How to Play Crazyhouse Chess Variation

Start like a normal chess game. Any of the opponent’s pieces captured by you become yours to place on any available square on your next turn. This excludes pawns, which cannot be placed on the 8th rank, due to promotion conflicts. You may drop a piece with check, and you may place a piece with checkmate. This works both ways; your opponent has control of your captured pieces, as well.

Be aware of what pieces you are holding at all times, because if you run out of pieces to “drop,” you are forced to make a normal chess move on the board, which could greatly compromise your position. Also try to remember what pieces of yours the opponent is holding, so you can avoid opening yourself up to mates, especially with knights.

Play 1. e4 as white, or king’s pawn out two squares, as this move not only stakes some claim in the centre, but also frees up the white bishop for swift attacks. Castling is not always important in crazyhouse, but should always be considered, depending on the severity of the attack.

Do not fianchetto bishops, or open up too many holes in the pawn chains of your position, especially around your king, because those are wonderfully inviting places for your opponent to drop pieces down in. Once an attack has started in crazyhouse, it can get brutal fast.

Promote pawns to any piece desired if they reach the 8th rank, as usual. However, if a queen is captured that was originally a promoted pawn, for instance, it turns back into a pawn for the capturer to place on the board, and does not retain its royal qualities.