Crazyhouse and bughouse are the two famous "drop" chess variants, and people mix them up all the time. The short version: crazyhouse is one against one and you keep the pieces you capture. Bughouse is two against two and you hand the pieces you capture to your partner. Everything else they share. Here is the full side by side.
Crazyhouse: 2 players, 1 board. A piece you capture changes colour and joins your own reserve, and you can drop it on your board as a move.
Bughouse: 4 players in teams of two, 2 boards. A piece you capture goes to your partner, who drops it on their board. The first board to finish decides the match.
Side by Side
| Crazyhouse | Bughouse | |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 2 | 4, in two teams of two |
| Boards | 1 | 2, side by side |
| Captured pieces go to | You | Your partner |
| Drops | Yes | Yes |
| Game ends when | Your board ends | Either board ends |
| Talking | No | Yes, with your partner |
| Best played | Online or one on one | Over the board, in a group |
What Is Crazyhouse?
Crazyhouse is normal chess with one extra rule. When you capture a piece, it switches to your colour and goes into your reserve. On any later turn, instead of moving, you can drop a piece from your reserve onto any empty square.
So if you take your opponent's knight, you now own a spare knight. A few moves later it can appear right next to their king. Crazyhouse is sometimes called "single bughouse", because it is exactly what bughouse feels like with only one board and no partner.
Crazyhouse is hugely popular online because the site keeps track of every reserve for you. Over the board it is a bit fiddly: each player needs the captured pieces of the other colour to drop, so you need a spare set nearby.
What Is Bughouse?
Bughouse is the team version. Two teams of two sit at two boards side by side, with partners playing opposite colours. When you capture a piece, you hand it to your partner, who can drop it onto their own board. Because partners have opposite colours, the piece is already the right colour, so no extra set is needed.
The match ends the moment either board ends, by checkmate, time out or resignation, and that result counts for the whole team. Partners talk all game: "I need a knight", "don't trade", "sit". That is why bughouse is loud, social and a favourite at school and club events. The full rules are in our bughouse chess rules guide.
Running bughouse for a group? ChessHost pairs the teams and seats both boards, free.
Start a free eventRules They Share
Both variants use the same drop rules, so learning one teaches you most of the other:
- A drop is your whole move. You either move a piece or drop one, never both.
- Drop on any empty square, including with check.
- No pawns on the first or last rank.
- A promoted pawn turns back into a pawn when it is captured.
- A dropped rook can never castle.
Clubs that play bughouse often ban checkmate by drop for young beginners. Crazyhouse online usually allows it. Agree on house rules before you start.
Which One Should You Play?
- Practising alone or online: crazyhouse. You only need one opponent and the app tracks every reserve.
- A club night, classroom or party: bughouse. Four players per table, lots of talking, and nobody needs a spare set.
- Teaching drops to kids: start with bughouse. Children love playing with a partner, and it teaches them to watch the whole board.
Crazyhouse is a great way to sharpen the attacking skills you need in bughouse. Our bughouse strategy tips work in both. And when you are ready to run a bughouse event, free chess club software like ChessHost has a Bughouse mode that pairs teams of two and shows each table who plays which board.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between crazyhouse and bughouse?
Crazyhouse is one against one on a single board, and the pieces you capture join your own reserve. Bughouse is two against two on two boards, and the pieces you capture go to your partner. Both let you drop captured pieces onto the board as a move.
What is crazyhouse chess?
Crazyhouse is a chess variant where a piece you capture switches to your colour and goes into your reserve. On any turn you can drop a piece from your reserve onto an empty square instead of moving.
Is crazyhouse the same as bughouse?
No. They share the same drop rules, but crazyhouse is played by two players on one board, while bughouse is played by four players in teams of two on two boards.
Can you play crazyhouse over the board?
Yes, but you need a spare chess set, because a captured piece has to change colour before you drop it. That is why crazyhouse is mostly played online, where the site handles the reserves.
Which is better for kids, crazyhouse or bughouse?
Bughouse is usually better for a group of kids. They play with a partner, talk during the game and need no spare pieces. Crazyhouse is a good way for one child to practise drops online.
Planning a Bughouse Event?
ChessHost runs bughouse for schools and clubs: teams of two, both boards seated, live standings on a TV. Free to start.
Try ChessHost Free