 A game of bughouse chess in progress | |
| Players | 4 |
|---|---|
| Setup time | About 1 min. |
| Playing time | Usually 5–10 mins. |
| Chance | None |
| Skills | Strategy, tactics, blitz chess |
| Synonyms | Exchange chess Siamese chess Tandem chess Tandem Put-Back Transfer chess Double chess Double blitz, Double speed Double bughouse, bughouse Double bug, bug Double Drop-In New England Double Bughouse Cross chess Simultaneous chess Team chess Pass-On chess Pass the Pieces |
Bughouse chess (also known as exchange chess, Siamese chess (but not to be confused with Thai chess), tandem chess, transfer chess, double bughouse, doubles chess, cross chess, swap chess or simply bughouse, bugsy, or bug) is a popular chess variant played on two chessboards by four players in teams of two.[1] Normal chess rules apply, except that captured pieces on one board are passed on to the teammate on the other board, who then has the option of putting these pieces on their board.
The game is usually played at a fast time control. Together with the passing and dropping of pieces, this can make the game look chaotic to the casual onlooker, hence the name bughouse, which is slang for mental hospital.[2] Yearly, several dedicated bughouse tournaments are organized on a national and an international level.
- ^ Other less common names for bughouse include Team chess, Hungarian chess, Swedish chess, New England Double bughouse, Pass-On chess, Tandem Put-Back, Double Speed, Double chess, Double Five, Simultaneous chess, Double bug or Double bughouse (von Zimmerman (2006), front; Manson and Hoover (1992), p. 186 and "Bughouse and Tandem Chess" The Chess Variant Pages). See Bughouse in other languages Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed July 29, 2007.
- ^ Bughouse. Merriam Webster website. Accessed December 2, 2020.