HiQue®

Opening Position

No. of Players

Two

Equipment

A HiQue board plus five "runner" counters and four "guard" counters, one set each for both players, are required for play. Here, the runner counters and guard counters are shown as are shown as Orthochess pawns and Orthochess bishops, respectively.

History

HiQue bills itself as "the missing link between Chess and Checkers". HiQue was designed by Gregg Steven Blasingame and published in 1998 by the D&L Company.

Objective

The object is to get a runner from your back row to the opponent's back row.

Play

Runners may move one space forward or to either side, but not backwards. This is technically a diagonal move, although the terms orthogonal (Needs clarification with this board). Guards may move any number of unobstructed spaces in any of the 4 directions. Due to the diamond formation, guards are always on black squares and runners always on white squares.

Runners may be captured if 2 enemy guards occupy adjacent spaces. Multiple runners may be captured in one move of a guard in this manner. Guards may never be captured. Play ends when one runner makes it to the enemy back line, or all of one side's runners are eliminated.

This game plays quickly and easily. There aren't a lot of pieces, and the runners are in constant jeopardy from the guards. This is a game of deterrent: making sure your opponent doesn't take your pieces by setting up attacks of your own.

Strategy

The sides seem to be the safest places for runners, but they're very vulnerable anywhere.

Variations

Sources