A Game A Day To Help With The Lock down - Tic-Tac-Chec - Game 9

This is game 9 in my game a day series. Tic-Tac-Chec is a mix between tic-tac-toe, connect four and chess. There is a lot of strategy in this fun little game!

FREE Tic-Tac-Chec Game Template (Link coming soon)

For 2 players. Ages 6 and up. Contents: Wood board & pieces, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights, 2 Pawns.

RULES:

Be the first to align your four pieces of the same color horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

Play starts on an empty board, players take turns placing a piece on ANY empty square. (anywhere on the board) After placing your first three pieces you may move and capture as in regular chess, except a pawn reverses direction upon reaching the opposite side of the board. Captured pieces are returned to their owner and can immediately be played again on any open square. You can place a pawn on the opposite side of the board and immediately on the next turn move back towards yourself. If it is captured then placed back on the board it must first move towards the opponent's side of the board before changing directions.

REF: In Shogi (Japanese chess) captured pieces are not dead but may be pointed in the opposite direction and replayed as part of your own or your opponent forces. The rule requiring that the first 3 turns players can only place pieces was intended to force players to think about position and not capturing in the beginning of the game. After this initial play, players can capture each other and have less than 3 pieces on the board.

Optional Rules: Recommended for competitions. Players are allowed approximately 3 minutes to place their first 3 pieces on the board with a maximum of about 30 seconds per turn. After a further 5 minutes of play (this can be adjusted) each player is restricted to 5 captures each. Playing this rule will generally make games end in less than 15 minutes and require more skill.

Chess Piece Moves

Pawn: - Moves one space forward per turn except when it captures an opponent's piece by moving one space diagonally forward.
Knight: - Moves either one space forward or backward and two spaces either left or right or two spaces forward or backward and one space either left or right. A knight is the only piece that can move over another piece on the board.
Bishop: - Moves diagonally any number of spaces as long as it does not pass another piece.
Rook:- Moves vertically or horizontally as long as it does not pass another piece.

The Knight, Bishop and Rook all capture by landing on an opponent's piece in the same way that they move. (https://dreamgreen.org/index.php/products/tic-tac-chec/99-ttc-rules)