Dark Chess for Seniors
Cards and Boards
Dark Chess is a board game on ElderWit.com, made for older adults with large print and big buttons. The flip and capture game played on half an Elephant Chess board in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Every piece starts face down. Turn them over, then take smaller pieces with bigger ones.
Play nowNothing to download. It opens in your web browser.
How to play Dark Chess
- Tap Play now. Dark Chess opens right here in your web browser.
- Choose a level: Easy, Medium or Harder.
- All 32 pieces start face down on a board of 4 rows and 8 columns.
- Tap a face down piece to turn it over. The first piece you turn over sets your color.
- On each turn, turn a piece over, or move one of yours a single step up, down or across.
- Land on a smaller enemy piece to take it: General, Advisor, Elephant, Chariot, Horse, Cannon, Soldier, from biggest to smallest.
- A Soldier can take the General, and the General cannot take a Soldier. The Cannon takes by jumping over exactly one piece.
- Take all of the computer's pieces, or leave it with no move, and you win.
- Take your time. There is no clock and no rush.
- When you finish, try the same level again or move up a level.
Three levels
- Easy: The computer plays loosely and often leaves pieces where you can take them.
- Medium: The computer guards its pieces and looks for safe captures.
- Harder: The computer plays its best and rarely leaves a piece in danger.
Why people enjoy it
Dark Chess mixes a little luck with a lot of judgment. Every piece you turn over changes the picture, and deciding when to flip and when to move keeps each game fresh from start to finish.
Similar games to try
Players who like Dark Chess often go on to Elephant Chess. Xiangqi, the great board game of China, played in parks and on street corners every day. Generals, horses, chariots and the leaping cannon, with a river across the middle of the board. Animal Ranks is another good pick. Each side has animals of different strength. An animal steps one square and may take an animal of the same strength or weaker. The mouse is the one animal that can take the elephant. Step into the other den to win. Chess is worth a try too. The classic game of kings and queens. You play the light pieces against a computer player. Tap a piece to see where it can go, then tap the square.
Questions
Is Dark Chess easy to learn?
Yes. Start on Easy: The computer plays loosely and often leaves pieces where you can take them. When that feels comfortable, move up. On Harder: The computer plays its best and rarely leaves a piece in danger.
Can I make the words bigger in Dark Chess?
Yes. The print is large to start with, and Settings lets you make it larger still. It works on a phone, tablet or computer.
What else is on ElderWit.com besides Dark Chess?
Dark Chess is one of 2,000+ games on ElderWit.com: word games, cards, trivia, puzzles, memory games and more, all with large print, calm screens and no ads.
More Cards and Boards
- Elephant ChessXiangqi, the great board game of China, played in parks and on street corners every day.
- Animal RanksEach side has animals of different strength.
- ChessThe classic game of kings and queens.
- CheckersPlay checkers against a gentle computer.
- Mini ChessChess on a small five by five board.
- GoThe ancient board game of surrounding, played across Japan, China and Korea, here on a small 9 by 9 board.
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