Objective of the Game
The objective of Hexagonal Chess is to checkmate the opponent's king, meaning the king is in check and cannot move to an unbeaten square.
Board
Hexagonal Chess is played on a special hexagonal board consisting of 91 cells. The cells are colored in a pattern similar to traditional chess, with alternating dark and light cells. However, due to the hexagonal shape, the arrangement and movement rules of the pieces differ.
Setup
Each player has an army of pieces: - 1 King - 1 Queen - 2 Bishops - 2 Knights - 2 Rooks - 9 Pawns
The pieces are arranged symmetrically on the edge cells of the board, similar to initial chess settings.
Movement of Pieces
- King: Moves one cell in any of the six directions.
- Queen: Can move in a straight line over any number of free cells in any of the six directions.
- Rook: Moves in a straight line but only along the edges (not diagonally as there are no equivalent diagonals).
- Bishop: Moves along one of the lines running over the vertices of the hexagons.
- Knight: Can move two cells in one direction and then one cell offset by 60 degrees.
- Pawn: Moves one cell straight forward and captures diagonally. On the first move, pawns can advance two cells. Pawns promote to another piece when reaching the opposite end.
Check, Checkmate, and Stalemate
- Check: A king is in check when it is threatened by an opposing piece.
- Checkmate: A king is checkmated when it is in check and no legal move can prevent it.
- Stalemate: If a player has no legal move and the king is not in check, the game ends in a draw.
Special Considerations
- A pawn breakthrough can be especially crucial, as promotion can shift the balance of power.
- Strategies often involve leveraging the hexagonal structure for surprising attacks.
Players should familiarize themselves with the interaction of pieces on the hexagonal board as opportunities and challenges differ significantly from traditional chess.
