Setup
Base rules: chess. Each side has ten pawns. The back rank is rook, knight, archbishop, bishop, queen, king, bishop, chancellor, knight, rook. White moves first.
Capablanca Chess
Play 10×8 chess with an archbishop and chancellor in Capablanca's starting arrangement.
No one is playing yet0 waiting rooms
Moves and captures
The archbishop combines bishop and knight moves; the chancellor combines rook and knight moves. Other pieces follow chess and the king must stay safe.
Winning and draws
Checkmate wins. Stalemate is a draw. A player may claim a draw after threefold repetition or 50 moves by each side without a capture or pawn move. If neither side has enough material to checkmate, the game is drawn automatically.
Special rules
Castling ends with the king on file i or c under the usual safety conditions. Pawns promote on the last rank and may become an archbishop or chancellor as well as a queen, rook, bishop or knight.
Read the full guide
Board setup, special rules and winning conditions for Capablanca Chess.
The archbishop starts on c1 for White; in Gothic Chess the corresponding starting arrangement is different.
A quick guide to Capablanca Chess
Read the Capablanca Chess rulesWhat is Capablanca Chess?
Capablanca Chess is a 10×8 chess variant proposed by world champion José Raúl Capablanca. It adds two compound pieces. Each side has ten pawns plus the archbishop (bishop plus knight) and the chancellor (rook plus knight). The back rank reads rook, knight, archbishop, bishop, queen, king, bishop, chancellor, knight, rook. Castling puts the king on c or i, and checkmate wins.
How do the archbishop and chancellor move in Capablanca Chess?
The archbishop moves either as a bishop or as a knight, and the chancellor moves either as a rook or as a knight. White's archbishop starts on c1 and its chancellor on h1; Black's start on c8 and h8.
How does castling work in Capablanca Chess?
The king moves three squares instead of two. Castling on the king's side puts the king on i1 and the rook on h1; on the queen's side, the king goes to c1 and the rook to d1. The king may not castle out of, through or into check.
What can a pawn promote to in Capablanca Chess?
A pawn that reaches the last rank must promote to a queen, rook, bishop, knight, archbishop or chancellor, chosen by the player. There is no limit on how many pieces of one type you may have, so a second chancellor is allowed.
How can I play with a friend?
Share one device for a local game, or choose the friend option above to create an online room and send its invitation. Online games need an internet connection. Local games are saved in this browser.
Play Capablanca Chess on one deviceWhich rules apply here?
Capablanca Chess. Read the setup, legal moves, special rules and end conditions before starting. The guide describes the variant used on ChessPlayX, including differences from other versions where relevant.
Read the Capablanca Chess rulesCan I play against AI?
Choose AI mode to practice at your own pace. Start with a lower difficulty while learning the moves, then increase it when you can spot threats and plan your replies.