Full Rules

This is the comprehensive reference for Enochian Chess. If you're new, start with the Quick Start guide first.

Board Geometry

Enochian Chess uses a standard 8×8 board with algebraic notation (a1 in the lower-left corner). What makes it unique is the orientation: four armies enter from the four cardinal directions.

The board is oriented by compass:

• South (ranks 1-2): Blue army's home
• East (files g-h): Red army's home
• North (ranks 7-8): Black army's home
• West (files a-b): Yellow army's home

Play proceeds clockwise: Blue → Red → Black → Yellow → Blue...

Differences from Standard Chess

Several rules from standard chess do not apply:

• No castling — Kings cannot castle with rooks
• No en passant — Pawns cannot capture en passant
• No two-square pawn opening — Pawns move one square forward only, even on their first move

The Four Armies

Teams: Blue + Black form Team Air. Red + Yellow form Team Earth.

In a four-player game, each person controls one army. In a two-player game, each person controls an entire team (two armies).

Thrones

Each army has two throne squares—special squares where kings gain additional powers.

Throne properties:

• A king on its own throne can share the square with one allied piece
• If an enemy captures a double-occupied throne, both pieces are removed
• Moving your king to an ally's throne lets you seize control of their army

Diagonal Networks

One of the most unusual features of Enochian Chess is the division of diagonals into two networks: Aries and Cancer.

Every diagonal square belongs to one network:

• Aries network: Squares matching the pattern 0x55AA55AA55AA55AA
• Cancer network: Squares matching the pattern 0xAA55AA55AA55AA55

Queens and bishops are permanently assigned to one network. This affects captures:

• Bishops can only capture queens on the same diagonal network
• Queens can only capture bishops on the same diagonal network
• Bishops never capture other bishops
• Queens never capture other queens

The starting array defines which network each piece belongs to.

Concourse

A concourse is a powerful tactical formation unique to Enochian Chess. When four pieces of the same type occupy a 2×2 square pattern, the player completing the formation gains a significant advantage.

Concourse of Bishoping

When three bishops occupy adjacent squares in a 2×2 pattern and a fourth bishop moves to complete the square:

1. The completing player captures both enemy bishops
2. The completing player gains control of the allied bishop
3. There are only five positions on the board where a concourse can occur

Concourse of Queens

The same rule applies to queens. When four queens form a 2×2 square:

• The completing player captures the two enemy queens
• The completing player gains control of the allied queen

Since queens also cannot normally capture queens, the concourse is the sole exception.

King Capture & Frozen Armies

When a king is captured:

1. The entire army becomes frozen
2. Frozen pieces remain on the board but cannot move, capture, or give check
3. Frozen pieces still block squares—they become obstacles

Seizing Control

You can rescue a frozen allied army:

1. Move your king onto your ally's throne square
2. You immediately gain control of their frozen army
3. The army thaws and can move again on subsequent turns
4. Control persists even if your king leaves the throne

Ally Captures Ally King (Four-Player Only)

In a four-player game, if your ally's king is about to be captured by an enemy, you may capture their king yourself:

• The captured king is removed, but their pieces are not frozen
• You gain control of both your army and your ally's army
• Each army still moves on its own turn (not combined)
• This sacrificial move prevents the enemy from freezing your ally's forces

Exchange of Prisoners

If two opposing players have each captured a king, they may negotiate an exchange:

• Both captured kings return to their thrones (or nearest unoccupied, unthreatened square)
• Both frozen armies thaw immediately
• This is a negotiated action, not automatic—the opponent may refuse

Restrictions:

• An exchange can only be proposed by the player who captured the second king
• The exchange must be between the same pair of opponents (you cannot exchange with someone who didn't capture your ally)
• Players with frozen pieces cannot negotiate exchanges—only active players can propose
• The offer can be made at capture time or later, and can be repeated if refused

Check & Forced King Moves

Check works differently than in standard chess:

1. Check detection: A king is in check if any unfrozen opposing piece attacks its square

2. Forced king moves: If your king is in check and has at least one legal king move, you must move the king. You cannot block with another piece or capture the attacker with a non-king.

3. No legal king moves: Only when the king has no legal moves can other pieces act while the king remains in check.

4. Moving into check: Unusually, a king that is already in check may move into check from a different piece. This tactical sacrifice can buy time for an ally to intervene.

Stalemate

If a non-checked king has no legal moves (every move would put it in check), that army is stalemated.

A stalemated army skips its turns until the stalemate is broken—perhaps by an ally moving pieces, or an enemy capture that frees up squares.

Withdrawing

A player may withdraw from the game under certain circumstances:

Bare King Withdrawal

If a player loses all pieces except their king, they may choose to withdraw:

• The withdrawn king remains on the board as a frozen piece
• The ally takes over the withdrawn player's turn, gaining two moves per round
• This allows the ally to operate both armies simultaneously

Voluntary Withdrawal

Any player may withdraw at any time:

• Their pieces come under the ally's control
• However, the turn structure remains unchanged (one move per corner per round)
• The ally moves the withdrawn player's pieces on that army's turn

Pawn Promotion

Pawn promotion in Enochian Chess has several unique rules:

Patron Piece System

Each pawn is a vice-gerent (deputy) to a specific major piece. When a pawn promotes, it becomes the piece it represents:

• The pawn in front of the Queen becomes a Queen
• The pawn in front of the Bishop becomes a Bishop
• And so on...

The pawn on the throne square belongs to the piece sharing that square with the King.

Delayed Promotion

Promotion is delayed if the army still has all four pawns:

• A pawn reaching the promotion zone waits there
• Only after losing a pawn elsewhere does promotion occur
• This prevents immediate doubling of pieces

Throne Square Promotion

A pawn reaching a throne square cannot become a King. It promotes to the piece type that originally shared that throne at game start.

Privileged Pawn

If an army is reduced to a minimal force:

• King + Queen + Pawn
• King + Bishop + Pawn
• King + Pawn only

...then that pawn becomes privileged. A privileged pawn may promote to any major piece type (except King).

Twist: If you promote to a piece type already on the board, the existing piece is demoted back into a pawn.

Victory & Draw Conditions

Victory

A team wins when both enemy kings have been captured (and not returned via prisoner exchange).

Draws

The game is drawn if:

• Both allied kings are bare (no other pieces)
• Only four bare kings remain on the board
• Players mutually agree after an unresolved stalemate cycle

Divination Mode (Optional)

For those who embrace the mystical origins, Divination Mode adds a d6 roll that constrains each move:

If no piece of the rolled type can legally move, you may re-roll (up to a configured limit).