King
The most important piece—and unlike standard chess, it can be captured
♔
The King moves exactly as in standard chess: one square in any direction (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally).
The King can move to any of the 8 adjacent squares.
Key Differences from Standard Chess
Kings Can Be Captured
There is no checkmate in Enochian Chess. If your king is attacked and cannot escape, it is captured and removed from the board.
Forced King Moves
When your king is in check and has at least one legal king move:
- You must move your king
- You cannot block with another piece
- You cannot capture the attacker with a non-king piece
Only when the king has no legal moves can other pieces act.
Frozen Armies
When a king is captured:
- The entire army freezes in place
- Frozen pieces cannot move, capture, or give check
- Frozen pieces block squares like statues
- The army remains frozen until rescued by an ally
Throne Mechanics
Each army has two throne squares. When a king stands on its own throne:
- It can share the square with one allied piece
- If captured while sharing, both pieces are removed
When you move your king to an ally's throne:
- You seize control of their army
- If they were frozen, they thaw
- Control persists even after leaving the throne
No Castling
There is no castling in Enochian Chess. The king simply moves one square at a time throughout the game.
Summary
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Movement | One square, any direction |
| Capture | Same as movement |
| Special | Can be captured; freezes army when lost |
| Throne | Can share with ally; seizes allied armies |