Published by Ravensburger
Edited by Lutz Pietschker
This game was published by Ravensburger Spiele in 1976. It has been out of print for some time. It is an easy, fast race game, more intelligent than "Mensch Ärgere Dich Nicht" or Pachisi but not really a game of tactics.
The rules have been taken from the English section of the original rules booklet. They are published by firendly permission of Ravensburger Spiele / Otto Maier Verlag.
Texts in Italics and signed "Ed." are my own additions and (hopefully) clarifications. Otherwise, I left the rules as they were written by the publishers.
A sharp race game for 2 - 4 players from 8 to adult, by Alex Randolph
Ravensburg Games No. 601 5 424 4
Contents:
This game combines the excitement of a race game with variety of a good board game. The checkered race-course is something new and unusual and so are the moves. The die has a chess figure on each face. The moves are the moves of the chess pieces as indicated by the throw of the die. This means that the pieces may play a different chess figure each move. You do not need to know how to play chess- on the contrary, the game is a pleasant way of practicing the chess moves. The moves are explained in detail on page 13 (end of this file, Ed.).
The objective is to cross the finish line. The first player to get his 3 pieces across wins the game.
Players throw for colours. The player who threw King will be first to play
and sets up the 3 green pieces on his "start", i.e. the green space at the
starting line. The player to his left sets up the yellow pieces on the yellow
space; next player the red; and fourth the blue pieces. Players move in this
order throughout the game. (When 4 play, the fourth player, blue, has a slight
advantage with his first moves which compensate for his having to move
last.)
The race may now begin.
Play in turn by throwing the die and then moving one piece with a chess move as indicated by your throw (see below). Example: if the Bishop comes up, move one piece like a Bishop, if the Pawn comes up, move one piece like a Pawn, etc. Moves are counted from directly behind the starting line. A new piece can be entered with any move.
When moving like a Pawn some special rules apply: players may move 2 squares with a Pawn when moving from the starting point. In the corner areas a Pawn is free to decide which direction is "forward".
When a King comes up on the die you benefit from 2 special royal privileges. First, you have the choice of either moving 1 piece like a King, or of placing (or moving) the obstacle piece so that it covers 2 adjacent squares of your choice- provided, however, that these squares are within the area marked by the two black arrows.
And second, after throwing a King you may immediately play again. There are two permanent obstacles at the end of the course (black squares). The movable obstacle may be brought into play when a King comes up and may be moved around with each King thrown. Obstacles (whether permanent or mov- able) may be jumped only with Knight moves. With other moves you must go around the obstacles.
Captures are made as in chess; pieces are sent back to the starting point.
A piece is captured when another piece lands on the square it is occupying.
As moves can be made in several directions (Pawns excluded), it is advisable
to think ahead and watch your pieces carefully.
Example: do not put your piece where it can be captured by a Bishop.
First player to get his 3 pieces across the finish line wins the game.
Copyright 1976 by Otto Maier Verlag Ravensburg
| King |  |
 |
A King moves 1 square at a time in any direction, on the rank (sideward), on the file (forward or backward), or on the diagonal. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen |  |
 |
A Queen may move in any direction (on a straight line of adjacent squares) and any distance so long as no obstructions intervene. |
| Rook |  |
 |
A Rook may move any distance along an unobstructed rank or file (forward, backward, sideward). |
| Bishop |  |
 |
A Bishop moves on diagonal lines only, any distance along an unobstructed line. |
| Knight |  |
 |
Unlike all other pieces, it moves not on a line, but from point to point.
The Knight moves 2 squares (forward, backward, sideward) and then one to
the side. It always ends up on a different colour from that of the starting
point. (The Knight is the only piece that may jump over other pieces, and over obstacles. Ed.) |
| Pawn |  |
 |
A Pawn may only move forward, one square at a time (exception is the 2 square move from the initial position). Pawns capture diagonally, on the square adjacent and forward. |