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How to Play African Chess

African chess is played like any games of chess. The only difference is that the players use an African themed chess set. The chess pieces in an African chess set are hard to recognize even though they correspond to the traditional pieces of pawn, king, or knight fashioned after medieval life. African chess sets come in two main types: the pieces either represent wild animals or African tribal roles. For some people African chess sets are a collectible. These chess sets are hand-crafted, made of mahogany or ivory, are large and heavy and also expensive. But cheaper versions of African chess pieces are also available.

Instructions

- 1
  Purchase an African chess set that you find appealing. The Internet offers a wide selection of animal and tribal chess sets.
- 2
  Read the owner's manual that comes with the chess set. Themed chess sets often come with illustrations or pictures of the African chess pieces explaining how they relate to traditional cheese pieces. Learn what the African chess pieces represent. This makes playing chess a little easier than repeatedly referring to the manual.
- 3
  Find a chess partner for playing informally. Chess tournaments rarely allow African chess sets or other exotically themed sets. But you can play African chess as a hobby or at home.
- 4
  Move the king one space in any of four directions -- north, south, east or west. In tribal sets the corresponding piece is the chief or chieftain of the tribe. Many tribal sets used real African tribes such as the Zulus or Masai. In animal chess sets the lion usually represents the king.
- 5
  Move the queen one or more spaces in any straight line. This means forward, backwards, sideways and diagonally. In many tribal chess sets, the wife of the chief or chieftain represents the queen. Other tribal chess sets have a woman wearing an African turban. The lioness or the leopard often represents the queen in animal sets.
- 6
  Move the bishop one or more spaces diagonally on one color of the board. In many tribal chess sets the witch doctor represents the bishop. In many animal chess sets the buffalo takes the place of the bishop.
- 7
  Move the knight two spaces in one direction and one space at a 90 degree angle. This creates an "L" shape. In tribal sets a tribesman on a horse frequently represents the knight. For animal chess sets the rhino, giraffe and zebra can each represent the knight.
- 8
  Move the rook one or more spaces forward, backwards or sideways. In tribal sets a structure, building or an African drum corresponds to the rook. In many animal sets the elephant is the rook.
- 9
  Move the pawn one space forward. Children usually represent pawns in tribal chess sets. Monkeys or baboons represent the pawn in animal chess sets.

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