PLUNDERCHESS® FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FAQ 1:
Q: What is the meaning of the term "privileged" when used in the context of the game rules of PlunderChess®.
A: In PlunderChess®, any chess piece that is paired with (or wears) a vest is considered to be "privileged" because the vest it wears, empowers it with additional moving capabilities above its traditional means.
FAQ 2:
Q: Can a chess piece ever wear more then one vest?
A: No. A privileged chess piece cannot stack or wear more than one vest at any one time in the game.
FAQ 3:
Q: At any point in a game, can players randomly decide to remove a vest from one of their privileged chess pieces?
A: No. Once a vest is plundered and paired to a chess piece, it cannot be removed from the chess piece until it is used in a vest-move or until it is exchanged for another plundered vest in a subsequent capture.
FAQ 4:
Q: Can you promote a "pawn vest"?
A: No. Pawn vests are NOT promotable. Just like in traditional chess, only the actual pawn chess pieces may be promoted.
FAQ 5:
Q: Can a privileged pawn (i.e. pawn wearing a vest), make a vest-move to more quickly reach its opponents base rank and then be promoted?
A: Yes. Be aware of opposing pawns wearing vests, especially during end games (when the board is less congested) and said privileged pawns are paired with queen, rook or bishop vests! All they need is a straight path to their opponents base rank and voila, pawn promotion!
FAQ 6:
Q: The rules state that "plundering" is optional. Can you give me a reason why a player, when making a capture and given the choice, would ever decline to plunder a vest from the piece that it captures?
A: Yes. Plundering will usually be declined, if upon capture, the player of the capturing piece suspects their opponent will immediately follow your plundering, by in turn, capturing and plundering right back from you. For example, let's say an unprivileged pawn captures a privileged rook wearing a bishop vest and does so on a square that is threatened by an unprivileged enemy pawn. In this scenario, the pawn making the capture would be permitted to plunder either a rook vest or a bishop vest, but is plundering either of those vests a wise tactical decision? Most likely NO. The better choice would be to choose NOT to plunder, because there will be a high probability that the enemy pawn would immediately capture your piece back (in trade) and then take from you, the vest you would have just acquired/plundered.
FAQ 7:
Q: How do you notate (record in written form) all the moves in a game of PlunderChess®?
A: First, here are the basic symbols and what they represent:
x ..... Captures
* ...... Plunders _______ vest powers
= ..... Pawn is promoted to a ________
+ ..... Check
# ..... Checkmate
; ..... Used to signify a transition between players move notations
c4 ... letter/number... file/rank... Identifies the location of a square on the board
Designations for playing pieces.
(Note that for all "privileged" pieces, the first letter identifies the chess piece and the second letter identifies the paired vest.)
P .... Pawn PN .... PawnKnight (privileged pawn wearing knight vest)
R .... Rook RB .... RookBishop (privileged rook wearing bishop vest)
N .... Knight NQ .... KnightQueen (privileged knight wearing queen vest)
B .... Bishop BP .... BishopPawn (privileged bishop wearing pawn vest)
Q .... Queen QN .... QueenKnight (privileged queen wearing knight vest)
K .... King KR .... KingRook (privileged king wearing rook vest)
Important Note: When a privileged piece moves on the board via the use of its vest power, the designated vest letter should always be underlined.
Example #1: PBe3+; means, PawnBishop (privileged Pawn wearing a Bishop vest) uses it's Bishop vest power to move to square e3 (hence, vest is removed) and is now checking opposing king.
Example #2: BNxd7*R# means, BishopKnight (privileged Bishop wearing a Knight vest) uses it's Knight vest power to capture opposing piece on d7, plunders rook vest, delivers checkmate.
FAQ 8: (Game Box Question)
Q: What is the function of the “LAST MOVE” vest contained within my PlunderChess® game box?
A: The “LAST MOVE” vest (or marker) included in your PlunderChess® game box is used to mark the last move made in an ongoing game were players are unable to complete the game in one sitting. By marking the last move made on the board (with the "Last Move" vest), players are able to temporarily leave a game “in-progress” and return at a later time to resume play without having to recall who made and what was, the last move. In fact, the “LAST MOVE” marker may also be used to play a game where both players are never present at the same time, much like correspondence chess.
FAQ 9: (Game Box Question)
Q: Why does the PlunderChess® game box for sale on your website come packaged with two queens and two kings for each player?
A: The extra queen in your game box is provided because many players choose the queen when promoting a pawn. The extra king is provided for when playing two-king variations and both players start the game with two kings on the board.
(Note: Two-king variations are NOT available for play on your mobile devices.) To win a two-king PlunderChess® game variation, a player must capture both kings. Unlike traditional chess, the first king is captured and removed from play just like any other opposing chess piece on the board. It is only the second and sole remaining king that may be put into check and/or checkmate. (See 4-1 in the game rules booklet for a complete explanation of the two-king variation.)
FAQ 10: (Game Box Question)
Q: If vests are plundered (acquired) only by means of capture, why does the PlunderChess® game box come packaged with “king vests"? Does not the game end when you checkmate your opponent’s king?
A: The king vests are only needed when playing “two-king” variations of PlunderChess® whereby both players start the game with two kings. (Note: Two-king variations are not available for play on your mobile devices.) When a player captures and removes from play his/her opponent’s first king (like any other chess piece in the game) often times the capturing piece will choose to plunder the king vest.