How to play Flying Chess
Flying Chess is a race game for four players. Each player has four planes in a hangar in one corner of the board. You roll a die, launch your planes and fly them once around the track and up your own coloured lane to the centre. The first player to bring all four planes home wins.
Taking off
A plane leaves its hangar for the launch pad on a roll of 2, 4 or 6. A 6 always earns another roll, but a third 6 in a row ends your turn. Planes on the launch pad start the track on your next move.
Moving
- Move one plane forward by the number you rolled. If no plane can move, the turn passes.
- After almost a full lap your plane turns into its home lane, six squares of its own colour leading to the centre.
- You need the exact number to land in the centre. Extra steps bounce the plane back.
Colour jumps and the shortcut
- Land on a square of your own colour and the plane jumps forward to the next square of that colour, four squares ahead.
- Each colour has one square with a dashed line across the board. Land there and you fly straight to the other end of the line, then take the colour jump from there. A colour jump that lands on the shortcut square also flies across.
Bumping
If your plane stops on a square holding an opponent's plane, at the end of a move, a jump or a flight, that plane goes back to its hangar. The shortcut also bumps the plane sitting on the home-lane square it flies over. Launch pads and home lanes are safe.
Tip: when it's your turn, the planes you can move glow and a marker shows where each one will land. ✈ means a shortcut flight, +4 a colour jump and 💥 a bump.
Flying Chess strategy tips
- Launch early. Planes in the hangar can't use your 2s, 4s and 6s for anything else, so get two or three planes out.
- Aim for your colour. Before you choose, check which plane would land on your colour. A colour jump plus the shortcut can cover 16 squares in one move.
- Stay out of range. Stopping one to six squares in front of an opponent's plane gives them a chance to bump you.
- Bump the leader. Sending back a plane that is about to enter its home lane costs that player a whole lap.
- Don't race one plane alone. Spreading moves gives you more choices for each roll and fewer wasted turns at the end.
- Mind the finish. In the home lane you need exact rolls, so it pays to keep other planes moving.
Where Flying Chess comes from
飞行棋 (fēixíng qí) is a Chinese board game from the 20th century. Its inventor is unknown, and it may have developed directly from Ludo, which itself comes from the Indian game Pachisi. It is counted among China's classic modern board games, alongside Jungle (Animal Chess) and Luzhanqi, and almost every Chinese family game box has a Flying Chess board on one side.
Source: Aeroplane Chess, Wikipedia.
Rule variants you may meet
- Six to launch: the traditional rule lets planes take off only on a 6. This site uses the popular "evens" rule (2, 4 or 6).
- Double six: a second 6 in a row sends the plane just moved back to the hangar.
- Stacking: your own planes on one square move together as a block.
- Open shortcut: any player may use any shortcut.
- Home backtrack: without an exact roll, the plane moves backwards instead.
Frequently asked questions
Is Flying Chess the same as Aeroplane Chess?
Yes. Flying Chess, Aeroplane Chess and Airplane Chess are English names for 飞行棋 (fēixíng qí), a Chinese race game for four players.
How is it different from Ludo?
It is a close relative of Ludo. The big differences are the colour jumps, the dashed-line shortcut across the board and the extra roll on a 6. There are no safe squares on the track.
What do I need to roll to take off?
On this site a 2, 4 or 6 launches a plane, a popular variant that keeps games moving. Traditional rules only allow a 6.
What happens if I roll three sixes?
Each 6 gives you another roll. The third 6 in a row ends your turn without a move.
Do I need an exact roll to finish?
Yes. If the roll is larger than the squares left, the plane reaches the centre and bounces back by the extra steps.
How does online play work?
Press Play online and you join the next 4-player table. If the table is not full after a few seconds, the empty seats are filled so you can start straight away. Each turn has a timer; if you are away, your turn is played for you.
Is it free?
Yes. There is nothing to download and no account is needed.