History Main / HumanChess

* Episode 9 of ''Animation/BoBoiBoy'' features a variation in the form of human checkers; the Sleep Monster challenges Papa Zola to a game of checkers with [=BoBoiBoy=] and his friends and enemies as the checker pieces, with everyone's freedom at stake. Humorously, Papa Zola doesn't know how to play checkers, and at first tries to use chess moves before the Sleep Monster [[OpponentInstruction teaches him how to play]].

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* Xiangqi (Chinese chess) is often played like this at folk festivals in Vietnam.

* In ''Film/BornAmerican'', the crazier inmates of the Russian jail regularly have games of chess like this, where jumped pieces get killed. One of the main characters becomes part of it after severe SanitySlippage.
* In ''Film/{{Dolittle}}'', the good doctor and Chee-Chee try to play chess using mice as the pieces, keyword: try.
* In ''Film/HistoryOfTheWorldPartI'', Louis XVI of France is shown playing this, although it rapidly degenerates into an orgy.

* In ''Film/ManOfLaMancha'', Cervantes sets this up in the prison, but it is a storytelling device rather than an actual chess game.
* The Queen and a rich baron play this in ''Film/MirrorMirror''. There were different pieces like ships, and the pieces attacked each other.
* In ''Film/SherlockHolmesFacesDeath'', Holmes sets up a human chess game to decipher a clue.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'', although it was more monster chess.
* Disney's ''WesternAnimation/PocahontasIIJourneyToANewWorld'' had a scene where King James did this--only with oversized chess pieces across an oversized chessboard.

* ''Film/BornAmerican'' (1986). The crazier inmates of the Russian jail regularly have games of chess like this, where jumped pieces get killed. One of the main characters becomes part of it after severe SanitySlippage.
* In ''Film/{{Dolittle}}'' the good doctor and Chee-Chee try to play chess using mice as the pieces, keyword: try.
* In the Mel Brooks movie ''Film/HistoryOfTheWorldPartI'', Louis XVI of France is shown playing this, although it rapidly degenerates into an orgy.
-->"Knight jumps queen! Bishop jumps queen! Pawns jump queen! ''Gangbang''!"

* ''All the King's Horses'' by Creator/KurtVonnegut. Also adapted for TV in a SF anthology series [[spoiler:with a twist that made the villain more sympathetic. He didn't really execute the lost pieces, just pretended to to make a point. The SadisticChoice he faced still cost the hero his family]].

* ''Literature/CarrionComfort'', by Dan Simmons. The [[OurVampiresAreDifferent mind vampires]] (pretty much in name only, they are simply people who can control minds) in the novel are seen doing this on several occasions. In the first instance, holocaust victims are used as pieces (to the death, naturally). The plot of novel runs like this as well, as the two puppet master villains play a game corresponding to the events of the plot. The book is even divided into "beginnings" "middle game" and "end game".
* The second ''Literature/GentlemanBastard'' novel ''Red Seas Under Red Skies'' featured a cartoonishly evil scene, with nobles playing a VariantChess with people. The catch was that whenever a player lost a piece, the opposing player could inflict ANY punishment besides death on the piece.
* The first ''Literature/HarryPotter'' book uses something like this, where Harry and friends direct the pieces and it's not clear while they're playing what happens if the pieces they control lose.
** In the book, the "eaten" pieces (and Ron) were dragged off of the board, unconscious. In the movie they were destroyed, though they had the decency to aim at Ron's horse rather than Ron's body. The ones left simply left the board after the game was over.

* ''Literature/TheSquaresOfTheCity'' by Creator/JohnBrunner. Here the "moves" are political maneuvers, but a real person is assigned to each piece.
* The Franchise/StarTrek novel ''Literature/TheFinalReflection'', by Creator/JohnMFord, starts with Klingon children preparing to take part in live ''klin zha''. And since we're talking Klingons, you've already guessed that this is a gladiatorial version.
* Most of the plot in ''Literature/ThroughTheLookingGlass'', but probably [[AdaptationDisplacement better known]] for being in Creator/WaltDisney's ''WesternAnimation/AliceInWonderland'' film.

* Xiangqi (Chinese chess) is often played like this at funfairs in Vietnam.

