each Prestige requires 30 levels × 250 XP = 7,500 XP per Prestige. Reaching Prestige X requires a total of 75,000 XP.

Each Prestige also unlocks an exclusive equippable badge. The badge icon escalates with each tier — from a single pawn all the way to the dark court.

Chaos Slots

Win 5 games to earn a Chaos Token. Spend tokens to spin the slot machine for exclusive cosmetics — skins, board themes, effects, and badges that can't be unlocked any other way. The slot pool has 21 unique prizes across three rarity tiers.

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