The Rules

Setting Up the Board
The Chesskers board consists of chess pieces on one side and checkers on the other.  Set up the chess pieces how you normally would, except start in the second row (leaving the first row empty). From left to right (from the chess player’s side of the board), the second row order is rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, and rook. The third row consists of all pawns.

On the checkers side you get 8 red pieces and 8 black pieces, which get placed in two rows. We start in the second row on this side as well (leaving the first row empty), so there will be checkers on every square in the second and third row. Arrange the pieces with the reds on one color square of the board and the blacks on the other color square. They will alternate on the board.

Game Play
In Chesskers, the checkers always start first, with a red or a black piece. Also, the only pieces allowed to move freely in and out of the back row are checkers. The chess pieces can move into the back row only if they can take an opponent’s piece. Once in the back row, a chess piece cannot move left or right unless it is to take an opponent’s piece. The chess piece can move out of the back row at any time (when it’s their turn) if there is not an opportunity to take an opponent with another piece.

The checkers pieces start out as “Kings”, meaning they can move forwards or backwards on the board at any time. Like traditional checkers, all moves by the checkers pieces must be diagonal, one square at a time (unless jumping).

The chess pieces move in their tradition fashion as well. Pawns may move forward 1 or 2 spaces from their starting square and then 1 square forward any time after that. Rooks may slide any number of squares horizontal or vertical until they come to another piece. Knights may move 2 squares horizontal, then 1 vertical, or 2 squares vertical and 1 horizontal. Bishops may slide any number of squares diagonally until they are blocked by a piece. The Queen can slide any number of squares horizontal, vertical or diagonal, unless blocked by pieces. The King can move 1 square horizontal, vertical or diagonal.

Castling
Castling is when the King moves 2 spaces towards one of his rooks and the rook moves into the first square the King passed through. This can only take place if neither the King nor the Rook have moved from their original starting positions. Also, there may be no pieces in the path of the King or the Rook. Lastly, if the King is in “check” (a checker can take out the King on their next move), castling is not allowed.

Taking an Opponent’s Piece
In Chesskers, if any of your pieces can take an opponent’s piece, you must take their piece. This goes for both checkers and chess pieces, so strategize accordingly! Checkers can jump more than one chess piece if after they jump the first one they are in a position to take another. The checker player must take all possible pieces until they cannot jump any more. Unlike chess, where you cannot move your King into “check”, it is possible to end up in that situation in Chesskers. For example, if your only move is to move a pawn into a checker, which results in a double jump taking out your King, the move still must be made.

Upgrading Pieces
When a pawn has made it across the board to the checkers’ first starting row (the second row of the board) that player can choose to turn this piece into a bishop, knight, rook or queen. No more than 2 of any piece are allowed on the board at once. For example, if there is one queen on the board and the pawn makes it across, you can turn the pawn into another queen. However, if there are two rooks on the board already, the pawn that makes it across cannot become a rook.

Super King
When a checker makes it to the back row on the chess side (the first row of the board), it now becomes a Super King. This allows the checker to move one square in any direction while moving. It also allows the checker the ability to jump pieces horizontally and vertically in addition to diagonally. *Exception: If a checker jumps a piece landing in the back row, but is able to continue jumping, forcing that piece out of the back row, you must finish your move and will not receive a Super King. A Super King is only awarded if your piece finishes its move in the back row. You can move that piece into the back row on another move to get your Super King.

Winning
The game is over when the King has been jumped by a checker, or the Chess pieces have taken out all the checkers on the board. A stalemate can only occur when the remaining pieces can keep moving around the board with no way to take each other out. Remember that unlike chess, a stalemate will not occur when a King is trapped - if this is the case, the King must move resulting in defeat.