Rules

Initial setup

The board forms a regular hexagon with eight hexes on each side, and has three different colours: white, black and coloured, with the central hex coloured.

The white king and queen take positions in white hexes, and the black king and queen take positions in black hexes. The kings are positioned opposite each other, on the G column: the white king on his right, and the black king on his left.

Relative Value

Piece	Valor
Pawn	1
Elephant	2
Bishop	3
Knight	4
Pegasus	8
Rook	10
Wyvern (Dragon)	15
Queen	16

An additional point is awarded when the player is in possession of all three bishops. In total, at the start of the game, each player has 104 points: 51 from major pieces, 16 from medium pieces, 18 from minor pieces and 19 from the troop.

Movements: orthogonal, diagonal and knight moves

Knight jump

• Knight jump is the combination of one diagonal hex move and one orthogonal hex move; each diagonal direction allows two orthogonal diferent final positions; there are a total of twelve legal moves.
• A knight jump can't be prevented positioning a piece in the path of the knight; it is said that knight jumps.
• The color of the destination hex always is different from color of the hex where the move is originated.
• The knight jump can be made by the following pieces: Knight, Pegasus and the Wivern (Dragon).

Ride

• C'escacs ride move is a doble knight jump (only twice), without capture.
• The second jump must be done just the same way as the first one: same diagonal direction and same orthogonal direction. So, it is defined by the initial jump; there is only one possible ride for each knight move.
• The destination hex must be free, as it this move doesn't allow capturing opponent pieces.
• The intermediate hex chaining both jumps must also be free.
• The color of the destination hex always is different from color of the hex where the move is originated.
• The Ride move can only be done by the Knight.

Piece movements

• Rook

  Orthogonal movement: toward six orthogonal direccions, on files.

• Bishop

  Diagonal movement: toward six diagonal directions, on lines.

  Colour bound; it's a weak piece in hexagonal chess, remarkably weaker than the knight.

• Knight

  There are two different movements:

  • Knight jump, as described; there are twelve possible ones.
  • Knight ride, as described:
    • Two equal knight jumps are chained; There are twelve possible ride moves, one for each simple knight move.
    • The intermediate hex, as for the simple jump move, must be free.
    • He cannot capture pieces when moving by riding; the final hex has to be empty.

  There are twenty four total possible moves, but only the twelve simple knight moves allow a capture. The color of the destination hex always changes with respect to the color of the source hex, both in single movements and in double movements while riding.

• Pegasus

  The winged horse can move diagonally, along the lines as a bishop, or make a knight jump.

  He can't ride, as the knight ride.

  He combines the movements of the bishop and the knight (without the knight ride).

  In hexagonal chess its power is less than a rook, and it is considered a median piece, superior to the minor pieces, but without reaching the power of the major pieces.

• Wyvern (Dragon)

  The dragon can move orthogonally, along the files, or make a knight jump.

  He can't ride, as the knight ride.

  He combines the movements of the rook and the knight (without the knight ride).

  It's power is similar to that of the queen.

• Queen

  Movement in the six orthogonal directions and in the six diagonals; move through both files and lines.

  She combines the movements of the rook and the bishop.

• Elephant

  In some languages, Elephant is the name given to the Bishop; in these languages Halberdier is used as an alternative name.

  The movement of elephants is as in eastern chess (Sittuyin, ASEAN-Chess...): in diagonal directions forward or backward, or advancing one or two hexes; a total of six different hexes.

  He cannot move diagonally to the sides, and orthogonally only forward. In all there are six hexes; the movements of the elephant draw the four legs and the trunk.

  It is a very slow piece, which allows the construction of consistent structures of pawns, and its power can be said to be considerably less than that of a bishop, but it is true that it is mainly due to its slowness and little maneuverability; its function is to support pawn structures.

  

• Pawn

  The pawn's moves are different if it captures or makes a move to an empty hex; In addition, there are specific movements for some situations.

  

  Moves without capture

  • The pawn may move forward one or two hexes; double step is allowed anywhere.
  • The pawn may also move one hex orthogonally oblique, to either of the two adjacent oblique forward hexes by 60º.
  • In total it has a maximum of four non-capture moves, not counting the possible additional initial move.

  Capture moves

  • To capture the pawn moves diagonally towards either of the two diagonally forward hexes, following the two lines at 30º, that is, in the two front hexes of the same color as the hex it is in.

