Really Bad Chess is played using a normal chess board, but with each player given one king and 15 other pieces selected at random based on the player's skill level.

[3] Because of the rearranged pieces, players cannot use typical chess opening moves.

[4] Unlike in standard chess, in Really Bad Chess there are no draws: a stalemated player loses the game, and no draws can be claimed for reasons such as threefold repetition.

[1] In 2023, Really Bad Chess is integrated within the games portal Puzzmo, developed by Gage and Orta Therox, as a daily puzzle.

[2] Prior to release, Emma Kidwell of Kill Screen said the game "should be great for beginners to learn about the joy of landing a checkmate without having to study openings".