Rhombic chess

Rhombic chess

Rhombic chess is a chess variant created by Tony Paletta in 1980. The gameboard has an overall hexagonal shape and comprises 72 rhombi in three alternating colors. Each player commands a full set of standard chess pieces. The game was first published in Chess Spectrum Newsletter 2 by the inventor and was included in World Game Review No. 10 edited by Michael Keller.

Why is Rhombic chess Popular?

Rhombic chess is a popular chess variant that offers a unique playing experience due to its hexagonal board and the use of rhombi instead of squares. The game is significant because it challenges players to think differently about chess strategy and tactics, while still using familiar pieces and rules.

Game Components of Rhombic chess

Hexagonal gameboard comprising 72 rhombi in three alternating colorsFull set of standard chess pieces

Gameplay Mechanics of Rhombic chess

Rhombic chess uses the same pieces as standard chess, but with different movement rules. The game is played with two players, and the objective is to checkmate the opponent’s king. The game mechanics are as follows:
– The queen moves as a rook and bishop.
– The king moves one step edgewise or pointwise. There is no castling in rhombic chess.
– A knight moves in the pattern: one step edgewise followed by one step pointwise (or vice versa), away from its starting cell. Like a standard chess knight, it leaps any intervening men.
– A pawn moves forward one step edgewise, with the option of two steps on its first move. A pawn captures the same as it moves. There is no en passant in rhombic chess. A pawn promotes to any piece other than king when reaching rank i (for White) and rank c (for Black).

Game Objective of Rhombic chess

The objective of rhombic chess is to checkmate the opponent’s king, just like in standard chess.

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