cambodian chess games

8/10/2019 Cambodian Chess Games

1/8

Cambodian Chess Games

Introduction

Ouk Chatrang: Cambodian Chess

Play Setting and Object of GameChessboard and Forces

Initial Position or Arrangement

Power of Move

Promotion of Fish

Order of Individual Relative Values

Draws of Game

Another Style of Game

Rek: A Variant of Chess

Settings and Rules

Another Style of Game, Too

Glossary of Cambodian Chess GamesBibliography

Footnotes

Introduction

This page is particularly concerned with "Cambodian chess games". "Cambodian" because they have been

played by Cambodians or Khmers throughout the country. "Chess games" in the plural form because an

attempt is made to cover the two different types of game on the sixty-four-square board and each has two

distinctive styles of play, which are probably unique to Cambodian players. This is more a reading than an

instructional work. Moreover, the readers are also assumed to be familiar with the basics of international orF.I.D.E chess.

The histories of Cambodian chess games have not been studied and known as it deserves. My literature

research on this topic in English reveals very little information. Turning to the local sources in Cambodian

language does not help much either. However, with a bingo surprise, I found a site on the Internet that

contains a brief yet amazing account of Cambodian Chess for Blind Players. This unsatisfyingly short story of

Cambodian chess is probably one of the clues for its deep historical connection to the ancient Khmer

Civilization of Angkor Wat. A telling picture of these ancient and beautiful Cambodian chessmen made of

bronze is also available at that location. Check it out!

The first type of Cambodian chess game is known to the Cambodians as Ouk, Chhoeu trang, Chatrang[1,

p.183], Chaturang or jointly as Ouk chatrang. The name "Ouk" was believed to come from imitating the

sound made between the chessman and the chessboard while checking. As terminology and rule are

concerned, the word "Ouk" means check, and it is required to say out loud by the player who checks the

enemy King [2, p.1778]. The game is also named "Chhoeu Trang" perhaps because of the fact that most of

the game equipment are made of wood which is Chhoeu in Cambodian [3]. And Trang is shortened from

Chatrang [4, p.285]. These two names are informal and colloquial. The name Chatrang is formal and derived

from Sanskrit Chaturanga. In literature, the word "Chaturang" in pronunciation and "Chaturanga" in writing

are retained [5, p.101].

The second type of Cambodian chess game is Rek, pronounced like 'Rake' without K ending sound. Actually

odian Chess Games file:///G:/ouk%20rule/Cambodian%20Chess%20G

2/3/2009


2/8

this is a totally different game from the Ouk or Chatrang. There are no other pieces besides the Kings in this

game, and all of the units, including the Kings, moves like the Rook. We will describe it in detail later,

including its extra style of play. Whether it is of Chatrang or Rek, the extra style of play is truly more

challenging than the normal style, as we shall see. Let's turn to Chatrang first.

Ouk Chatrang: Today's Most Popular Cambodian Chess Game

Play Settings and Object of the Game

Like the international chess, Chatrang requires two people to play against each other, but in Cambodia there

are always two teams of people participating in the game. This does make every game played even more

exciting and entertaining. People, I mean Cambodian men, usually gather to play at a barbershop for men in

their town or village. Perhaps, it is very hard to find a barbershop in Cambodia that is not associated with

Chatrang. However, I have never heard of any chess tournament or competition in Cambodia. There has

never been one, perhaps.

The object of Chatrang is also to checkmate the opponent's King. In the beginning, who should move first is

simply a matter of agreement between the players. However, for the next game, the loser usually has a

privilege to move first. If the first game was drawn for some reason, once again the mutual agreement decides

for the matter in question.

The Chessboard and the Forces or Chessmen

The Cambodian chessboard resembles the international one except that the color code is not necessary. It is a

board of eight by eight squares. There are 32 chessmen in total and are similar to those of the international

chess. In the game, each side or player starts with a force of sixteen units: eight pawns and eight pieces. These

eight pieces include two Rooks, two Knights, two Bishops, one Queen and one King. The Cambodian names

for the Pawn, Bishop, Knight, Rook, Queen and King are Trey (Fish), Koul (General[6, p.183], also see

Glossary), Ses (Horse), Tuuk (Boat), Neang (Queen) and Ang or Sdaach (King) respectively.

