- BGG rank
- BGG #21,113
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Crossword Pyramids
- 2–4 players
- 35 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2004
- BGG rank
- BGG #28,392
- BGG rating
- 5.1
CardChess
2001
Rules assistance for CardChess
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 10+
- Complexity 2.3/5
Rules assistant for CardChess
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
CardChess is a board game released in 2001 for 2–4 players and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Jeff Widderich and its main mechanics are Memory and Grid Movement.
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About the game
In this chess variant for up to 4 players, the game is played on a 10x10 board with four suits of sixteen cards corresponding to traditional chess pieces. Four games can be played with this set. Cardchess: Players shuffle the 16 cards of their suit and place them randomly face down in eight pairs of two on the letters A, R, D, C, H, E, S and S. Each player has two moves each turn. They first turn over a card. Second, they pick any face up card and move it according to chess rules. To win the game, a player must capture all of his opponents' Kings by checkmate. Once a King is captured, all the pieces from his team are removed from the board. Positional Cardchess: The only difference between Cardchess and Positional Cardchess is the initial setup. In Positional Cardchess, the eight cards of highest value are placed face down on letters A, R, D, C, H, E, S and S in the same order as traditional chess. Memory Cardchess: All player cards are shuffled together and placed face down on the board in a configuration which depends on the number of players. On each turn, players have two moves. They first turn over a card. The card remains face up if it is in their suit. If it isn't, the card must be clearly shown to other players so they can memorize it. Second, players move the card they just turned over or any other previously exposed card according to chess rules. To win the game, a player must capture all of his opponents' Kings by checkmate. Traditional chess: The game board and cards allow to play a traditional game of chess.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Ísöld ehf.
- CardChess International
Questions and answers
CardChess supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The catalogue lists CardChess for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
CardChess has a complexity rating of 2.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
CardChess belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Memory and Grid Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of CardChess are: Jeff Widderich. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists CardChess as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.