A chess-type game for 2, 3 or 4 players comprising a game board with a checkered playing surface and a border having four visually distinguishable sides, preferably by four colors, surrounding the playing surface, each of the said four colors corresponding to a different set of chess-like playing pieces of the same color, each said set of playing pieces to be initially set up on the board opposite the side of the border of the same color, each side of the border being used to designate the adjacent row where playing pieces the same color as the border side may be promoted. Optionally, the set of playing pieces may include a new chess-like character designated a squire, which may move two squares vertically, horizontally, or diagonally in any direction, may jump over intervening pieces, and which may be removed from the board when a knight associated with the squire is captured.