History Main / HumanChess

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' has you fighting a demonic chessboard at one point. You can destroy the entire board at one go by killing the king, but until you destroy the rooks he'll switch places with them when hit (a nod to castling).
** In fact, all of the pieces have nods to their actual chess 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 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.

For a higher scale of this, see CosmicChessGame.

* ''VideoGame/KabukiZ'' have a baffling stage where in the middle of fighting undead samurai in Feudal Japan, you're suddenly transported into a stage resembling a Westernized Chessboard. And the pieces are alive, attacking you on sight while moving in a manner reminiscent of actual chess moves (e.g. bishops slides diagonally, rooks comes at you in a straight line, knights moves on their elevation before moving one step upwards or downwarns to ambush you).

[[quoteright:330:[[Manga/MiyukiChanInWonderland https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/miyuki_chan_chess_5950.jpg]]]]

%% Caption removed per discussion in the Caption Repair thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1404492079030138900&page=151
%% Please see thread to discuss a new caption.

* ''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.
* ''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.

* 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.

* Used in a ''ComicBook/MarvelAdventures'' issue. The chessboard is presumably gigantic to accommodate [[PlanetEater Galactus]], who plays against the Avengers with his Herald Silver Surfer as King. After this ends in stalemate, they play baseball... in a human-scaled stadium... but it's okay, RuleOfFun fully applies. After that failed they try Texas Hold 'Em and then end up in an Infinite-Star Restaurant.

* The pornographic version occurs in Creator/AlanMoore's ''Lost Girls''.
* A non-villainous version appears as a one-page gag in ''ComicBook/TheSmurfs'' comic book story "Smurfery".

* ''ComicBook/{{Iznogoud}}'': In "The Giants' Island", Iznogoud hears the title place is inhabited by two man-eating giants. He tricks the Caliph into coming with him to the island, and they find out that the giants are vegetarians. Then Iznogoud asks the giants what they did to the thirty sailors of the man who told him about the island. The giants reply that with Iznogoud, Wa'at Alahf, and the Caliph's arrival, their set is complete, although they have one extra, so the Caliph is sent home as Iznogoud, Wa'at, and the thirty sailors are put to work as a living chess set. Later in ''Iznogoud's Returns'', Iznogoud provokes a fight between the giants by cheating, only for it to backfire [[ShaggyDogStory when they decide to play human checkers instead.]]
* ''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.
* Creator/AlanMoore's ''Lost Girls'' retains the chess game from ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland'', only in this version, once a player has taken a piece, they have sex with them.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'', although it was more monster chess.

* In ''Film/SherlockHolmesFacesDeath'', Holmes sets up a human chess game to decipher a clue.

--> "Knight jumps queen! Bishop jumps queen! Pawns jump queen! ''Gangbang''!"
* ''Film/TheThreeMusketeers1973'' had animal wearing costumes as pieces.

* ''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.

* ''Billy and the Bubbleship'' had a regular chessboard - with frozen people mirroring the actions on the larger board. As lost pieces (for one side) are used as food for the monster, Billy wanted to complete the game without losing any pieces, and figured the Queen of Mordra played against an opponent who just let her win. The solution was the four-move scholar's mate.

* The ''Literature/JohnCarterOfMars'' novel ''Chessmen of Mars'' uses the to-the-death variant, where "chess" games are a form of gladiatorial combat.
* ''[[Literature/TheLordsOfCreation In the Courts of the Crimson Kings]]''. The AdventurerArchaeologist and his LoveInterest are 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).
* ''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.
* 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.
* ''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".
* Adam Wiśniewski-Snerg's short story "Anioł Przemocy" ("Angel of Death") involves a woman forced to take part in one of these. It's a game played by two computers where the pieces are mind-controlled humans that kill each other. (It turns out to be a virtual reality simulation, though.)
* A variant of this is seen in the children's book ''Soonie and the Dragon'', a collection of Irish folk tales. The heroine Soonie, in one of her adventures, is captured by the King of the Fairies, who wishes to marry her. She refuses, so he offers to let her go free if she can beat him in chess. Day after day she loses, and can't quite figure out why... until she accidentally discovers that the pieces are actually ''live pixies'' and they've been cheating on the king's behalf.

* The Emperor of the Agatean Empire in ''Literature/InterestingTimes'' prefers to play with living pieces. It's not shown but [[TheCaligula his insanity]] and screams heard from a distance indicate it's not pretty.