For ordinary-people players, the pieces and board are scultured and made of wood. The Fishes or Pawns are

usually represented by the two different kinds of cowrie shells. It is not uncommon to see people use the small

bottle caps. (Budwiser bottle caps and the like would resemble and work as well.) For each side, two pieces of

wooden low cylinder would make the Boats or Rooks. The Horses look exactly like the Knights. The King,

the Koul and the Neang have almost the same shape, a sort of pointed dome, but they are differentiated by

sizes: Small for the Neang; midium for the Koul; and large for the King, so to speak. Two different types of

wood or two colors usually do the job of identifying the two sides. Note that the specimens of Cambodian

chess for blind players mentioned above were colored green vs. black and scultured with different shapes

from the ordinary chessmen.

The Initial Position or Arrangement

The opening setup of Cambodian chess or Chatrang is like that of the international one except for three

features. First, the Pawns or Fishes are set up on the third and sixth ranks, not the first and eighth ones.

Second, the Kings are placed crosswise, not opposite each other. And third, each Queen is on the right-hand

side of its corresponding King. Click Picture 1to view the chessmen and initial position. Their powers of

move are not all like those of the international chess. We are turning to this matter in the following

paragraphs.

The Powers of Move


2/3/2009


3/8

The King moves like that of the international chess except that for the first move it has an option to move a

leap like the Knight, usually to the left or to right. However, if it is in check by the opponent's unit, that option

is no longer valid and it has to move only one square as usual. Also, the Horse moves like the Knight; the

Boat like the Rook, but there is no castling move in Cambodian chess or Chatrang.

The Koul moves only one square per turn along the diagonals or straight ahead. The Neang moves one square

per turn and only diagonally, but for the first move it has an option to move two squares straight ahead

provided that that square is not occupied by other friendly unit. It may capture the enemy unit if the latter

occupies that square. All the units may capture the enemy units situated in their legal moves. However, thereare two exceptions for this rule. First, the King cannot capture the enemy units that are under protection of

others. Second, the not-yet-promoted Fishes move one square straight ahead, but they take the enemy units

diagonally ahead, just like the Pawns in the international chess.

The Promotion of Fish

The Fishes are the only units that may be promoted upon reaching the enemy's front row, i.e., the sixth rank.

Without limit of number, the Fishes are in general promoted to become promoted Fishes, called Trey Bak,

which have the same power of move to the Neang. That is to say, each party may in theory have eight

promoted Fishes in the course of play.

An Order of Individual Relative Values

The conventional value system of Cambodian individual chessmen is as follows: The Boat is more valuable

than the Knight than the Koul than the Neang than the Fish. The Neang is as valuable as the promoted Fish.

The King is not placed in the value system. It is the all-important and weakest unit. This conventional value

system may not be without controversy and subjectivity. Some player have no problem at all to trade the Boat

with the Knight or the Knight with the Koul. The phases of the game and the mobility characteristics of the

units all seem to be important in their values. This is not to even mention the talents and skills of the players.

The Draws of Game

The game is drawn when there is neither winner nor loser. In practice, for Cambodian players, every game

played always ends up having a win-lose result or drawn game. No scores are given and recorded for each

player in the latter situation. The draw can take place under four possible ways: (1) mutual agreement of the

players; (2) apparent insufficiency of material to checkmate the opponent; (3) stalemate under which the

alone King does not have a legal move and is not in check either; (4) application of predetermined rules of

move counting (explained in the following paragraphs). The repetition of move is not considered; usually one

party is determined to play for a win!

When a player has only the King left and all the Fishes currently available on the board were promoted, he

can claim the game drawn after the applicable rule or condition of move counting is met. The rule of movecounting is determined according to the presence of the most valuable unit left on the board regardless of the

other units available. If there are two most valuable units left, then a separate rule is determined. However,

there is some inconsistency in all this matter. I will point it out later.

The rule of 8 moves is applied if the player who is chasing to capture, i.e., doing the King hunt, has two Boats

or Rooks; the rule of 16 moves if there is one Boat; the rule of 22 for two Koul or Bishops; the rule of 44 for

one Koul; the rule of 32 for two Knights and of 64 for one Knight; also the rule of 64 for three or more "side-

by-side" promoted Fishes (trey bak tim) or in combination with the Neang. By side-by-side promoted Fishes

means that two of them must occupy any two adjacent squares either in the rank or file, but not the diagonal.