  Special moves

  Initial move

  • In the initial positions, the pawns can make a triple forward movement along the column, with the exception of the central column (on the 'F' column) and both columns on the flanks (the 'A' column and the 'L' column).

  • A pawn may have been moved, but remain in one of these initial eight hexes. In this case, it will keep the ability to do the triple move.

    That is to say: for each player there are eight positions from which a pawn can make a triple move, and three pawns that can never make a triple move.

  Special moves

  Promotion

  • When a pawn reaches one of the fifteen hexcaques on the opponent's side, it will necessarily promote, but the piece he promotes must be a regainable piece previously captured.

  • Regainable pieces are: Queen, Wyvern (Dragon), Rooks, Pegasus, Knights and Bishops, but the colour of the Bishop must be taken into account, as you cannot have two Bishops of the same colour in play; only a Bishop of the same colour that has been captured is regainable.

    Elephants are not regainable.

  Special moves

  Forced promotion

  Pawn awaiting promotion

  • It seems unlikely that there are no captured regainable pieces available to promote a pawn, but if this were the case, the pawn would remain unpromoted, with its moves limited by its board position, until either the opponent captures a valid piece for promotion, or the pawn itself is captured. It is called a pawn awaiting promotion.

    On the turn of the player with a pawn awaiting promotion, immediately after being captured one of his regainable pieces valid for the promotion, and if he is not in check, the move will necessarily consist of promoting the pawn that had been awaiting promotion, without making any other move.

    If the player is in check, the promotion move must be made on the first move in which the player is not in check, without making any other move.

  Special captures

  En passant capture

  

  

  

  • A pawn that makes a double or triple move and passes through a hex in which it could have been captured by an opponent's pawn, it can also be captured.
  • The en passant capture must be done immediately after the double or triple movement.
  • The pawn that makes the capture is positioned in the hex where it would have made a normal capture, and the opponent's pawn removed from the game, ignoring the position it has advanced to (one or two hexes ahead).

  Special captures

  Capture of the scornful pawn

  

  

  

  When two pawns from opposite sides are facing each other, they do not hold, because in C'escacs the pawns can move obliquely.

  But if a pawn facing another opponent despises the position and makes a sideways move to dodge it, it can be orthogonally captured by the opponent's pawn that it scorned and tried to dodge.

  1. When a pawn faced with an opponent's pawn, in the same column and consecutive hexes, makes an oblique movement avoiding the opponent's pawn, it can be orthogonally captured.
  2. The capture move must be made immediately after the pawn's scornful move.
  3. The capture is made orthogonally, moving to the position where the opponent's pawn is. It is the only capture with an orthogonal move that a pawn can make.

  A case can arise when a pawn is promoted by making a scornful move avoiding the opponent's pawn which it was facing. This case can only occur on the T, A, L, X columns, after making a scornful move respectively from the A, B, K, L columns. The capture of the scornful pawn also applies in this case, and the piece to which the pawn has promoted will be captured.

  Also on the T, A, L, X columns an en passant capture can be given at the moment of promotion; not on the other columns, as they cannot have pawns so far behind. In this case, too, the piece to which the pawn has been promoted is captured.

• King

  He can move a single hex orthogonally or diagonally; in total twelve possible movements.

  • You cannot make a move that leaves the king threatened (in check)
  • When he is threatened (in check) he has to be moved, or you have to move another piece which avoids the check.
  • If there is no move to avoid the check, it is checkmate, and the game is lost.

  King's leap

  Initial move

  

  The King can make a leap on its first move, a knight jump:

  • When the King has not yet been moved.
  • When the King is not threatened (in check).
  • A capture can be done on this move.
    • As it stands on the last rule, it can't be used to capture a piece which is theatening him (check).

  You can see the rules of the King's Leap in more detail in a specific section available on another page of this website.

  Castling

  Initial move

  Castling exists in C'escacs, but it is not a fundamental move to develop the strategy, and it is convenient to play the first games obviating this rule, as detailed below. In the Castling section of this website, separate on another page, the two variants are detailed: the single castling, with one Rook, and the double castling, using both of them.

  • Not to be confused with the King's leap.
  • It is also an evasive move, but allows you to incorporate defense with the Rook.

  Play without Castling

  Recommendation for first games

  • It is recommended to play without Castling to get started in the game.
  • Must be agreed at the beginning of the game.
  • If played without Castling, the King's Leap will remain, but without allowing the King to capture with this move.

  
  

Rules