-->'''Number 6:''' Who's he?
-->'''Woman:''' He's the champion.
-->'''Number 6:''' Who was he?
-->'''Woman:''' [[UnPerson Hard to say.]] I've heard rumors.
-->'''Number 6:''' Such as?
-->'''Woman:''' That he's an ex-count. They say that his ancestors used to play using their retainers as chess pieces. They say they were beheaded as they were wiped from the board. Oh, don't worry; it's not allowed here.

-->'''Number 6:''' So, why do you use people?
-->'''Count:''' Because I can. I would say it [[HowTheMightyHaveFallen satisfies the desire for power]]. [[GildedCage It's the only opportunity one gets here.]]
* The ''Series/LandOfTheGiants'' episode "Deadly Pawn". The castaways are forced to play the pieces in a game of chess for their lives.
* ''Series/{{Glee}}'': In the "100" episode, [[spoiler: Brittany, off all people,]] uses the chess club in costumes to recreate famous games.
* A fourth season episode of ''Series/{{Lexx}}'' involved a human chess match between Kai and Prince.

* Happens in ''Series/TheManFromUNCLE'' episode "The Alexander the Greater Affair, Part 1"; Alexander's staff are the pieces, and he and Napoleon Solo call the shots. Alexander is embarrassed when Napoleon checkmates him.
* ''Series/{{Community}}'': In the episode "Curriculum Unavailable", during a montage of eccentric goings-on at Greendale, we see a game of human chess against City College.
-->'''Britta:''' Dean! This is not the way to agree on parking for the job fair. It's inhumane!\\
'''Dean Pelton:''' Do you have a better idea, Britta?\\
'''Britta:''' Yes, ''thousands'' of them!\\
''[beat]''\\
'''Dean Pelton:''' Vicki to Queen Three.\\
'''Vicki:''' Neigh!

* Invoked in ''Series/TwinPeaks'' with Windom Earl playing a standard chess game against Dale Cooper [[spoiler: with a secret assist from Pete Martel]] but killing a person for each piece removed from play (in one instance encasing them in a giant chess piece).

* ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception'' has a chess mode where even if you get "captured", you can fight back to the death.
* The action/chess hybrid ''VideoGame/ThroughTheLookingGlass'' pits [[Literature/AliceInWonderland Alice]] against a set of life-size chess pieces. Each side is confined to legal chess moves (with Alice given the choice of which piece to play as), but can make them continuously, without waiting for the other side's turn.
* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' has you fighting a demonic chessboard at one point. You can destroy the entire board at one go by killing the king, but until you destroy the rooks he'll switch places with them when hit (a nod to castling).
** In fact, all of the pieces have nods to their actual chess 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 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.
* On one level of Durlag's tower in the ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' expansion ''Tales of the Sword Coast'' you end up on a large chess board with a full set of hostile chess pieces bearing down on you. Since TheComputerIsACheatingBastard, they all move at once. Although they adhere to some appropriate rules; any pawns that manage to cross the board without getting killed (and the pieces are ''tough'') will turn into queens... with spellcasting ability.
** The computer even cheats double: the other pieces scurry about like crazy, but if ''your'' characters don't stick to the appropriate movement (and there's no reminder of who's 'playing' what piece) they get zapped by columns of fire from the ceiling. Most strategy guides recommend just staying put and opening up with Fireballs, Potions of Explosion, and Arrows of Detonation to clear out as much of the enemy forces as possible and badly injure the rest.
* 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.
* ''VideoGame/{{Archon}}'' was a fantasy version of this, with pieces like dragons, genies, goblins, and knights, who fought over the squares.
* One battle in the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis RPG ''VideoGame/ShiningForceII'' takes place on a chess board against chess pieces, though it's rather unconventional because the pieces can move however they like and are quite hard to defeat. It's one of the [[ThatOneLevel hardest battles in the game]].

* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' has an [[ExaggeratedTrope entire PLANET]] of chess people fighting a never-ending war.
* In ''Webcomic/ClockworkAtrium'', the school organizes a yearly game of human chess with selected students deemed to need the challenge. No [[FalseReassurance need to worry]], however. Only 2 out of 10 of the deaths are intentional.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'': In "The First Temple", the final puzzle of said temple is a game of Amphibia's version of Chess called "Flipwart" that Marcy knows how to play, but it also includes a life-size counterpart that Polly, Hop Pop, Sprig, and Anne end up being forced into, where the pieces can physically hit each other (which puts them at risk of being hurt), Anne ends up on the opposing side, and the game eventually starts ''cheating''. [[spoiler:It turns out to be a SecretTestOfCharacter; Marcy ends up throwing the game to save the Plantars, which is exactly what she needed to do to complete the puzzle]].
* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'': This concept is the main plot point in the episode "King Johnny". Bored with playing chess, Johnny convinces his genius twin sisters to bring the chess pieces to life in human form. They play with the real chess pieces on a life-sized board in the backyard of their house. At first, Johnny enjoys the new game. Unfortunately, he loses his sanity and starts acting like a real king. To make matters worse, he rampages through Porkelly with his live chess pieces.

