Four-player chess for themselves. As with regular chess, four-player chess begins with fortifications and the of pieces, but opportunities for capturing pieces (and gaining points) come about at large as each of the three opponents likewise do attacks and make threats of capture. Therefore picking friends and enemies has a political quality; ultimately the impromptu teammates will have to combat each other as only one can win. The Cox-Forbes theory of the origin of chess, though debunked, asserts that a four-player version was the earliest form of the game. A description of a four-player chess game is found in an Indian text
Kung-Fu Chess Chess contained six different game types: in addition to the four existed in Shizmoo's Kung-Fu Chess, also included Fast Standard, and Four-Way Crazyhouse. On May 27, 2014 Tempest was discontinued by its owner. In 2010 a game similar to Kung Fu Chess dubbed "Ninja Chess" has been developed for iPhone and iPad. It is published on the App Store by Nordlysa Entertainment, but has been abandoned by the creator and is currently unavailable from the Store. This project brings the concept of Real-Time Chess to touch interfaces and includes the ability to play Head-to-Head (each player facing his own board).