👥 Bughouse: rules and free online play

Two boards, two partners per team. Whatever you capture is handed to your partner, who can drop it on their board.

Players: 4, in two teams
Boards: 2 linked boards
Win: Mate or flag on either board

Rules

Partners sit on different boards with opposite colours. When you capture a piece, it goes to your partner's reserve and can be dropped on their next turn instead of a move.

The team wins when either of its players mates an opponent or when an opponent runs out of time.

Try the rules

Pick a position and press a button to see the rule in action.

How it differs from classic chess

The hardest skill is communication: calling for a piece or asking your partner to hold back a trade decides many games. Speed matters more than depth.

Tips for beginners

Tell your partner exactly which piece you need.
Sometimes it is worth giving up material to deny the opponents a key piece.
Do not leave your clock behind your partner's — time is a weapon.

Play and practise

Choose “Bughouse” in the game window and play against the Fairy-Stockfish engine or send a link to a friend. Ratings are kept separately for every mode. The site interface is currently in Russian; this page explains the rules in English.