Hexagonal Chess
Opening Position
Alternate Names
The primary version of Chess played on a hexagonal board, and probably the most popular, is more specifically known as Gliński's Hexagonal Chess, to differentiate it from many other forms of chess played on hexagonal boards or hexagonal cells. Gliński's Hexagonal Chess will be the primary form discussed here.
No. of Players
Two
Equipment
Gliński's Hexagonal Chess, which is the primary version discussed here, is played on a hexagonal board composed of 91 cells of three different colors, as shown above. The pieces issued to each player are the same as in Orthochess, but there are an extra bishop and pawn for each side. More specifically, one king, one queen, three bishops, 2 knights, 2 rooks, and 9 pawns are issued for each side.
History
There have been numerous attempts at Chess played on a hexagonal board, composed of hexagons, since at least as early as 1853. The most popular and recognized version by far is the one invented by Wladyslaw Gliński of Poland in 1936. It is this version which will be the primary one discussed here. Others will be discussed, as time allows, in the Variations section below. Gliński's Hexagonal Chess was first launched in Britain in 1949, and enjoyed remarkable popularity in Eastern Europe (Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Russia) where there were once reportedly over half-a-million players. Large tournaments have been held in London, Moscow, and Subotica. The game has appeared into decline since the death if its inventor in 1990.
Objective
Hexagonal Chess, like many forms of Chess is won by checkmating the opponent. Stalemate is not a draw in Gliński's Hex Chess, but is still counted less points than checkmate. In tournament games, the player who delivers stalemate earns 3/4 of a point, and the stalemated player (the player without a legal move) receives 1/4 of a point.
Play
For the most part, Glinski's hexagonal Chess plays like Orthochess, but some clarification is needed to demonstrate the movements of the pieces on a hexagonal board.
The movements of the six different kinds of pieces are illustrated below. The blue dots mark the cells where the piece can move if no other pieces (including one's own) are obstructing its route. The Knight, however, can jump over intervening pieces. All pieces capture by replacement.
Knight Moves
Rook Moves
Pawns move straight forward and capture obliquely forward to an adjacent cell (shown as X's in the diagram). The pawn's capturing move direction is not diagonal like the bishop's move, as is the case in Orthochess. All pawns can make a double step from their starting cells. If a pawn captures from its starting cell in such a way that it then occupies a starting cell of another pawn, it can still make a double move. En passant captures are also possible. Pawns promote on the last cell of a file; white pawns promote on the cells in the diagram marked with stars.
Pawns
Pawns have an initial two-step move option. En passant captures are allowed. A capturing Pawn, which arrives on a friendly Pawn's starting square, regains its initial two-step move option. Pawns promote when they arrive on one of the eleven hexes that define the opposite borders of the board.
There is no castling in Gliński's Hexagonal Chess.
Strategy
Variations
Mars
Brusky's Hexagonal Chess
Shafran's Hexagonal Chess
McCooey's Hexagonal Chess
De Vasa's Hexagonal Chess
Starchess
Kruzno http://www.kruzno.com/Rules1.html
Sources
Hexagonal Chess at Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexagonal_chess
Pritchard, D.B. The Classified Encyclopedia of Chess Variants. Completed, edited, and published by John Beasley, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9555168-0-1