* ''Literature/TheLordsOfCreation'': ''In the Courts of the Crimson Kings]]'' features AdventurerArchaeologist and his LoveInterest being forced to participate in a lethal game of ''[[VariantChess atanj]]'' with each on opposing sides (the book is a homage to the John Carter novels).

* ''ComicBook/AttilaMonAmour'' has a renegade (sort of) Roman noblewoman playing HumanChess against AttilaTheHun, using it as a metaphor to explain the strategy he should use against the Romans.

* In ''LightNovel/NoGameNoLife'', Sora and Chlammy serve as the Kings for their game, which functions like a real-time strategy game and the pieces attack each other. If a piece is too scared or unmotivated, it will not move. Sora uses a RousingSpeech and charisma to motivate his pieces, and seduces Chlammy's Queen to get her to switch sides. Chlammy uses fear and intimidation to motivate her pieces, and uses mind control to steal some of Sora's pieces. Eventually, one of Chlammy's pieces gets fed up with her and "assassinates" her.

* ''Anime/WeissKreuz'' had an episode where the villain/target of the episode was responsible for running what were referred to as "human chess games" for entertainment purposes. However, it wasn't so much actual human chess as it was one-on-one combat on a chessboard-patterned floor.

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' has you fighting a demonic chessboard at one point. Each piece behaves in ways appropriate to their real-game counterparts. The Pawns take small steps (though they can change direction) and attack not only to the front, but to the back diagonally (as a reference to how a pawn attacks diagonally and the move "en passant." They can also be promoted. Knights can jump over the pieces and attack by landing on Dante (other pieces will try and fail to move through other pieces). The King can only attack in his immediate area, and killing him [[KeystoneArmy destroys every other piece on the board]], but if he's attacked while the Rooks are alive he'll switch places with them when hit as a nod to castling. And the Queen can move diagonally and horizontally the full length of the board (though, ironically, this, along with the cackle she makes when she moves, allows her to be the most easily avoidable). Rooks and Bishops also only move and attack along their normal counterparts' paths.

* Really, this is what the entire ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'' series may look like from an outsider’s perspective. The player takes control of several characters and takes turns moving them across a “board.” There are a certain amount of spaces that each character can move and they each do different amounts of damage depending on the unit of the player and their opponent. A lot of the time, they even have leaders who act as the “king,” since if they get defeated, the entire team instantly loses. A lot of the time, if a character, good or bad, loses their HP, they permanently die.

* Really, this is what the entire [[VideoGame/FireEmblem Fire Emblem]] series may look like from an outsider’s perspective. The player takes control of several characters and takes turns moving them across a “board.” There are a certain amount of spaces that each character can move and they each do different amounts of damage depending on the unit of the player and their opponent. A lot of the time, they even have leaders who act as the “king,” since if they get defeated, the entire team instantly loses. A lot of the time, if a character, good or bad, loses their HP, they permanently die.

* ''Manga/MiyukiChanInWonderland'' has the LesYay version of the ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'' chess game where pieces are slapped (sometimes with a whip or riding crop) and lose their clothing, forcing them to flee from the game board naked.

* The old ''VideoGame/BattleChess'' computer game was a comedic version of this, with animated scenes when one piece took another: The elderly king pulled out a gun and shot the knight, the rook turned into a stone-golem and ate the pawn, and so on.

* Episode 9 of ''Animation/BoBoiBoy'' features a variation in the form of human checkers; the Sleep Monster challenges Papa Zola to a game of checkers with [=BoBoiBoy=] and his friends and enemies as the checker pieces, with everyone's freedom at stake.

* Really, this is what the entire [[VideoGame/FireEmblem Fire Emblem]] series may look like from an outsider’s perspective. The player takes control of several characters and takes turns moving them across a “board.” There are a certain amount of spaces that each character can move and they each do different amounts of damage depending on the unit of the player and their opponent. A lot of the time, they even have leaders who act as the “king,” since if they get defeated they instantly lose. A lot of the time, if a character, good or bad, loses their HP, they permanently die.

* Really, this is what the entire [[VideoGame/FireEmblem Fire Emblem]] series may look like from an outsider’s perspective. The player takes control of several characters and takes turns moving them across a “board.” There are a certain amount of spaces that each character can move and they each do different amounts of damage depending on the unit of the player and their opponent. A lot of the time, they even have leaders who act as the “king,” since if they get defeated they instantly lose.