Doc Pop’s One-Dimensional Chess is a fun, Knight- Knights move or capture by jumping

innovative chess variant played on a single 2 or 3 squares in either direction from their
row of 16 squares. The rules are intuitive for current location. Knights may jump over any
new and expert players alike, but offer a re- pieces, but can only land in squares that are
freshing twist on the classic game of chess. empty or contain an opponent’s piece.

Set up- Each player picks a color, then sets one

of each piece in this order (moving from the
edge of the board in): king, queen, rook, bish-
op, knight, pawn. The white Queen starts on a
white square and black Queen starts on a black Bishop- Bishops travel along every other
square. This PDF includes a page you can print, square in either direction. If a Bishop starts
cut, and assemble into a board. If needed, you on a white square, it only moves through oth-
can cut out the chess pieces too, but using “3D” er white squares (ignoring any and all pieces
chess pieces is recommended if you have them. on black squares). Bishops can move as many
squares as desired in either direction, but
****RULES**** may not move through pieces on the same
color square they started on. If they enter
The object of the game is to checkmate a square with an enemy piece, that piece is
(threaten with inescapable capture) the oppo- captured and the Bishop stops.
nent’s king. White is always first to move and
players take turns alternately moving one
piece at a time. Chess pieces may not move
to a square occupied by another chess piece
of the same color. However, a player may
capture an enemy’s piece by moving onto the Rook- Rooks can move as many squares
same square on which that piece sits. When as desired in either direction, but may not
that happens, the enemy piece is captured move through friendly pieces. If they enter
and removed from the board. All pieces can a square with an enemy piece, that piece is
move forwards or backwards, except for the captured and the Rook stops.
Pawn (which only moves forward).

Pawn- Pawns only move forward. On the first

move a pawn can move one or two spaces, ev- Queen- Queens may move as either a Rook
ery subsequent move can only be one space. or a Bishop. Unlike a Bishop, the Queen is not
If an opponent’s piece is directly in front of a forced to stay on the same colored square
pawn, the pawn may capture it. If a pawn is throughout the entire game, but if it is moving
moving two squares on its first move, it may like a Bishop, it may only travel along the same
not capture on that same move. color squares as its current location.
 King- Kings may move or capture one square that he cannot avoid being captured. To win
in either direction. The King is the most the game, the victorious player doesn’t actu-
important piece in the board. If he is check- ally capture the enemy king; once capture is
mated (see rules below) the game is over. inevitable, checkmate has occurred and the
game is over. A player who knows defeat is
inevitable may also resign the game rather
than wait to be checkmated.
Ending the game- A player’s king is said to
be “in check” when it is attacked by an op- The game can end in a draw, where there is
ponent’s piece. It is never legal to move your no winner. The most common way to draw a
king into check, nor is it allowed to move any game is by stalemate. Stalemate is a situation
of your other pieces into a scenario that puts in the game of chess where the player whose
your king into an immediate check; if you turn it is to move is not in check but has no le-
notice an opponent has done so, you should gal move. Other draws include repetition with
point this out and allow them to make a safe the same position occurring three times with
move instead. the same player to move and the 50-move
rule, where no pawn has been moved and no
You win the game via checkmate, where you piece has been captured for 50 consecutive
attack your opponent’s king in such a way moves by each player.

****1D Chess is best played with 3D chess pieces****

If you don’t have any chess pieces handy, cut out the pieces above and use them in your game.

1D Chess was designed by Doctor Popular in 2018. This is version 1.2. It is pro-
tected with an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC
4.0). Remix it and share it (with attribution), but don’t sell it. Chess icons on this
page by DEMOGRAPH from the Noun Project. (if you use this art, credit them)