Otherwise, all of them are simply like a Fish which is not capable of capturing the solitary enemy King, even


2/3/2009


4/8


5/8

Another Style of Play, Too

The Rek also has its own special style of play. It is named "Min Rek Chanh" (Not Rek Lose). The object of

the game is still the same, capturing the opponent's King. But, there is only one legal way to capture the

enemy units, including the King: "Rek" them two at a time. The Kings may not move at all, not even a square.

They are "palace kings"! Other setting features and opening setup are the same as those of the regular Rek.

The unique characteristic of this style of play is that a player's order of Rek to the other must be honored,

otherwise the latter loses and the game is over. So, strategic and deliberate sacrifices are the mind set behind

winning the game.

Usually the game is over when one player orders a "right" series of the opponent's consecutive moves to 'Rek'

his units which ultimately will lead to the capture or Rek of the opponent's King in return. BUT, if he orders

the wrong series of the opponent's moves, he ends up losing his force without any desirable consequence.

Thus the game demands a long-term and coherent strategic planning to get the right orders of move. In this

kind of play, you are in a more dangerous situation for preserving too many own units, but if you do not have

enough of them to design your scheme of making a right series of the opponent's moves, it is not good either.

Personally I find this the most challenging of all the Cambodian chess games.

A Glossary of Cambodian Chess or Chaktrang

Aab

Stalemate. A situation in which the running, alone King has no legal move and is not in check.

Ang

King, also called 'Sdaach'.

Bet

Block the checking enemy unit, especially the Boat, by the friendly unit; literally means (l.m.) 'close'.

Bet Ouk

Bet and at the same time check back in return, usually done by the Kningt or other protected unit.

Bak

Promote; promoted; it is done by turning or flipping the Fish unit over; l.m. 'peel, turn over or double

the betting amount'.

Bak Ruk

Promote and check at the same time; see 'Ruk'.

Bak Denh

Promote and at the same time be in a position to take a more valuable enemy unit; l.m. 'Bak and chase'.

Chamnang

Protection, noun of 'Chang'; see below.

Chang

Protect or guard; protected; l.m. 'tie'.

Chanh

Lose.Cheub Ang

A situation under which the King is taken or in check by the enemy Boat when the blocked unit,

whether friendly or enemy, is removed; l.m. 'trapped King'.

Chhneah

Win.

Daak Ang

Place one's Boat in the position of checking the enemy King while there is a unit, friendly or enemy,

between the two. This is done to gain 'Cheub Ang' advantage.

Denh

Be in a position to take a more valuable enemy unit; King hunt for the end game; l.m. 'chase'.


2/3/2009


6/8

Doeu

Move; l.m. 'walk'.

Dou

Trade off.

Dub

Double, e.g. Dub Tuuk; a loaned word from French; also called 'Truot'.

Kar Ouk

Prevent from or prepare to counter a check; a extra style of play for Chatrang.

Khos CheungFor the end game, a situation in which the friendly unit that is supposed to checkmate is not in the right

square or turn to do so; l.m. 'wrong foot'; c.f. 'Trouv Cheung' which is 'correct foot'.

Khos Chrung

For the end game or King hunt, esp. by one Horse or Koul and a promoted Fishes or by a combination

of three side-by-side promoted Fishes, a situation in which the running King cannot be checkemated at

a trapped corner because the promoted Fish is not in the right diagonal to the corner square; l.m. 'wrong

corner'; c.f. 'Trouv Chrung'.

Khouch

Commit error or mistake.

Koul

A name of Chatrang's piece taken to represent military generals, but the word "Koul" is closer torepresent boundary pillar or mark in meaning; there are four of them and two for each player; usually

analogous to the Bishops.

Min Rek Chanh

A special style of play in the Rek game; l.m. 'not Rek los' in the sese that 'if not rek, lose the game'.

Neang

A name of Chatrang's piece; there are two and one for each side; usually analogous to the Queen. l.m.

'a word for politely addressing the title to the young, esp. female'.

Ouk

Chess or Chatrang; a check, also see 'Ruk'.

Ouk Baek

A check on the enemy King while at the same time other enemy unit(s), esp. the more valuable such as

the Boat and Horse, could also be taken although "not free"; c.f. 'Ruk Baek'; l.m. 'check and split'.

Ouk Daach

A same case of 'Ouk Baek' except that while the King runs or escapes, the other unit can be taken free;

c.f. 'Ruk daach'.

