MergeMate
Rules
How to play MergeMate
MergeMate uses normal chess moves on a 6×6 board. You win the way you win at chess, by checkmate. Four extra rules make it a merge puzzle: merge, capture refunds, deploy and the knight promotion.
1. Merge two identical pieces
Move one of your pieces onto an identical piece of your own color. The two become the next piece in the chain:
| You merge | You get |
|---|---|
| ♙ Pawn + ♙ Pawn | ♘ Knight |
| ♘ Knight + ♘ Knight | ♖ Rook |
| ♗ Bishop + ♗ Bishop | ♖ Rook |
| ♖ Rook + ♖ Rook | ♕ Queen |
Queens and kings do not merge. So eight pawns are enough to build a queen.
Which pieces can merge? A piece can merge with a matching piece that is directly next to it (up, down, left or right), or one it could reach with its own move: the pawn directly in front of a pawn, a knight one knight-jump away, or a rook, bishop or queen along an open line.
Merging uses your turn. Like any move, it can never leave your own king in check.
2. Captures refill your reserve
Capturing works as in chess. Each capture also gives you a smaller piece for your reserve:
| You capture | Your reserve gets |
|---|---|
| ♛ Queen | ♜ Rook |
| ♜ Rook | ♝ Bishop |
| ♝ Bishop | ♞ Knight |
| ♞ Knight | ♟ Pawn |
| ♟ Pawn | ♟ Pawn for every second pawn captured |
3. Deploy reserve pieces
On your turn, instead of moving or merging, you can place one reserve piece on any empty square of your two home rows. Deployed pieces can merge with matching pieces on the board, so a good drop often sets up a merge on the next turn.
4. Pawns promote to knights
A pawn that reaches the last row becomes a knight, the next step of the merge chain. It does not become a queen.
Winning, draws and stalemate
Campaign battles end only with checkmate. If the side to move has no legal move (no move, merge or deploy) and is not in check, it is stalemate and the game is a draw. MergeMate highlights a move that would stalemate the opponent and asks for a second tap, so you never throw away a won position by accident.
Puzzles: mate in two
Every tenth level from level 5 on (5, 15, 25 … 95), plus the daily puzzle, is a mate-in-two puzzle. Each has exactly one key move, and it is always a merge. Find it, then checkmate on your second move. If two moves pass without checkmate, the puzzle resets. A puzzle hint shows the key move.
Three stars per level
- Victory: win the level by checkmate.
- Original army: win without extra help pieces.
- Tactic: complete the level's goal, such as merging a rook or a queen, or capturing with a merged or deployed piece.
Stars add up across different wins. Free hints and undos never cost a star.