Chess grew out of games played in India well over a thousand years ago, and Shatranj is still what many of us call it at home. The pieces have had Hindi names for generations: Raja, Wazir, Haathi, Oont, Ghoda and Pyada.
Mandli plays today's standard chess with full rules and a clock. The difference is the room around the board. Two friends play, and everyone else watches the same board live, talks on voice and reacts to every blunder. The winner stays on, and the next person in line sits down.
Below are the rules in plain words, the Hindi names, and how to play chess online with friends in Mandli.
Kya chahiye: Just phones. The app only allows legal moves and runs the clocks.
Rules: kaise khelte hain
The pieces and their Hindi names
- Raja (king): one square in any direction.
- Wazir (queen): any distance in a straight line or diagonal.
- Haathi (rook): any distance straight, across or down.
- Oont (bishop): any distance diagonally.
- Ghoda (knight): an L-shape, two squares one way and one to the side. It is the only piece that jumps.
- Pyada (pawn): one square forward, two on its first move, and captures one square diagonally forward.
Starting the game
White (Safed) moves first. In Mandli the challenger plays White. You tap a piece, the squares it can go to show a dot, and you tap one.
Shah and Shah-maat
When your Raja is attacked it is Shah (check), and your next move must get it out of check. If there is no way out, it is Shah-maat (checkmate) and you lose.
Special moves
- Castling: the Raja moves two squares towards a Haathi, and the Haathi jumps over to the other side. Not allowed if either has moved, if you are in check, or if the Raja passes through an attacked square.
- En passant: a Pyada that moves two squares can be captured by an enemy Pyada beside it, as if it had moved one. Only on the very next move.
- Promotion: a Pyada reaching the last row becomes a Wazir, Haathi, Oont or Ghoda, your choice.
How the game ends
You win by checkmate, when your opponent's clock runs out, or when they resign. It is a draw by stalemate (no legal move but not in check), by agreement, by the 50-move rule, by the same position coming up three times, or when neither side has enough pieces left to checkmate. Mandli applies the 50-move and repetition draws automatically.
Clocks
The host picks the clock: 5+0 (five minutes each), 10+5 (ten minutes each plus 5 seconds after every move, the default) or Aaram se (60 seconds for every move). In Aaram se, the first time you run out you get a warning and 15 extra seconds; the second time, you lose. If your time runs out but your opponent can't possibly checkmate you, it is a draw.
Points kaise milte hain
A win, whether by mate, time or resignation, is worth 20 points. A draw gives 8 each. The loser gets 2 points for sitting down. Watchers don't score, but their turn in the queue is coming. Points carry across games in the same room.
Jeetne ke tips
- Control the centre early with your Pyada and bring out Ghoda and Oont before you move the Wazir.
- Castle early to keep your Raja safe.
- Before every move, check what your opponent's last move is threatening.
- On the 5+0 clock, don't spend two minutes in the opening. Save time for the end.
- Watchers: shout all you like on voice, but the host can switch on Chup-chaap dekho if the players want quiet.
Ghar wale rules aur variants
The older game had weaker pieces: the Wazir moved only one square diagonally and the Oont hopped two squares diagonally. Mandli plays modern chess.
Some older players remember a rule where a Pyada can only become the piece that started on the square it reaches. Mandli lets you choose any of Wazir, Haathi, Oont or Ghoda.
At home most games have no clock. The closest in Mandli is Aaram se, with 60 seconds for each move.
Shatranj online kaise khelein
Make a room in Mandli, share the link on WhatsApp or show the QR code, and pick Shatranj. Friends without the app join from the browser link. Two play and everyone else in the room watches the same board, clocks and move list live, taps reactions and talks on voice. After each game the winner stays and the loser goes to the back of the queue. After 3 wins in a row the champion also takes a break, so everyone gets a turn; the host can switch this off. The host can also switch on Chup-chaap dekho, which mutes watchers during the game. Players can offer a draw or resign. If a player's internet drops, their seat is held for 60 seconds, but their clock keeps running.
Sawaal jawaab
How can I play chess online with friends and voice chat?
Make a Mandli room, pick Shatranj and share the link on WhatsApp. Two of you play while the rest watch live, and the voice chat is built into the game. It is free, with no ads and no login.
What are the chess piece names in Hindi?
Raja is the king, Wazir the queen, Haathi the rook, Oont the bishop, Ghoda the knight and Pyada the pawn.
Is Shatranj the same as chess?
Shatranj is the old name, and it is still what many families call chess. The old game had slightly different piece moves. Mandli plays today's standard chess rules.
What happens when a player runs out of time?
They lose on time, unless the other player doesn't have enough pieces to ever checkmate. Then it is a draw.
Can more than two people play chess together in Mandli?
Two play at a time, but the whole room can watch, react and talk. The winner stays and the next person in the queue takes the other side.