How to play Shroom Chess

Shroom Chess is chess with an economy. Pieces move as in chess, on a bigger board, and every turn earns credits you can spend instead of moving.

The board and pieces

A 10×10 board with the usual pieces plus three new ones: the Cardinal (bishop and knight), the Marshal (rook and knight) and the Dragon (queen and knight).

A turn

• Do exactly one thing: a normal chess move, or one power paid with credits (or with a free mushroom card).
• Then roll the die for 1–20 credits.
• Your savings shrink 5% at the start of each of your turns, so spend them.

Powers

Build your army up with upgrade, spawn and swap, knock pieces down with downgrade, or bribe enemy pieces: freeze one for three turns, make it desert the board, or have it betray its side and join yours. Each piece has its own bribe price, and every use of a power costs a little more than the last.

The mushroom and the gamble

A mushroom hides on the middle of the board: the first piece to land on it wins a free power. Once a game you can gamble, multiplying a turn’s roll — for better or worse.

Winning

Checkmate wins. Stalemate, threefold repetition and a long stretch with no progress are draws, as in chess.