* A real, and absolutely ''horrible'' example of this trope: In Singapore's [[https://ariffin24.wordpress.com/2010/05/02/book-of-adventure-5-st-johns-and-kusu-island/ St. John's Island]], there is an old internment camp formerly used by the Japanese during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, containing a life-sized chessboard in it's landing area where higher-ups of the Japanese army will use captured [=POWs=] as chess pieces, having the "captured" or "defeated" pieces executed on the spot. After the war the camp was abandoned before being restored as a tourist attraction, but the chessboard remains and is allegedly haunted due to its awful past.

[[caption-width-right:330:I ''[[{{Fanservice}} like]]'' this kind of chess![[note]]It even has advanced ClothingDamage![[/note]]]]

[[folder:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]

[[folder:TabletopGames]]

[[folder:VideoGames]]

* In ''Webcomic/ClockworkAtrium'', the school organizes a yearly game of human chess with selected students deemed to need the challenge. No need to worry, however. Only 2 out of 10 of the deaths are intentional.

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

[[/folder]]

* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'': This concept is the main plot point in the episode "King Johnny". Bored with playing regular chess, Johnny convinces his twin sisters to bring the chess pieces to life in human form. They play with the real chess pieces on a life sized board in the backyard of their house. At first, Johnny enjoys the new game. Unfortunately, he loses his sanity and starts acting like a real king. To make matters worse, he rampages through Porkelly with his live chess pieces.

* A real, and absolutely ''horrible'' example of this trope: In Singapore's [[https://ariffin24.wordpress.com/2010/05/02/book-of-adventure-5-st-johns-and-kusu-island/ St. John's Island]], there is an old internment camp formerly used by the Japanese during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, containing a life-sized chessboard in it's landing area where higher-ups of the Japanese army will use captured [=POWs=] as chess pieces, having the "captured" or "defeated" pieces executed on the spot. After the war the camp was abandoned before being restored as a tourist attraction, but the chessboard remains and is allegedly haunted due to it's awful past.

* ''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 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 out 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.

* Often a (pre-choreographed) feature at Renaissance Faires.
** Shows up at all sorts of other conventions, often with thematic house rules.

* A typical feature at anime conventions is "cosplay chess" in which cosplayers become chess pieces on the board and act out fight scenes when one piece has to take another.

* And [[http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-living-chess-game this event in Marostica , Italy.]]
[[/folder]]

----

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' episode "The Grouchiest Game In Town", which had a villain named the Game Master who forced people to do this in a game similar to chess. Losing meant being turned into a piece for his ever-growing collection. Fortunately, he had a rule "wizard takes all" which Grouchy took advantage of when he used Papa Smurf (who is both a Smurf and a wizard) to remove all his opponent's pieces from the board, thus freeing all the people who became game pieces.

* ''ComicBook/{{Iznogoud}}'': In "The Giants' Island", Iznogoud hears the title place is inhabited by two man-eating giants. He tricks the Caliph into coming with him to the island, and they find out that the giants are vegetarians. Then Iznogoud asks the giants what they did to the thirty sailors of the man who told him about the island. The giants reply that with Iznogoud, Wa'at Alahf, and the Caliph's arrival, their set is complete, although they have one extra, so the Caliph is sent home as Iznogoud, Wa'at, and the thirty sailors are put to work as a living chess set.

->'''Storm:''' I propose a gam
e of strategy.\\

->'''Storm:''' I propose a game of strategy.\\

* ''Series/ThePrisoner1967'', in the episode "[[Recap/ThePrisonerE9Checkmate Checkmate]]". Unlike other examples of this trope the players are volunteers, but one of them is taken to the hospital for '[[{{brainwashing}} treatment]]' when [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill he makes a move on his own initiative]]. Also [[NotSoDifferent both sides are dressed identically]].

[[quoteright:330:[[Manga/MiyukichanInWonderland https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/miyuki_chan_chess_5950.jpg]]]]

* ''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 action/chess hybrid ''VideoGame/{{Through the Looking Glass}}'' pits [[Literature/AliceInWonderland Alice]] against a set of life-size chess pieces. Each side is confined to legal chess moves (with Alice given the choice of which piece to play as), but can make them continuously, without waiting for the other side's turn.

