Really Bad Chess

About Really Bad Chess

Zach Gage released Really Bad Chess as a mobile game in October 2016. It keeps the rules of chess but throws away the standard starting position: each side gets a random set of pieces on its back two rows. Puzzmo, which Gage co-founded with Orta Therox, has run a daily version since it opened in October 2023, and its credits list Gage for the design.

On Puzzmo everyone gets the same board for the date. You play white against a computer opponent. The pieces look random, but Puzzmo balances the material so your side has a calculated advantage, and the game is about turning that advantage into checkmate.

Moves follow normal chess rules, so if you know how a knight or a bishop moves you can play straight away. What changes is the planning: you may have no knights and four queens, or pawns that are only one step from promotion. Puzzmo Plus members also get a harder bonus board each day.

It suits players who know the moves but do not study openings, and chess players who want a short daily game that is different every time.

How to play Really Bad Chess

1. Open today's Really Bad Chess on puzzmo.com or in the Puzzmo app.
2. Look over both armies; the pieces on each side are shuffled for the day.
3. Move your pieces using the normal rules of chess, playing white against the computer.
4. Use your extra material to attack the computer's king and deliver checkmate.
5. Finish the game to record your result and points.

Screenshots

Tips

• Count both sides' pieces before the first move so you know where your advantage is.
• Pawns that start close to promotion can turn into queens quickly; check for them first.
• Trade pieces when you are ahead; a simpler board makes your extra material count.
• Keep an eye on the computer's long-range pieces, which can show up in unusual places.

Questions