Ouk Ngeub

Checkmate, a situation in which the enemy King is checked and has no legal move; the end point of the

game.

Ouk Ta

A check on the enemy King done in an attempt to trade off that checking unit with its enemy

counterpart, i.e., the enemy unit that has the same value.

Paay

A checking situation in which a player removes his unit away from the legal move of his Boat that

checks the enemy King as a result. This is the purpose of 'Daak Ang' and done in the situation of 'Cheup

Ang'; see 'Si Paay'; l.m. 'gallop'.

Paay Ouk

A 'Paay' situation that the removed unit also checks the enemy King; it is a double check: by the Boat

and remomed, friendly unit.

Rek

A name of Cambodian chess game; a way to capture two enemy units at a time in the Rek game.

Rout


2/3/2009


7/8

Run or retreat.

Ruk

Another word for check usually done by the Fish, the Neang and promoted Fish; l.m. 'push'.

Si

Take or capture; l.m. 'eat'.

Si Bak

Only for the Fish, take an enemy unit and at the same time becomes a promoted.

Si Brateanh

The captures of two enemy units that are under the protection of the same single unit. Take the first onefirst and then the second can be captured "free".

Si Denh

Take an enemy unit and be in a position to take an more valuable enemy unit at the same time.

Si Ouk

Capture an enemy unit and at the same time check as well; c.f. 'Si Ruk'.

Si Paay

Take an enemy unit by using the removed unit to make a 'Paay'; this is very powerful tactic.

Si Pir

Take two enemy units by sacrifying one friendly unit; l.m. 'eat two'.

Smoeu

Even or equal in the play; a draw.Ta

Resist an enemy attack by a friendly unit that is equivalent the attacking enemy unit.

Trey

Cambodian name of the pawn; the Fish; l.m. 'fish'.

Trey Bak

Promoted Fish.

Trey Chang

The two mutually protected promoted Fishes that are always in the diagonals when placed adjacently.

Trey Tim

The two promoted Fishes that cannot protect each other and both are always in a rank or file when

located adjacently; referred to as 'side-by-side promoted Fishes' in this article.

Trouv Chrung

A right corner for a checkmate at the end game.

Bibliography

Buddhist Institute. (1967). Vachnanukrom Khmer Pheak Mouy[Khmer Dictionary

Volume 1]. Phnom Penh: Buddhist Institute.

Buddhist Institute. (1967). Vachnanukrom Khmer Pheak Pir[Khmer Dictionary

Volume 2]. Phnom Penh: Buddhist Institute.

Huffman, F.E. and Im Proum. (1978).English-Khmer Dictionary. Westford, MA:Yale University.

Jacob, J.M. (1974).A Concise Cambodian-English Dictionary. New York:

Oxford University Press.

Murray, H.J.R. (1986).A History of Chess. Northampton, MA: Benjamin Press

pp. 113-118. Originally published by Oxford University Press in 1913.

Pandolfini, B. (1993).Beginning Chess. New York: Fireside pp. 15-50.

A Footnote: Remember Thminh Chey's Horse?


2/3/2009


8/8

One part of the most popular tale in Cambodia, especially among children, that is associated with Ouk

Chatrang is Thmenh Chey's Horse. Once upon a time, there was a boy named Thmenh Chey and born to an

ordinary family.... He was a very brilliant boy and later on known to the King. This fame did not make the

King restful because the famous and believing norm was that only the King was the most brilliant and entitled

to that fame of intelligence!

The King thus set forth to challenge Thmenh Chey's lofty IQ popularity. At one point, the King declared to

the population that he would go for a sightseeing deep into the large forest tomorrow and forbid any sale, rent

or loan of a horse to Thmenh Chey who was in the King' order to go, too, with a horse! However, like theprevious cases of challenge, Thmenh Chey could always get over the King's power and attack: He took the

Chatrang's Horse with him.... The children who listen to the story proudly laugh to share their hero's victory

again!

After going on with a life of continual challenges and serving the country by solving the enigmas of the

Chinese smartest men, his life came to a fulfilling end. Before he died, he got the King to kneel down by him

so that the latter could hear this whisper:

boeu soay trey pruol kom choal sraka; boeu soay trey pra kom choal srakey; and boeu sla mchu kbal trey

kom choal mchu sandan.


cambodian chess games

Documents