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get a minute, like correspondence chess.
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How to play
Twelve Janggi is Korean chess shrunk to a 3×4 board and four
pieces a side. Everything you capture comes back — as your piece.
The board
Three files (a, b, c) and four ranks. Red starts at the bottom and moves first.
Each side lines up a General, a King and an Elephant on the back rank, with a
single Child in front of the King.
Movement
Every piece moves exactly one square — nothing slides. The dots printed around
each piece show the directions it can go, so you never have to memorise them.
Capturing and drops
Move onto an enemy piece to capture it. The captured piece changes sides and goes
into your hand. On any later turn you may drop a piece from your hand onto
any empty square instead of moving — it comes back facing your way. There are no
drop restrictions: the last rank, doubled files and drop-mates are all legal.
A Marquis that gets captured reverts to a plain Child in your hand.
Promotion
A Child that reaches the opponent's back rank must promote to a Marquis,
which moves like a King but cannot step backwards diagonally.
Winning
Capture the King. There is no checkmate here — you win by actually
taking it.
The Try. Step your King onto the opponent's back rank. You win —
unless they capture your King on their very next move. Miss that capture and
the game is over.
A player with no legal move loses. The same position occurring
three times is a draw.
One warning
Nothing stops you moving your King onto a square where it can be taken — squares
like that are outlined in red, and a banner warns you when your King is already
under attack. Watching out for it is your job, not the rules'.
Playing over days
Sign in and start a game against someone on the allowlist. Neither of you has to
be online at the same time — play a move whenever you get a minute and it will be
waiting for them. Turn on notifications and your phone will tell you when it's
your move. Either of you can ask for a takeback; it only happens if the other
one agrees.