How to play 1D Chess

Learn the rules to the Gardner Puzzle game 1D Chess quickly and concisely – This video has no distractions, just the rules.

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RULES:
The object of this single player puzzle game is to figure out how white can checkmate black’s king. On a 1 by 8 board, place white’s pieces from left to right: King, Knight, and Rook. Mirror this setup for black. The king moves 1 square in either direction. The knight jumps 2 squares in either direction. The Rook moves any number of squares in either direction. You are not allowed to castle. The game is a draw if you stalemate, have insufficient material, or repeat the same board position 3 times in a game. Can you figure out how white can checkmate black? Check out the link in the description for where you can play online for free.

260 Comments

  1. Well white will always win the game.
    Here's how:
    1. Nd1 Ne1 (1. … Rxd1 (1. … Re1 2. Rb1 Rf1 3. Nxf1#) 2. Rxd1 Ne1 3.Rxe1#) 3. Nxf1+ Kg1 4. Rd1 Kxf1 5. Rb1 Kg1 6. Rxe1#
    White will win if it's his turn first, if you think black would play first then the game is for black!
    That's why it doesn't exist in tournaments and in official chess events.

  2. 1- Re1————Re1
    2-Rxe1———-Nxe1
    3-Nd1———–Ng1
    4-Nf1#———White WINS!

  3. Pretty sure this is already a solved game haha

  4. i won
    Knight to 4
    Knight take rook
    Rook to 4
    Rook to 2
    And Rook take Knight
    CHECKMATE!!!

  5. The narrator doesn't mention here, but Gardner is the Martin Gardner who had a fascinating column in Scientific American for many years. This info. is given in the first link of the description.

  6. lets say the boards coordinates are 1-8, 1 is where the white king is and 8 is where the black king is. then the move order would be. White Knight 4, Black knight 5, White knightXBlack rook 6, Black king 7, white rook 4, Black kingXWhite knight 6, white king 2, Black king 7, White rookXBlack knight 5. Checkmate

  7. I won once with a rook but I don't remember what I did and I'm trying to replicate it

  8. Hmmmmm i played it but it somehow stalemate even though white knight can move behind black king and everywhere black king move is dead

  9. A moment of silence for that knight 💀

  10. This is a forced draw, what are you even talking about?!

  11. This is a forced draw and checkmate can only occur, if black plays a particular set of moves

  12. This is just like tic tax toe. Just stalemate or be dumb and lose

  13. 'the rules are the same as regular chess'
    also changes the entire game

  14. This is crazy. White can force a draw on the first move with stalemate.

  15. Your website doesn't work in Firefox – the pieces don't appear

  16. So basiclly if here here there chess takes and mate

  17. White to move mate in 2
    Knight to a4 rook takes a4 rook takes a4 mate

  18. move your knight straight twice,
    move the rook 1 space to the right
    move the king 1 space to the right
    than take the knight with the rook

  19. Not too hard, I got it second try. Quite fun though

  20. I don’t understand how it doesn’t just end in stalemate every time

  21. "Rules are the same as normal chess."
    "The knight moves completely differently."

  22. That weird knight move hurts me, at least it jumps…

  23. 1. N4
    If black plays Rx4, then 2. Rx4, N5, 3. Rx5++
    If black plays R5, then 2. K2, R6, 3. Nx6, N5, 4. Rx5, K7, 5. N4++
    If black plays N5, then 2. Nx6, K7, 3. R4, Kx6, 4. R2. If black plays N3, then 5. Rx3++. If black plays K7, then 5. Rx6++
    So, it is always checkmate in a maximum of 5 moves.

  24. Needed 5 minutes to solve it… easier then i thought

  25. lets go in did it
    move knight
    take rook check
    move rook right
    move king
    take knight checkmate

  26. I prefer -1 or iD chess where there is a 0 x 0 board, and no pieces are on there. There's also no players. No draws, wins, or losses.. Just existing.

  27. There is an answer:

    N4 (R5(R4 R4 N5 R5) R2 (R6 N6) R4 R4 N5 R5) N5 N6 K7 R4 K6 R2 (N3 R3) K7 R5

  28. took a few attempts but here's my solution:
    1. N4 1. N5
    2. Nx6+ 2. K7
    3. R4 3. Kx6
    4. K2 4. K7
    5. Rx5#

  29. What the f**k did whoever invented this version of Chess bring upon this planet?

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