Official Rulings - September 17, 2003
Section 3: Specific Cards - H

Q. HAND TO HAND decreases the size of the board to the smallest rectangle that can fit all the pieces, and it is a Continuing Effect. Does the board continue to get smaller as pieces move and new empty ranks are open?

A. No. The board is only shrunk when HAND TO HAND is played. HAND TO HAND is a Continuing Effect so that it may be affected by cards that suspend or cancel Continuing Effects.

Q. If I play REBIRTH to return a piece to its starting square, what happens if all those squares have been removed from play by HAND TO HAND?

A. REBIRTH is played without effect. This is just as if REBIRTH was played without an unoccupied square to place the piece.

Q. I play PEACE TALKS. My opponent then plays HAUNTING MEMORIES on PEACE TALKS. If I now play another HAUNTING MEMORIES (or COUNTERTHRUST) on the HAUNTING MEMORIES he played, which card does it duplicate?

A. It duplicates your HAUNTING MEMORIES, having the same effect as a third PEACE TALKS.

Q. My opponent plays HEIR, giving him his second King. I then play HAUNTING MEMORIES, give me my second King. He then attempts to play CONTERTHRUST, giving him a third King. Wouldn't this be (while clever) illegal?

A. His COUNTERTHRUST would be illegal, for two reasons:

a) In the sequence given above, his King's starting square wouldn't be unoccupied, since his first HEIR would currently be sitting there.

b) The restriction on HAUNTING MEMORIES that it cannot duplicate a unique card from your deck does indeed mean that even if he had moved the HEIR, he couldn't get a second HEIR.

Q. I played MEDUSA, turned a piece to stone. Opponent did not play a card on his turn. My next turn, I moved a piece then played HAUNTING MEMORIES. Later opponent plays BIG MOJO on MEDUSA. Does BIG MOJO clear both MEDUSA effects, or only one?

A. Only one.

Q. If I play a card that specifically states that it constitutes my whole move, and my opponent then plays HAUNTING MEMORIES, does that mean it constitutes his whole move as well, i.e. he cannot make a move or play another card?

A. Yes. HAUNTING MEMORIES has the same effect as the last card, and if part of the effect of the last card was that it replaced your move, then HAUNTING MEMORIES replaced your move.

But note that he cannot play another card because he already played a card, HAUNTING MEMORIES, not because your card replaced your move. If he could somehow replicate the effect of your last card without playing his own card (not possible with the current card set), he'd still be able to play a card of his own (as long it did not also replace his move).

Q. White plays HEIR. Can Black use a regular card to checkmate one King?

A. There is no checkmate against White possible until one of White's Kings has been captured.

Q. Can Black capture one King using a card (e.g. MERCILESS)?

A. Yes.

Q. Can BRIBERY by used by an HEIR when it it threatened?

A. Yes.

Q. If an HEIR is giving check, can the other player use BRIBERY to make the HEIR change sides?

A. Yes, as long as your opponent had previously lost a King and you have more than one King in play. This satisifies the conditions on BRIBERY and does not violate the Checkmate Rule. Identical situation holds for WARLORD.

Q. If KING OF THE MOUNTAIN and HEIR are both in effect, do you win if your third turn ends with one King in check?

A. Yes, as the rules for HEIR state you may leave one King in check. However you wouldn't be allowed to complete any turn, even the final one, with both Kings in check.

Q. If HEIR is removed by PEACE TALKS, who decides which King to remove?

A. HEIR cannot be removed from play in this method; it is not a continuing effect card. The only legal way to remove HEIR is to cancel the card as it is played via FOG OF WAR.

Q. In regular chess, you cannot move your King through check. Since DOPPELGANGER and HERO WORSHIP creates other situations where the King is able to move multiple squares, does it follow that you cannot move your King though check when it is moving like a different piece?

A. In Knightmare Chess, the restriction on castling through check is lifted, even when not playing a card, so long as that it does not end its turn in check. So yes, when moving the King like a different piece, it may move through check.

Q. If a PALADIN finishes its first of two jumps on a SEAT OF POWER (or HOLY GROUND), may it then, on its second jump, move like a Queen (or Bishop)?

A. No. SEAT OF POWER affects moves, not jumps. But, for instance, a Rook that had moved onto the SEAT OF POWER and then had MERCILESS played on it could make its second move as a Queen.

Q. My opponent's Queen is CURSED. He establishes HOLY GROUND near her. His question: if his Queen begins her turn on HOLY GROUND, and she can choose her regular move (two squares) or to move as a Bishop, is her Bishop-like movement restricted to two squares?

A. Yes.

Q. Can a PACIFIST piece be captured by FIREBALL, HOSTAGE, REVENGE, TOLL, DOOMSAYER or SPLIT KNIGHT? Can it be killed (made Dead) by BETRAYAL or DISINTEGRATION?

A. It is not subject to any of the listed capture effects (and cannot itself explode to trigger FIREBALL). It also does not threaten any pieces, so it could not use SPLIT KNIGHT. It may become Dead because of BETRAYAL or DISINTEGRATION.

Q. During a TRUCE, can a piece be captured by FIREBALL, HOSTAGE, REVENGE, TOLL, DOOMSAYER or SPLIT KNIGHT? Can it be killed (made Dead) by BETRAYAL or DISINTEGRATION?

A. Pieces are not subject to any of the listed capture effects during a TRUCE (and none may explode to trigger FIREBALL). They also do not threaten any pieces, so none could use SPLIT KNIGHT. They may become Dead because of BETRAYAL or DISINTEGRATION.