🔄 Crazyhouse: rules and free online play

Every piece you capture goes into your reserve, and on a later turn you may drop it on any empty square instead of moving.

Drops: Captured pieces return to play
Pawns: Cannot be dropped on the first or last rank
Pace: Fast and tactical

Play for free Play as a guest

Rules

When you capture, the piece joins your own reserve with its type unchanged. On any turn you may place a reserved piece on an empty square instead of making a normal move.

Dropped pawns cannot go on the first or eighth rank. A promoted pawn that is captured returns to the reserve as a pawn.

Try the rules

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

How it differs from classic chess

Material no longer disappears, so trades are really exchanges of ammunition. Attacks come faster, defences must be tighter, and the side with more pieces in reserve often holds the initiative.

Tips for beginners

Trade when it feeds your reserve more than the opponent's.
Keep the king's neighbourhood solid: a knight dropped next to it can be decisive.
Watch the clock — the game rewards speed.

Play and practise

Choose “Crazyhouse” 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.