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This page is written by the game's inventor, Gary Gifford.

BordahBee

This game, and its strange name popped into my mind when I saw mention of the game “Tandem Chess.” I quickly looked at that game, in hopes that it was not the one I had envisioned… it is not. As for the name, “BordahBee” it is a loose phonetic representation for “Board A, Board B.” Winning Conditions: You can win by capturing either one of your opponent's kings, or, if your opponent cannot move on both board during a turn. Moving into check is allowed.

Setup

Two standard chessboards with initial setups.  Board A and Board B both have White Pieces at the same compass edge.

Pieces

Standard.  Two sets of men required.  Two 8x8 boards required.

Rules

Player 1 sits facing the white pieces on two ordinary chess boards, Board A and Board B., with Board A being to his left.

Player 2 sits facing the black pieces.  Board A is to his right.  Thus Board A is Board A for both players.  The significance of “Board A” and “Board B” labels is that there will be two separate games going on simultaneously, and that a players move on one board directly impacts his “same-turn move” on the other board.

White moves first on either board (A or B).  He then moves on the remaining board.  But, whatever he moved on the first board has a direct influence on the other, for movement is dictated as follows:

A TURN for a player involves either Moving on Board A, then Moving on Board B,  or;  Moving on Board B, then Moving on Board A.  Players may alternate which board they move first on for each turn.

To Move a King at the beginning of a turn (on the first board of the Turn at hand) (which can be a move for Board A or Board B) – You must move a Queen or Rook or King on other board after you move your King.

To move a Queen at the beginning of a turn – You must follow with a move of King or Rook on the second board.  Otherwise your Queen is immobile.

To move a Rook at the beginning of a turn  – You must follow with movement of King or Queen on the other.  Otherwise your Rook is immobile.

To move a Knight at the beginning of a turn   – You must follow with movement of a Bishop or a Pawn on the other board.

To move a Bishop at the beginning of a turn  – You must follow with movement of a Knight or a Pawn on the other board.

To move a Pawn at the beginning of a turn  – You must follow with movement of a Knight or a Bishop on the other board.

These rules allow for Pawn en passant.  They also allow for promotion.

These rules allow for castling.  Castling counts as movement of King and Rook… but is a special condition.  So, if you castle on your first board of movement… on the second board you could castle, or move the King individually, or move a Rook individually, or even move a Queen.

Win by capturing either one of the opponent’s Kings. There is no stalemate.  One player may have no option but to move both Kings at one point in the game, EVEN IF ONE OR BOTH MUST MOVE INTO CHECK... this is possible and allowed.  The other player, upon capturing either King, would then win.

You will also win if your opponent cannot move on both board during a turn.  

The following helps simplify the movement concepts

Remember:  To move the first designated piece on a board, you must follow it with a move of a piece after the  “>>”  on the other board.

K  >>  Q or R or K    Q >>  K or R      R >>  K or Q

N >>  P or B          B >>  N or P     P >>  B or N



Example of a Possible Game Beginning:

White moves  1. Pawn e2-e4 on board B,  he must now move a Knight or Bishop on Board A.  Bishops can’t move yet (they are blocked by Pawns) so he moves 1. N g1-f3.

Blacks move 1.  He decides to move on Board A first.  He plays 
1. … Pawn d7-d6.  Now on Board B he must move a Knight on Board B,
he plays 1. … N b8-c6.

Move 2.  White moves his f1 Bishop on Board B to c4.  On Board A he must now move a Knight or a Pawn.  He plays Pawn a2-a3.

Black moves, this time he starts with Board B (but he could start with either board)…  
2. … he plays P e7-e6.  On Board A he must now move a Knight or Bishop.  
So, 2…. N g8-f6.

And the game continues.  Remember, you can move first on whichever board you want.  You can switch this on each turn.


Board A                                   Board B

1. N g1-f3    P d7-d6                1.  P e2-e4  N b8-c6
2. P a2-a3    N g8-f6                2.  B f1-c4   P e7-e6

These moves give us the position shown at the beginning of the rules.

Notes

Two teams of players (4 people can play).  Two people would play at Board A, and two at Board B.  The movement rules would remain the same.

Opening graphic created with Arena 1.1 and Microsoft Paint. 

A link to a BordahBee game courier pre-set follows.  

/play/pbm/play.php?game%3DBordahBee%26settings%3DAlfaerie


This 'user submitted' page is a collaboration between the posting user and the Chess Variant Pages. Registered contributors to the Chess Variant Pages have the ability to post their own works, subject to review and editing by the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff.


By Gary K. Gifford.
Web page created: 2006-04-13. Web page last updated: 2006-04-13