Game Summary
The worst fear of a Secret Service Agent is when the U.S. President decides to leave an established motorcade and work the crowd. In this game, one player plays the President and his two Secret Service Agents and the other represents a crowd with an unknown assassin. Can the President make it through the crowd alive?
Components
- One Chess/Checker board
- One white chess piece as the President (recommend the king or bishop)
- Two white checkers as Secret Service Agents
- 6 to 10 black checkers as the crowd
- 3 six-sided dice
Setup
The President starts in one of the two center squares on one side of the board. He then places one Secret Service Agent on each side of the President.
The crowd starts with 6 crowd members anywhere on the opposite half of the board. Note: you may use more or less crowd pieces to help handicap different skill levels. If the President gets away to easily, add crowd members.
Goal
The President player must exit from one of the two center squares on the opposite side of the board.
The crowd player must assassinate the President.
Gameplay
Turns alternate between the President player and the crowd player. The President player plays first.
President Player
On his turn the President player may move either a Secret Service Agent or the President. Pieces may move vertically, horizontally, or diagonally one square.
Secret Service Agents cannot occupy a space with any other token i.e., President or crowd. They may not move into the square occupied by the President. They may however, move to a square occupied by a crowd member. When they wish to do this, they simply push the crowd member to another vacant square. You may say something like, "Move along buddy, President coming through."
It is possible that pushing one crowd member to clear a path will force that crowd member to displace another in a chain reaction. In all circumstances, the crowd player decides to which square the crowd member goes when a Secret Service Agent displaces them.
The President may push a Secret Service Agent out of the way much like a Secret Service Agent may push a crowd member. In this case the President player decides where the Secret Service Agent goes and if a crowd member is also moved as a result, the crowd player decides where the crowd member goes.
Additionally, the President may enter a square with a crowd member to shake their hand. In this case, the President piece is place fully on top of the crowd member and both stay in the same square shaking hands. Of course this is a risk to the President as an assassination attempt may occur. (See assassination below).
In this way, the President and the secret service move across the board trying to get off the other side. with Secret service clearing a path and the President shaking hands.
The Crowd Player
The crowd player may move any one crowd member. Pieces move horizontally, vertically, or diagonally one square.
A crowd member may not move into a square with a Secret Service Agent. The crowd member may enter a square with the President. In this case the President piece is placed on top of the crowd member and both pieces occupy the same square. The crowd member is shaking hands with the President.
When a crowd member is shaking hands with the President, he may try to assassinate him. (See "Assassination Attempt" below.)
Thus the crowd members continue to try to get access and shake hands with the President so they may get an assassination attempt.
Assassination Attempt
When a crowd member and the President are occupying the same space (shaking hands), the crowd player may attempt an assassination attempt.
To do this, the crowd player takes one die and hides it in his hand with a 1, 2, or 3, face up. The President player gets one die for each Secret Service Agent that is adjacent to the President either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
The President player then selects one die for each qualifying Secret Service Agent and selects a 1, 2, or 3 on the die/dice. If the assassin has picked a number that is not on any of the secret service dice, the President is killed.
For example, the President is shaking hands and the assassin secretly picks a 3 on his die. There are two Secret Service Agents adjacent to the President so the Secret Service Agent picks a 2 on one die and a 3 on the other. Since the assassin's 3 was matched by the Secret service the President is safe. Note: if there is no agent near the President, he will be automatically killed.
If the assassination is successful the Crowd player wins immediately. At this point, switch sides and play again to see if the other player can do better.
If the assassination fails, the crowd member is removed from the game. In theory, he has met the President and can now go home in peace. The game continues from here.
Game End
The game turns alternate between players until the President exits the board on the opposite side or is killed. It is recommended to switch sides and play again so both players get a chance to be President.
President is © 2001 Ted Cheatham
