You should expect to make mistakes. Losing is a form of education.
When you first start playing, the game can be visually overwhelming, so don’t attempt to think too hard. Start moving pieces about and observe what happens; you’ll figure it out soon enough.
At first, it may appear to be a colorful jumble, but you’ll be astonished at how quickly you learn to handle the game. The more games you play, the more familiar you’ll become with the game’s distinctive mechanics.
Consider all of your possibilities before deciding where to go.
You must move to the color your opponent last moved to in the initial portion of your turn. Examine all of the available moves to that color, then choose the best option given the circumstances.
REMEMBER: As part of your turn, you receive a second move, but you can’t move the same piece or move to the same color twice.
Consider where you want your opponent to go.
You can move to any color in the second half of your turn (apart from the one you just moved to).
This is your opportunity to muck up their positioning, as they will be forced to relocate to the same color as you. Consider each color and consider what your opponent would have to do if they had to go to each one. Which of these puts them in the worst possible situation?
Is it feasible to limit them to only one color move and force them to make that move?
Can you prevent them from making any moves on that color, causing them to miss the first half of their turn?
Maintain a flexible mindset.
Keep safe alternatives open on each color, so you have options for your forced move.
They are trying to persuade someone to change their mind about a color.
By frequently moving to the same color, you can limit your opponent’s options on that color and raise the likelihood of a forced move. This isn’t always the most subtle of tactics, and they can figure out what you’re up to and start releasing that color.
Be cautious that if you place too much emphasis on one color, you may be limiting your possibilities in that color, prompting your opponent to force you to use that color in return.
Make traps.
If you see that your opponent only has one move on a color, set up a trap by threatening the vacant space first, then forcing them to move there on a later turn rather than using the stain right away.
Don’t get taken for a ride on the rails.
If you’re having problems with one color, prioritize opening up choices on that color above what could appear to be a superior positioning move. This is preferable to being constantly pressed on the weak color and eventually losing many pieces.
When you’re in control, don’t freak out.
In Color Chess, unlike traditional Chess, your King must be captured before you lose the game.
It’s common to stay in check for the first half of your turn before escaping on the second.
Use your King to capture the threatening piece at close quarters, then use another part to block whatever was guarding the work you just took (watch out for Knights).
To get the King to move into check, you must force him to do so.
Focus on making your opponent’s King move into check rather than putting it in a statement while they are short on pieces. If they must move their King in to check on the first half of their turn, they will not escape on the second half.
Please don’t give them the means to get out of danger.
If you threaten a piece with the first part of your turn, try to avoid giving them a color that allows them to escape with the second part of your turn. Instead of freeing their piece and then responding, they will have to squander their turn saving it.
Keep an eye out for newly discovered catches.
When one of their long-range pieces is set up behind another piece, be cautious. They may move the blocking part and capture the detail behind all in one turn on subsequent turns. Either avoid giving them the color they need to move the piece out of the way or develop another means to block or prevent the hidden danger.
Passing Through
You can make a diagonal En Passant capture by advancing onto the square behind an opponent Pawn when it makes a double move forward and finishes adjacent to one of your Pawns.
You can make the En Passant capture on either the first or second half of your next turn, regardless of which portion of their turn they perform the double move on.
Castling
Castling is determined by the color of the King’s movement. It’s worth noting that moving the Rook counts as part of the move, so if your castle is in the first half of your turn, you won’t be able to move the Rook in the second.
Blocking with a pawn
By advancing right in front of one of your opponent’s Pawns, you can limit their options by giving them one less piece and tile to respond with on that color.
Evaluation by the Board of Directors
Look at the board at the start of the game: each player has five of each of the six colors on their side of the board, plus two extra tiles.
Depending on the colors of the extra tiles, there will be some more prevalent colors and others that are rarer across the entire board.
Here are some good questions to ask yourself:
Which color does your opponent have the most trouble with?
Which color do you struggle with the most?
What color would you be able to use? Is this consistent with their flaw?
What are your options for dealing with your flaw? Continue reading!
Match the pieces to the patterns.
Try to match the movement pattern of one of your pieces to the arrangement of your weakest color.
If you have two adjacent color tiles in a corner, you can safely move a Rook backward and forwards along them once you have made room if your opponent tries to force you onto that color. You might also have a couple in a diagonal that a Bishop can cover.
If there is no discernible helpful pattern, wait until you can safely get access to your opponent’s half of the board to use their tiles of that color before moving to that color unless your opponent forces you to.
In contrast, if you notice that a certain piece substantially protects its weakest color, you might concentrate your attack on that piece to render it useless against that color.
Primary and secondary education
When considering color possibilities, it might be beneficial to separate or associate colors into groups to aid in processing thoughts. This allows you to go through them one by one rapidly.
For example, primary (RYB) and secondary (OGP) colors, or hot (ROY) and cold (ROY) temperatures (PGB)
Consider your two moves as a single unit.
This will come with time and practice.
A pretty standard maneuver is to capture with the first piece and then protect it with the second.
If you can organize both movements in your brain and make them in rapid succession in a timed game, you give your opponent less thinking time than if you make your first move, think for a while, and then make your second.