Four Player Chess works on a slightly different set of rules than a traditional two-player game. Whatever variant you play; Teams or FFA, careful players are safe than the ambitious ones. Keeping your pieces safe from all is better than attacking one. Just as in regular chess, strategic elements play a crucial role in the course of the game. Strategic development involves taking pieces to their most active squares, maintaining control on the board, and hindering the opponents’ moves.
Tips and Strategies to Win 4 Player Chess
Watch Your Left Player
The player on your left is the one who can trouble you the most. If he checks you or tends to a threatening move; two more players can make the situation more difficult before you take your next move. Besides, he is the one to respond first to your advancements. So focus more on your left side player. However, it does mean missing other players’ actions. While you are engrossed in checking one, the second one might sneak in insidiously and attack you.
Do Not Rely On Recapture
Sacrificing your piece with the hope of recapture can put you in an awkward situation. Beware of zwischenzug; the unexpected intermediate moves from opponents. The opponent might avoid the expected move; instead poses an immediate threat that needs to be settled first. These moves are highly initiative and can give a new turn to the game. In Four Player Chess; such moves come from three sides. So think from three perspectives before you make any move. Another player’s action might influence your plan.
Develop Pieces Before Making Aggressive Modes
There are two pawn promotion strategies. Either you rush your pawns to get these promoted to higher rank or you prefer to go slow with more pawns. Players hustling for the second queen usually make an undeveloped decision and get attacked soon. Slow and steady wins the race. Moves like fianchettoing a bishop, steadily maintaining pawns, castling, backing pawns with rooks, and developing knights are the lines of action that strong players take.
Trade Less
Trading one piece for another powerful piece might seem great and could be advantageous against one player but not against all. In terms of point scoring, you may gain more points confronting one player but lose more against the other. The same goes for other players as well. Bishops are fantastic as the diagonally playing piece can attack multiple pieces that two rooks at the home square. Knights are best for home defence tasks as they move slowly as compared to other strong pieces.
Know The Power Dynamics
Power dynamics dramatically change in four-player games. A player under attack is at the threshold of attacks from the other side. The player under threat enables you to use the tempo he needs to defend himself. When that player is checked and you move before him, you can devour a piece for free. Contrary to this, the attacking player could also be easy to attack, or he might choose to sacrifice the targeted piece for instance bishop to gain a checkmate.
When one player lines another player up for a mate, line up your pieces and take control over the area of the mate. Similarly, don’t let others take advantage of your mate.
Queen Moves Are Game-Changers
Unlike regular chess, queen moves in the early phase of the game are a strong point in a four-player game. The four-player chess board holds more squares so early queen moves are less vulnerable to tempo moves as compared to regular chess. The queens hold the maximum power for controlling and directing the strategic development. Due to its great mobility, the piece enables the players to survive multiple threats. The situation could be quite opposite for immature players. The mistake they make is they keep the queens moving and pose one-move threats that are easily reversed to lend an upper hand to the opponents in game development.
Know The Weak Squares
Both in regular and four-player chess, each player has a comparatively weak square on the home side that is protected by the king only. These are i2, b9, f13, and m6 square on the four sides. In the opening phase of the game particularly, these squares are often vulnerable to attack. Players must watch these vulnerable squares throughout the game.
Other weak areas are the squares that are protected by the queens only. Queens’ advancement in the early phase may leave the spots undefended and the opponents’ queens can take charge of the side. These spots are f2, b6, i13, and m9 on four sides of the board. Placing the pawns on these squares without a strong follow-up makes it easier for the opponent to get hold of the fort to get the rook. Leaving the pawns unattended here could also be the player’s strategy to trap other players. Squares guarded only by bishops could be a weak point too unless the bishop’s fianchettoing is accomplished.
Controlling The Space
In a four-player large-sized board and with the tactical nature of the game, the positional and spatial piece mobility becomes less relevant than in the traditional game. However, taking pawns too far may weaken the king’s position more than in regular chess. The player that controls the centre of the board has the initiative and can create threats and start attacks easily. In the four-player match, the corners are key areas where the opposing armies meet. Pawns and the rook at corners are pushed forward to attack the opponent’s knight and block the rook.
Avoid Castling
In four-player chess, it is risky to castle in the starting or the middle of the game. The king is the best safe at the centre, surrounded by supporting pieces. Due to castling, the king has to leave the spot and come closer to the enemy. The weak pawn force covering the king will not be sufficient for protecting the king. On the side, the king needs defending pieces on one side and in the centre, the king needs support from all sides. When the game is in its ending phase, it is safe for to castle to develop the rook if required.
Conclusion
These were a few of the strategies to excel in the four-player game of chess. These are the generalized strategies and work most of the time but could vary in different scenarios.