---
title: "Bughouse in chess"
url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/bughouse.md"
canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/bughouse"
last_updated: "2026-11-07"
type: "reference"
summary: "Bughouse is a four-player chess variant on two linked boards, where each capture hands the taken piece to your partner."
related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/crazyhouse.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-variant.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blitz-chess.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-clock.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/team-event.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/bullet-chess.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/time-controls.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"]
---

# Bughouse in chess

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Bughouse is a four-player chess variant on two linked boards, where each capture hands the taken piece to your partner.

Bughouse is a four-player chess variant on two linked boards, where each capture hands the taken piece to your partner, who may later place it on their own board instead of making a move.

Four players sit at two boards, and each partnership has White on one board and Black on the other, so partners always hold opposite colors. Both games run together on separate clocks. Every piece you [capture](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/capture.md) goes to your partner, who may spend a later turn placing it on any empty [square](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/square.md) of their own board rather than moving a piece already there.

The result is fast, tactical and very social. You might ask your partner for a [knight](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/knight.md), or tell them to delay a trade so that you do not feed the opposing team. A [checkmate](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/checkmate.md) or a [flag fall](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/flagging.md) on either board ends the whole game, and the team whose player was mated or flagged loses, so communication and clock awareness matter as much as [calculation](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/calculation.md).

Bughouse is popular at summer camps, school clubs and online, and many strong players enjoy it as a break from serious games. It builds quick tactical vision and teamwork, but it is not a replacement for standard training. Whether a pawn may be dropped on the first or last rank varies between groups, so agree the house rules before you play.

It sits close to [Chess variant](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-variant.md). A chess variant is a game played on a chessboard with pieces that move as in chess but with at least one changed rule, setup or goal, such as Chess960, Crazyhouse or Three-check.

A neighboring idea is [Crazyhouse](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/crazyhouse.md). Crazyhouse is a chess variant in which a captured piece changes sides and joins your reserve, and on any later turn you may drop it onto an empty square instead of moving.

If "Bughouse" is the format you play most, the [improvement plans by rating band](https://georgelichess.com/improve.md) give a weekly routine for your rating range.

## Related terms

- [Crazyhouse](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/crazyhouse.md)
- [Chess variant](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-variant.md)
- [Blitz chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blitz-chess.md)
- [Chess clock](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-clock.md)
- [Team event](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/team-event.md)
- [Bullet chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/bullet-chess.md)

## Guides that go further

- [Chess time control calculator](https://georgelichess.com/tools/time-control-calculator.md): See whether a base time and increment counts as bullet, blitz, rapid or classical.
- [Average chess rating and a good chess rating](https://georgelichess.com/chess-rating-percentiles.md): What share of active Lichess players are rated above 800, 1200, 1500, 1800 or 2000, by time control.
- [Chess ratings explained](https://georgelichess.com/chess-ratings-explained.md): What a rating measures, how FIDE, Lichess, US Chess and chess.com compute theirs, and why the numbers differ.

[Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com.

## Related

- [Crazyhouse in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/crazyhouse.md)
- [Chess variant](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-variant.md)
- [Blitz chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/blitz-chess.md)
- [Chess clock](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-clock.md)
- [Team event in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/team-event.md)
- [Bullet chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/bullet-chess.md)
- [Chess terms: Time controls and formats](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/time-controls.md)
- [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)