Active Australia Day Simultaneous Match and Chess Exhibition 

by  Mingara Chess Club

Mingara CC display drew a large crowd of spectators and players.

John in action

Mingara and Central Coast Champion John Nutter took on all comers in a simultaneous match. John played 61 games over a 3 hour period, drawing 3 and losing 3 and winning 55 games. An excellent effort considering a large number of the games were against club players.

Joe Keaveney's giant chess set was a popular part of the display.

The four handed chessboard created a great deal of interest. 

The Doering (pronounced Door-ing) Variant of four handed chess was invented by Brett Doering (second from right). It is played on a board consisting of a 12 x12 central board and four 6 x 12 wing boards. The players can play as two teams or individually. Each player has 12 pawns and 12 pieces. The pieces are as per the normal chess set, plus two Archbishops a Prince and Princess. The Archbishop has the choice of moving like a king or bishop. The Prince and Princess move like the Queen but can only move a maximum of four squares in any direction. The game is won by checkmating one member of a team or by capturing all the heirs to the throne (queen, prince and princess) of one team member.

Setting up the pieces rook, knight, bishop, archbishop, prince, king, queen, princess, archbishop, bishop, knight, rook. The white and black queens go on squares of their own colour, opposing queens on the same file.