[[folder:WebComics]]

* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' has an [[UpToEleven entire PLANET]] of chess people fighting a never-ending war.

* ''Johnny Test'': This concept is the main plot point in the episode ''King Johnny''. Bored with playing regular chess, Johnny convinces his twin sisters to bring the chess pieces to life in human form. They play with the real chess pieces on a life sized board in the backyard of their house. At first, Johnny enjoys the new game. Unfortunately, he loses his sanity and starts acting like a real king. To make matters worse, he rampages through Porkelly with his live chess pieces.

* ''Johnny Test'': This concept is the main plot point in the episode ''King Johnny''. Bored with playing regular chess, Johnny convinces his twin sisters to bring the chess pieces to life in human form. They play with the real chess pieces on a life sized board in the backyard of their house. At first, Johnny enjoys the new game. Unfortunately, he loses his sanity and starts acting like a real king. To make matters worse, he rampages through Porkelly with his chess pieces.

* ''Johnny Test'': This concept is the main plot point in the episode ''King Johnny''. Bored with playing regular chess, Johnny convinces his twin sisters to bring the chess pieces to life. They play with the real chess pieces on a life sized board in the backyard of their house. At first, Johnny enjoys the new game. Unfortunately, he loses his sanity and starts acting like a real king. To make matters worse, he rampages through Porkelly with his chess pieces.

* ''[[Johnny Test]]'': This concept is the main plot point in the episode ''King Johnny''. Bored with playing regular chess, Johnny convinces his twin sisters to bring the chess pieces to life. They play with the real chess pieces on a life sized board in the backyard of their house. At first, Johnny enjoys the new game. Unfortunately, he loses his sanity and starts acting like a real king. To make matters worse, he rampages through Porkelly with his chess pieces.

* ''[[Western Animation/Johnny Test]]'': This concept is the main plot point in the episode ''King Johnny''. Bored with playing regular chess, Johnny convinces his twin sisters to bring the chess pieces to life. They play with the real chess pieces on a life sized board in the backyard of their house. At first, Johnny enjoys the new game. Unfortunately, he loses his sanity and starts acting like a real king. To make matters worse, he rampages through Porkelly with his chess pieces.

* ''Western Animation/Johnny Test'': This concept is the main plot point in the episode ''King Johnny''. Bored with playing regular chess, Johnny convinces his twin sisters to bring the chess pieces to life. They play with the real chess pieces on a life sized board in the backyard of their house. At first, Johnny enjoys the new game. Unfortunately, he loses his sanity and starts acting like a real king. To make matters worse, he rampages through Porkelly with his chess pieces.

* ''Western Animation / Johnny Test'': This concept is the main plot point in the episode ''King Johnny''. Bored with playing regular chess, Johnny convinces his twin sisters to bring the chess pieces to life. They play with the real chess pieces on a life sized board in the backyard of their house. At first, Johnny enjoys the new game. Unfortunately, he loses his sanity and starts acting like a real king. To make matters worse, he rampages through Porkelly with his chess pieces.

* ''Johnny Test'': This concept is the main plot point in the episode ''King Johnny''. Bored with playing regular chess, Johnny convinces his twin sisters to bring the chess pieces to life. They play with the real chess pieces on a life sized board in the backyard of their house. At first, Johnny enjoys the new game. Unfortunately, he loses his sanity and starts acting like a real king. To make matters worse, he rampages through Porkelly with his chess pieces.

* ''Johnny Test'': This concept is the main plot point in the episode "King Johnny''. Bored with playing regular chess, Johnny convinces his twin sisters to bring the chess pieces to life. They play with the real chess pieces on a life sized board in the backyard of their house. At first, Johnny enjoys the new game. Unfortunately, he loses his sanity and starts acting like a real king. To make matters worse, he rampages through Porkelly with his chess pieces.

* ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception'' has a chess mode, where even if you get "captured" you can fight back, to the death.

* ''WesternAnimation/Amphibia'': In "The First Temple", the final puzzle of said temple is a game of Amphibia's version of Chess called "Flipwart" that Marcy knows how to play, but it also includes a life-size counterpart that Polly, Hop Pop, Sprig, and Anne end up being forced into, where the pieces can physically hit each other which puts them at risk of being hurt, Anne ends up on the opposing side, and the game eventually starts ''cheating''. [[spoiler:It turns out to be a SecretTestOfCharacter; Marcy ends up throwing the game to save the Plantars, which is exactly what she needed to do to complete the puzzle]].