Poolside Amusements
Classic games to enjoy by the pool with friends and family
Chess
Learn how to play
Chess is a two‑player strategy board game where each player commands an army of 16 pieces. The goal is to checkmate the opponent’s king – put it under attack with no legal escape. Each piece moves uniquely: pawns (forward one, capture diagonally, two from start), rooks (rank/file), knights (L‑shape, can jump), bishops (diagonal), queen (any direction), king (one square).
Essential rules & tips:
- White moves first, then turns alternate.
- You may not move into check or leave your king in check.
- Castling: move king two squares toward a rook, then rook jumps over – only if neither piece has moved, squares between empty, and king not in check.
- En passant: when a pawn moves two squares past an enemy pawn, that pawn may capture it as if it moved one square.
- Pawn promotion: reaching the last rank turns into queen, rook, bishop, or knight (almost always queen).
- Checkmate wins immediately; stalemate (no legal moves, king not in check) is a draw.
- Control the center, develop pieces, and protect your king.
Horse Racing Game
Learn how to play
A fast‑paced dice game where players bet on numbered horses and watch them advance around a track. The first horse to cross the finish line wins. Players start with a set of chips; you can bet on any horse before the race starts, and sometimes place side bets during the race.
How to play (standard house rules):
- Each player receives 20 chips (or equal amount).
- Horses are numbered 1–6 (or 1–8 depending on track).
- Before the first roll, players secretly or openly bet chips on horse(s). Bets are placed on the table corresponding to each horse.
- The banker (or rotation) rolls two dice. The sum indicates which horse moves forward one space. (If using 8 horses, assign dice combinations accordingly.)
- If a rolled horse has bets, those bettors get excitement; the horse moves.
- Some variants allow “odds bets” during the race – you may bet on the next horse to move.
- The first horse to complete the required laps (usually 10–15 spaces) wins. Winning bets pay even money (or odds depending on house).
- After the race, all losing bets are collected, and a new race begins.
Chinese Chess (Xiangqi)
Learn how to play
Xiangqi is played on a 9x10 board with a “river” in the middle. Pieces are placed on intersections. The goal is to checkmate the opponent’s General. Each side has 16 pieces: General, Guards, Elephants, Horses, Chariots, Cannons, and Pawns – each with distinct moves.
Comprehensive guide:
- General (king): moves one point orthogonally, confined to the 3x3 palace. Cannot face the opponent’s General directly with no pieces in between (“flying general”).
- Guards (mandarins): move one point diagonally within palace.
- Elephants: move exactly two points diagonally, cannot cross the river, and may be blocked at the intervening point.
- Horses: move one point orthogonally + one diagonally (like a bent knight). Can be blocked if adjacent orthogonal point is occupied.
- Chariots (rooks): any number of points orthogonally, no jumping.
- Cannons: move like chariots, but capture by jumping over exactly one piece (any colour) along the line.
- Pawns: move and capture forward one point before crossing river; after crossing, they may also move sideways one point.
- Checkmate wins; stalemate is a loss for the player with no legal moves.
Five in a Row (Gomoku)
Learn how to play
Players take turns placing stones on a 15x15 grid (intersections). The first to create an unbroken line of five stones horizontally, vertically, or diagonally wins. Black usually starts, and to balance, some tournament rules include “opening rules” like swap2 or restrictions on black’s first move.
Rules & strategy:
- Black places the first stone on the central intersection (or any, house rules may vary).
- Players alternately put one stone on any empty intersection.
- Winning line must be exactly five stones – longer lines (six or more) do not count in standard Gomoku (called “overline” and considered a loss for black in some variants). For casual play, five wins regardless.
- After a win, the game ends immediately.
- To block, watch for “open three” (three stones with empty ends, which can become four and then five). Also “four” threats must be blocked.
- Advanced: some use “Renju” rules to limit black’s advantages (forbidden moves: double three, four, overline). For poolside, simple five‑in‑a‑row works.
- Draw if board fills with no five.
Backgammon
Learn how to play
Backgammon is one of the oldest known board games. Each player has 15 checkers that move according to dice rolls. The objective is to be first to bear off all your checkers from the board. Luck and strategy mix: you can hit opponent’s blots (single checkers) and send them to the bar.
How to play – essential guide:
- Setup: 24 narrow triangles (points) alternate colours. Players start with 2 checkers on opponent’s 1‑point, 5 on own 6‑point, 3 on own 8‑point, and 5 on own 12‑point. (Opposite arrangement for each side.)
- Movement: roll two dice; move one checker the total of both, or two checkers separately. Numbers can be played in any order.
- Hitting: a point occupied by a single opposing checker is a “blot”. Landing on it sends that checker to the bar (must re‑enter in opponent’s home board before moving other checkers).
- No move: if no legal move, player loses the turn.
- Bearing off: once all 15 checkers are in your home board (points 1–6), you may start bearing off by rolling a number that matches a point containing a checker. If exact point empty, you may move a checker from a higher point.
- Doubling cube: (optional) a cube with numbers 2,4,8,16,32,64. A player may offer to double the stakes; opponent resigns or accepts, gaining ownership of cube.
- Winning: first to bear off all checkers wins. If opponent hasn’t borne off any and still has checkers in your home or on the bar, it’s a “gammon” (worth 2 points) or “backgammon” (3 points) if opponent has a checker on the bar or in your home.
House rules: casual play usually omits the doubling cube.