How to play KaoChess
If you already know how chess pieces move, these are the KaoChess rules you need to begin.
How KaoChess differs from classic chess
KaoChess starts from the same board, Pieces and check rule as classic chess: most of a game is still normal chess. The difference is your Hand of three Cards. Instead of a Move, you may play one Card — a Portal linking two squares, a Mutation changing how a Piece moves, or another rule change — for that Turn only, then the game continues under the usual rules again.
A Turn and its Cards
Without a Card, play one legal Move. You may instead play one Card from your Hand and complete every choice and mandatory Move in its Sequence. You cannot add another Card or a Discard to that Turn. A Discard consumes one Card instead of playing a Move; it is unavailable while you are in check.
Hand, Deck and Discard
Your Hand starts with three Cards. A played or discarded Card is permanently consumed, then replaced from your Deck while Cards remain. The Hand shrinks after the Deck runs out; discarded Cards do not return to a draw pile.
Start a game
For a Remote game, create a Room, send its invitation link to a friend on another device, and wait for them to take the free Place. An Automated game starts as soon as KaoChess takes the other Place for its automated player; no invitation is needed. The Room assigns colors when both Places are taken.
Cadence and Clock
Choose Untimed, 15 minutes or 30 minutes before opening a Room. In a timed game, your Clock runs throughout your own Turn, including unfinished or cancelled Card and Discard choices, even while you are away. It stops during your opponent’s Turn.
What stays hidden
Both players use the same public Deck recipe, but each Deck is shuffled independently. Your opponent’s Hand and the order of undrawn Cards stay private unless a Card rule reveals them. You can inspect the public recipe without learning those secrets.
Play again
After a game ends, both players can request a rematch in the same Room. It starts a fresh game with colors swapped and the same Cadence and Deck recipe; Hands, Deck order, board and Journal start again.