Gameplay

Set up the chess board as usual.
Shuffle the cards and place them face-down somewhere where both players can access them.
Deal 3 cards to each player.

The player controlling the white pieces goes first.
At the beginning of their turn, the player draws a card from the deck.
The player can now make a regular chess move or choose to use one of the cards.
To use a card, follow the instructions on the card, then place the card face-up in the discard pile.

A player cannot have more than 5 cards in their hand at any time.
A player with 5 cards in their hand cannot draw an additional card unless they use or discard a card.
Before or after their turn, the player has the option of removing a single card from their hand and placing it face-up on the discard pile.
When the deck has run out the players can no longer draw new cards.
A card cannot be played if it results in a check or involves any sort of interaction with a king, such as removing a king from play, or passing through a king.

As with regular chess, the game is over when a player checkmates their opponent; a player resigns; a stalemate occurs; or the players agree to a draw.

Fixed Hand Mode (recommended): each player is dealt 10 cards at the beginning of the game. They choose 5 of those cards to create a “fixed hand”. All of the other cards are discarded and cannot be used for the rest of the game.
Handicapped Mode: This is useful if there is a large skill difference between the players. The weaker player is dealt 10 cards and gets to create a “fixed hand” of 1,2,3,4 or 5 cards, depending on how large the skill difference is.