when you're in a game hit the question mark in the top left to the side of "3|2 Atomic" and it will explain the rules, this is a rule and always has been; here are the rules:
Capturing a piece leads to an explosion that affects every adjacent piece, except pawns.
Kings can't make captures (or they would explode themselves). Kings can also go to squares right next to the enemy king, and players can ignore a check if they can explode the opponent's king.
You can ONLY ignore a check if you can explode an adjacent piece to the king winning the game, you cannot ignore a check for another check
Thanks! I actually did read the rules, but, somehow missed that one... 🤔 Oh well!
I just learned another rule!
[GameNr "78931132"]
[TimeControl "3+2"]
[Variant "FFA"]
[RuleVariants "Atomic EnPassant Play4Mate"]
[StartFen4 "2PC"]
[White "King_Red_A"]
[WhiteElo "1635"]
[Black "DrexAB"]
[BlackElo "1613"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Termination "Threefold repetition"]
[Site "www.chess.com/variants/atomic/game/78931132"]
[Date "Tue Mar 18 2025 23:15:39 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)"]
[CurrentMove "130"]
1. Nj4-i6 .. i10-i9
2. Ni6-g7 .. h10-h8
3. Ng7-e8 .. Bi11-f8
4. h5-h6 .. Nj11-k9
5. Ne8xf10 .. Nk9-j7
6. Qg4xNj7 .. O-O
7. Bi4-f7+ .. Kj11-k11
8. Bf7-j11 .. k10-k9
9. Ne4-f6 .. Bf8-e7
10. d5-d6 .. Be7xNf6
11. g5-g7 .. h8xg7
12. e5-e7 .. g10-g8
13. d6-d7 .. g8-g7
14. h6-h7 .. Rd11-g11
15. O-O .. g7-g6
16. f5xg6 .. Rg11-g6
17. Bf4-e5 .. Rg6-g5
18. Kj4-k4 .. Ri11-f11
19. h7-h8 .. Rf11-f7
20. h8xi9 .. Rg5xBe5
21. Bj11xRf7 .. d10-d8
22. Ri4-g4 .. d8xe7
23. Rg4-g10 .. j10-j8
24. Rg10-k10+ .. Kk11-j11
25. Rk10-k11+ .. Kj11-i10
26. Rk11-i11+ .. Ki10-h10
27. Ri11-h11+ .. Kh10-i10
28. Rh11-h10+ .. Ki10-i9
29. Rh10-h9+ .. Ki9-i10
30. Rh9-h10+ .. Ki10-i11
31. k5-k7 .. j8xk7
32. i5-i7 .. e10-e9
33. i7-i8 .. k9-k8
34. i8-i9 .. k8-k7
35. i9-i10 .. k7-k6
36. Rh10-h11+ .. Ki11-j10
37. j5xk6 .. Kj10-k9
38. i10-i11=Q+ .. Kk9-j8
39. Qi11-h10+ .. Kj8-i8
40. Rh11-i11+ .. Ki8-j7
41. Qh10-j10+ .. Kj7-k6
42. Ri11-k11+ .. Kk6-j5
43. Rk11-i11 .. e9-e8
44. d7xe8 .. Kj5-k5
45. Kk4-j4 .. Kk5-j5
46. Kj4-k5 .. Kj5-k6
47. Kk5-j6 .. Kk6-j7
48. Kj6-i5+ .. Kj7-i6
49. Ki5-j6 .. Ki6-j5
50. Kj6-i7+ .. Kj5-i6
51. Ki7-j8+ .. Ki6-j7
52. Kj8-i9+ .. Kj7-i8
53. Ki9-i10 .. Ki8-i9
54. Ki10-j11+ .. Ki9-i10
55. Kj11-k10+ .. Ki10-j9
56. Kk10-k11+ .. Kj9-k10
57. Kk11-j11 .. Kk10-k11
58. Kj11-i10+ .. Kk11-j11
59. Ki10-i9+ .. Kj11-i10
60. Ki9-h8+ .. Ki10-h9
61. Kh8-g7 .. Kh9-g8
62. Kg7-h6 .. Kg8-h7
63. Kh6-i5 .. Kh7-i6
64. Ki5-j6 .. Ki6-j7
65. Kj6-i5+ .. Kj7-i6
Aaaaaack!
I understood that the king's could touch (though, I didn't know why), but, no one anywhere - not even in the rules - explained that touching the king makes you safe. It's like touching base in tag. I was doing a back rank mate, but, he got close enough to touch leech onto my king, and I had no choice but to draw. 😭😭😭😭😭 If only I had known!
I could never have imagined that the king could literally touch an opponents queen as long as they touch their opponents king, too. Theoretically, it makes total sense - but, that's so far from chess! Oh, well. This will definitely be a very useful tactic if I ever end up in a losing endgame.
I just discovered a disastrous rule in Atomic... well, rather, I discovered the lack of a rule.
In chess, you have to respond with check - you can't even checkmate if you are in check. But, such an obligation is missing in atomic chess! I was totally crushing it in a game, and I had planned checkmate out in at most 2 moves.
But, my opponent simply ignored my check and threat of checkmate and delivered the final blow - one I was entirely unconcerned about (cue "I Ain't Worried" by OneRepublic) and, thus, unprepared for. But, I lost because I didn't know about this rule.
Is it actually true? Or is it a glitch? Oh well, I'll keep this in mind from now on. Are there any other odd rules or rules missing (aside from kings touching) that I need to know about?
Keep Chessing & Stay Brainy!
Here's my game if anyone's interested:
[GameNr "78921642"]
[TimeControl "3+2"]
[Variant "FFA"]
[RuleVariants "Atomic EnPassant Play4Mate"]
[StartFen4 "2PC"]
[White "King_Red_A"]
[WhiteElo "1600"]
[Black "POTIGUARENSE"]
[BlackElo "1750"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Termination "King captured • 0-1"]
[Site "www.chess.com/variants/atomic/game/78921642"]
[Date "Tue Mar 18 2025 20:12:02 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)"]
[CurrentMove "26"]
1. Nj4-i6 .. i10-i9
2. Ni6-g7 .. h10-h9
3. Ng7-e8 .. f10-f9
4. Ne8-f10+ .. Qg11xNf10
5. h5-h7 .. Bi11-f8
6. g5-g7 .. Bf8-e7+
7. f5-f6 .. Be7-g9
8. h7-h8 .. Bg9-f10
9. Bi4-h5 .. i9xh8
10. Bh5-k8+ .. j10-j9
11. Bk8xj9 .. Nj11-k9
12. Bf4xNk9 .. Rk11-i11
13. Qg4-k8+ .. Ri11xi5#