How do you pick pieces and set up a game in picklechess?

Updated

In picklechess, you don't start from the standard chess position. You and your opponent each buy a set of pieces within a budget, place them on your own back two rows, and then play a mini chess game. White picks first and moves first. Pawns go in the front row, everything else in the back row, and you can buy multiple copies of any piece except the king as long as your budget covers it. One setup rule matters more than the rest: if your setup ends with Black's king in check, Black loses immediately.

The setup rules you need to know

  • White picks first, then moves first. The pick order and the first move both belong to White.
  • Pawns go in the front row. All non-pawn pieces go in the back row.
  • You can buy duplicates. Apart from the king, you may pick as many copies of a piece as you can afford.
  • Budget limits your army. The piece shop shows a budget range (the site lists 14–22 as a budget option), and your total spend can't exceed it.
  • Black can't start in check. If the final setup leaves Black's king in check, Black loses immediately — so Black has to place pieces so the king isn't attacked.

How to pick pieces and start a game

  1. Open the piece shop. Choose a piece set (Classic, Extended, Chaos, Complete, Budget, or Random) and a budget. The budget determines how much you can spend on your army.
  2. Buy your pieces. Add pawns and back-row pieces. You can take several copies of the same piece if the budget allows; the king is the one piece you can't duplicate.
  3. Place your pieces. Put pawns in the front row and the rest in the back row. If you're Black, check that your king isn't in check when setup ends.
  4. Confirm the setup. Once both sides are placed, the game is ready.
  5. Tap Ready to start. The match begins with White's first move.

For a live opponent, use Play Friend to create a game and get a code, or enter a friend's code to join. You can also use Play Bot to set a bot level (Beginner, Normal, Strong, Advanced, or Master) and play out a game, or use matchmaking to find an opponent.

Mini chess rules that change your setup

  • Pawns can't advance two squares. There's no double-step opening move, so pawn structure matters differently from regular chess.
  • Pawns promote only to piece types you bought. If you didn't buy a queen, your pawn can't become one. This makes your shop choices part of your endgame plan.
  • The king castles by moving two squares toward the rook. Castling works with the two-square king move.
  • Draws happen automatically by threefold repetition or the fifty-move rule.

Common setup mistakes

  • Leaving Black's king in check. This ends the game before it starts, so Black should verify the king's safety before confirming.
  • Spending the whole budget on back-row pieces. Pawns still occupy the front row and promote only into pieces you bought, so an army with no promotion targets limits your late game.
  • Assuming standard pawn moves. Since pawns can't move two squares, opening plans built around a quick central push won't work the same way.

If you just want to try it without committing to a full match, the Daily Challenge asks you to checkmate in as few moves as possible, and the site also offers a bot game and friend games by code.