SE!ZE

The game

1. The name

   Seize, and seize

   Seize the board, and seize, French for sixteen: Leclerc’s race number and the age of the Chivas Regal 16 blend the game launched alongside. Chivas adds a third reading: seizing the opponent’s pieces is how you win. Source: Chivas Regal.

2. How it plays

   Guards, bosses, caps, and sandwiches

   Each side has six guards that step one square and two bosses that move one or two in a line. Marked squares hand out caps that upgrade a guard’s movement. You capture by sandwiching an enemy piece between two of yours. Win by taking both bosses, holding the four centre squares, or leaving the opponent with two pieces. The official rules are on Chivas Regal’s page; our reading of them is on the rules page.

3. Lineage

   Chess, tafl, and reversi in sixteen pieces

   Custodial capture comes from the tafl family, the sliding caps echo rooks and bishops, and the centre fight recalls reversi. Hikaru Nakamura called it a gateway to chess, checkers, and Go in Sports Illustrated · Grand Prix on SI.

The people

1. Designer

   James Wallis

   British games designer, writer, and publisher. He designed SE!ZE over a year with Leclerc involved throughout, and thanked the Playtest UK community for shaping it. His site · his announcement.

2. Co-creator

   Charles Leclerc

   Ferrari Formula 1 driver and a chess player away from the track. He started from forty or fifty questions about the games he likes, wanted a game anyone could pick up without study, and practised it with his younger brother before Monza. SI interview · WWD interview.

3. Concept

   Baby Teeth

   The London entertainment company that conceived the campaign and gave Wallis the brief. Founded in 2025 by Lynsey Atkin, Chris Watling and Rebecca Lewis. The Stable · Deadline.

4. Rights holder

   Chivas Regal

   The Scotch whisky house whose 16 year old blend, co-created by Leclerc and master blender Sandy Hyslop, shares the game’s number. It publishes the official rules and staged the Monza showdown. Official story.

5. Film

   Somesuch and Tom Hardiman

   Production company and director of the launch film, in which SE!ZE first appeared on a table above the French Riviera. Behind the scenes content came from Leclerc’s own studio, SIDEQUEST. Somesuch · SIDEQUEST · Little Black Book.

6. Playtesting

   Playtest UK

   The non profit network of designers and playtesters across the UK whose members played early versions. Playtest UK.

The story so far

1. 30 Apr 2026

   Launch

   SE!ZE premiered inside the Chivas Regal 16 campaign film, which passed five million views in its first twelve hours. Campaign coverage.

2. 1 Sep 2026

   Monza: Leclerc vs Nakamura

   The first public head to head, played against chess grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura at the Chivas Regal Arena of Mastery the day before the Italian Grand Prix and streamed live. Watch the stream · press release.

3. Later 2026

   Official digital version

   Chivas Regal’s Monza release says SE!ZE will be available to play digitally later this year. Until then, this fan version is here to learn on.

Read more

The three most recent items. Every verified article, film, and official page is on the news page.

1. 1 Sept 2026Official

   Leclerc and Nakamura go head to head at Monza (opens in a new tab)

   Chivas Regal press release · GlobeNewswire

   The official wrap of the Arena of Mastery night: Leclerc against Nakamura before a live crowd, the game and the 16 year old blend framed as two creations from one mindset, and a note that SE!ZE will be playable digitally later this year.

2. 1 Sept 2026Film

   The Arena of Mastery: the full Monza stream (opens in a new tab)

   YouTube · GMHikaru

   Forty one minutes on Hikaru Nakamura's channel. The evening opens with master blender Sandy Hyslop in a whisky face off, then the first ever SE!ZE head to head between Leclerc and Nakamura.

3. 25 Aug 2026Makers

   Leclerc and Nakamura explain SE!ZE before Monza (opens in a new tab)

   Sports Illustrated · Grand Prix on SI

   Leclerc on building the game from forty or fifty questions about what he likes in chess, a year of versions, and wanting it playable without study. Nakamura on rook and bishop style movement, why it could be a gateway to chess, checkers and Go, and the online version he built to practise openings.