How to play Plunder Chess

Learn the rules to the Chess Variant: Plunder Chess quickly and concisely - This video has no distractions, just the rules. For a refresher of the original Chess rules, check out this video: https://youtu.be/fKxG8KjH1QgShow more

Don't own the game? Buy it here:
https://buy.triplesgames.com/PlunderChess

Play regular chess online for free here:
https://link.triplesgames.com/Play-Chess-Online

(As an chess.com affiliate we earn from qualifying subscriptions)

RULES:
The rules are the same as regular chess, except for these changes. During setup place the vests to the side. Whenever a piece is captured, the capturing piece has the option to plunder the captured pieces moves. To plunder the moves, take an available vest from the side of the board that matches the captured piece and place it onto the capturing piece. If you capture a piece that already has a vest on it, then you may plunder that piece’s vest instead if you like. Pieces may only have 1 vest at a time.

A piece with a vest is allowed to perform any legal move of the piece’s symbol on that vest 1 time. This is called a vest-move. After a vest-move, remove the vest from the piece and return it to the side of the board so it can be used again later if needed. Pieces may still perform conventional moves while wearing a vest without losing that vest’s ability. If you capture a piece with a conventional move while wearing a vest, you must either decline plundering the new piece or you must remove your current vest before plundering the new one.

If you capture a piece with a vest-move, you must first remove the current vest before plundering your opponent’s piece. You do not have to plunder if you don’t want to, but you may not plunder the vest at a later time. You may not plunger a piece that has the same moving capability as the capturing piece. For example, a queen may not plunder a rook, bishop, or queen. All pieces, except for pawns, may plunder pawns to gain their en passant move. Knights, bishops and kings may also plunder a pawn's double step move option in addition to the condition of being captured from en passant. A king may not use a pawn vest-move for the double step move if en passant is present.

The pawn vest does not allow any piece to promote to a higher rank piece. Pawns are allowed to use their vest-move in order to promote. If a pawn wearing a vest uses a conventional move to promote, then whatever vest it is currently wearing will be transferred to the promoted piece so long as that vest adds movement potential to the promoted piece. Promoted pieces may not gain a pawn vest upon promotion nor does a pawn-vest promote to a different vest when reaching the farthest row.

If a pawn uses a vest-move to return to the 2nd row, it regains it’s double step move option as well as the ability to be captured via en passant.

A knight vest-move allows pieces to jump over other pieces. Castling is allowed like normal unless a vest-move threatens an open space between the king and rook.

Vests automatically and immediately check an opponent’s king. There is no limit to the number of time a vest can check a king. It is also possible for a king to check or even checkmate their opponent with a vest so long as they remain out of check. Kings may use their vest-move to escape check. A king’s vest-move is allowed to slide through check so long as the king doesn’t end on a space in check.