Kingdom Conquerors

   This is a complicated chess variant that my sister and I created when we were young. We had a chess/checkers/backgammon set, a die, and a deck of cards. 

Setup:

   Board setup is normal. Each player has 4 checkers, called "towers". Before the game begins, players alternate, beginning with black, to place their towers on the board. They may be placed on any square that is not occupied by a piece. Next, each player is dealt 4 cards from the deck.

Gameplay:

   Played like standard chess. Each time a piece lands on a tower of the same color (white piece/white checker, black piece/black checker), that player draws the top card from the deck.

Cards:

   Cards may be used before moving on your turn. Cards have many different uses:

1. Resurrection (Number cards)

     Number cards (2-10) may be played together to resurrect pieces or pawns that have already been captured. The price of resurrection is 10 times the Reinfield value. The cards being used are discarded into a discard pile, face up. When resurrecting, the new piece or pawn is placed on any empty square which that piece/pawn begins at. Many cards can be used at a time, but only one piece can be resurrected per turn. 

2. Dice Roll (Ace)

     When an ace is played, the player who is using it may roll the die (standard 1-6). That player may move any of his pawns forward that many squares (or less), but may not jump over any other pieces or pawns. The ace is then discarded.

3. Special Power (Face card)

     Face cards have special abilities. There are four abilities, one for each suit (rank doesn't matter).

- Playing a Heart allows you to move any of your opponent's pieces or pawns after moving your own.

- Playing a Club allows one of your pawns to capture the piece or pawn directly in front of it.

- Playing a Spade allows you to dig up (remove) your one of your opponent's towers from the game.

- A diamond is worth 10 points and is used as a number card.

Just as in standard chess, checkmate is the goal.

I know, it's complicated. That's what happens when you are bored.