Chess in teams is a fun game night option

While Go is arguably a ‘purer’ abstract strategy game, and one with a longer history, chess is almost certainly the most popular of such games in the world today.

The games popularity – and the general mindset of gamers to tinker with rules – has led to literally hundreds of variations of the common game of chess most in North America are familiar with.

Among the variants are those this reviewer likes a lot, Omega, Plunder, Spartan and a few others among them.

And a long list of variants I have read about frankly impressed so little I was left doubting the time invested to read the rules.

But, one effort which has always interested in those attempts to turn chess into a team game – two-players on each side of the board pitted as a duo against those on the other side.

Bughouse chess is probably the popular team chess variant. It is played on two chessboards by four players in teams of two. 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. It is well-known enough that some significant tournaments take place.

Now there is a new team variant hoping to grab attention.

Chess 2vs2: Faceoff & Surrounded from Canadian designer Slimane Bakelli, and publisher 3Joy Games offers up what ultimately is a pretty standard approach to chess – players all have the standard array at their disposal – but teams are on a much larger board (16x8), and have to work effectively as a duo.

Therein lies the challenge with this.

You are taught chess as a highly individualistic endeavour where you have to have laser focus on not just your own move strategies but the lone opponent’s strategy.

Working with a teammate adds a new dynamic not usually associated with chess. Blending what might be divergent general chess strategies into something cohesively effective will be a new experience encountered here.

The game comes with the 64 pieces (full set in 4 colors). The goal is still the same; checkmate the opponent team's king to win the game. It's a new kind of four player variants.

And, there are two starting set ups, one where partners sit adjacent along the wide side of the board, a layout which players will feel most familiar with in how the board looks.

The other option is one team at each end, the other back-to-back in the centre of the board.

Initially it feels like a normal game, but as the middle of the board opens a crack or two due to pieces moved, or captured attention has to suddenly be very aware of some range attacks from what are quite a different perspective from regular chess.

Now knowing which chess variants catch attention is guesswork at best.

I personally think Omega Chess should be widely played. It is not.

Paco Sako is very unique and deserves a wider play audience than it has.

And the list goes on.

So, will Chess 2vs2: Faceoff & Surrounded break the barrier and find massive success? Probably not given chess history.

But for casual, fun play, Chess 2vs2: Faceoff & Surrounded has some interesting challenges players will need to adapt too, making it worth having on the shelf for chess fans.

On Kickstarter ( https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/3joygames/chess-2vs2-faceoff-and-surrounded )