1. Four Player Chess is played on an 8-by-8 board with 3-by-8 additions along each side.

2. Player select 16 BEADs the colour of their choice. BEADs should be marked as follows; 8 BEADs are Pawns, 2 BEADs are Knights, 2 BEADs are Bishops, 2 BEADs are Rooks, 1 BEAD is the Queen, and 1 BEAD is the King.

3. BEADs are placed, on the row closest to the player, from the outside: Rook, Knight, and Bishop with the King on the left and the Queen on the right. Players place all 8 Pawns on the second row.

4. When playing a 4-player version, players can either form teams or play solo.

5. The player with the lightest colour BEAD starts.

1. In turns, each player moves 1 BEAD:

2. Pawns only move forward in a straight line, 2 spaces on their first move and 1 space after.

3. Rooks move any number of empty squares horizontally or vertically.

4. Knights move in an “L” shape, either 2 spaces horizontally and 3 spaces vertically, or 3 spaces horizontally and 2 spaces vertically. Knights can pass over other pieces.

5. Bishops move any number of empty squares diagonally.

6. The Queen moves any number of empty squares horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

7. The King only moves 1 space horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

8. A piece is captured when a BEAD lands on the same space. Pawns capture by moving on to a space occupied by their opponent in a diagonal forward move.

9. Captured pieces are removed from the board.

10. If a Pawn reaches the opponent’s starting side of the board, the player can choose to make it a Queen, Bishop, Knight, or Rook BEAD.

11. If a King BEAD and a Rook BEAD have never moved and there are no BEADs between them, the King BEAD can move into the Rook’s starting position with the Rook moving adjacent to the King BEAD.

To win the game, a player must surround their opponent’s King BEAD such that it cannot move without being captured.