Hand & Brain is a chess variant where four players play against each other in teams of two. Each team consists of a “hand” and a “brain”. For each move, the “brain” first says the type of the piece that must be moved (pawn, knight, bishop, rook, queen, king). The “hand” can then make any (legal) move with the specified type. If no legal moves are possible, the “brain” must name another type. No other communication is allowed and the “hand” must press the clock after the move was made.

Tips and tricks for playing hand & brain:

• Play fast, time plays a very important role here since it always takes at least a couple of seconds to make a move.
• Usually, the stronger player is the “brain”, but apart from a higher entertainment value, this does not matter too much.
• Cooperation is key here: knowing your partner (whether they play aggressively, and what level they have) is essential for good play (definitely under time pressure)!