
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Khet 2.0: Eye of Horus Beam Splitter
- 2 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2011

2011
Rules assistance for Laser Chess
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Laser Chess is a board game released in 2011 for 2 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Del Segura, Luke Hooper, and Michael Larson and its main mechanics are Square Grid and Grid Movement.
Laser Chess, originally released as Khet 2.0, is a chess-like game that combines lasers with classic strategy. To begin, players set up the pieces on the game board in one of several starting positions. Players then alternate turns, either moving a piece to an adjacent space, rotating a piece 90º, swap two adjacent pieces if one of them is a switch piece, or rotating their laser 90º; the pieces have two, one, or zero mirrored surfaces, and after moving or rotating a piece on your turn, you must then fire your laser, with the laser possibly being deflected by 90º whenever it hits a mirror on a piece (since the mirrors are angled at 45º). If the beam strikes a non-mirrored surface on almost any piece, that piece is removed from play. (One exception: The defenders have one surface immune from laser fire, which means you can use them to protect your king; they're vulnerable to laser fire from other directions, though.) When a king is hit by a laser, the other player wins the game! Friendly fire is possible, so try to make sure that you won't remove one of your one pieces when you shoot — unless you need to clear a shot to the enemy, that is!
Laser Chess supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Laser Chess is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Laser Chess for ages 8 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.
Laser Chess has a complexity rating of 2.7 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.
Laser Chess belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy and Electronic. Its main mechanics are Square Grid 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 Laser Chess are: Del Segura, Luke Hooper, and Michael Larson. 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 Laser Chess 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.