Bughouse has no official FIDE rules, so clubs play variants. The commonly accepted basis:
| What | Rule | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Teams | two teams of two players; partners play opposite colours on neighbouring boards | one partner's White sits next to the other's Black |
| A captured piece | is passed to your partner straight away | your partner builds up a reserve of pieces |
| Dropping | instead of a move you may place a piece from your reserve on any empty square | that is your move: press the clock after it |
| Pawns | cannot be dropped on the first or last rank | a pawn cannot promote immediately |
| A promoted piece | if captured, goes to the partner as a pawn | the custom in most clubs |
| Check and mate by a drop | usually allowed | some clubs forbid mating with a dropped piece - agree in advance |
| Talking to your partner | you may tell your partner which piece you need | you may not touch pieces on another board |
| End of the match | as soon as a game on either board ends | mate, resignation or a flag fall - the result counts for both boards |
A drop is a move. Instead of moving a piece on the board, you take a piece from your reserve, place it on any empty square and then press the clock. Restrictions:
The most common trick is dropping a knight with check next to the opponent's king: that check cannot be blocked.
In the Vibe Chess app bughouse is a separate event type, next to Swiss, round robin and a casual meetup. There is no pairing: pairs form by themselves, and matches are played as long as the room wants.
| What | How it works |
|---|---|
| Pairs | form themselves: Team up with whoever you like, Split up - while you have no match |
| The match | pair against pair, two neighbouring tables |
| Clocks | each board has its own; the first press on either board starts both, and the pause is shared too |
| End of the match | a game ends on one board - the second board's clock stops by itself |
| Result | a win, draw or loss for the whole pair - 1, ½ or 0 |
| Rating | the pair has its own, starting at 1200, carried over to later evenings; personal ratings do not change |
| Swap boards | partners swap tables until the match clock starts |
| Pair standings | a Bughouse section in the rating and pairs in each player's profile |
Bughouse works well as a second block after a normal tournament or at a festival. Another format for an evening - a chess marathon.
A four-player game on two boards: two teams of two, captured pieces go to your partner, who can drop them on their own board instead of moving.
No. A pawn cannot be dropped on the first or last rank.
As soon as a game on either of the two boards ends - by mate, resignation or a flag. Its result is the result for both boards.
Yes, it is part of the game: you can ask for the piece you need and warn them. You may not touch pieces on your partner's board.
Usually 3 or 5-minute blitz without increment - matches are short and lively.
No. The pair has its own rating, starting at 1200 and kept between evenings, while players' personal ratings do not change.
Everything people usually keep in a spreadsheet is already in the app: pairings, points, tie-breaks, round order. Free, with no subscriptions and no cap on the number of players.
many players, one evening: four or five rounds are enough
the fairest format for six to ten players
not a tournament, just an evening of chess - who is free and who is playing is visible in the app
The bot is constantly improved based on real tournaments. If you need a feature that isn't there yet, message the developers right inside the bot with the /support command. Many features appeared exactly because organizers asked for them, and useful ideas get added quickly.
More about formats: a chess marathon and chess rules.
At the board since childhood: hazy about his rating, precise about every rook he has blundered. Counts an evening as a good one if the opponent stayed to talk afterwards instead of rushing off to check with an engine. Message →
