McCooey’s Hexagonal Chess
Invented by Dave McCooey and published on chessvariants.com. Played on the same 91-hex board as Gliński but with different pawn rules and 7 pawns per side.
Setup
Board: 91-hex hexagonal grid, same as Gliński.
Pieces per side: King, Queen, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights, 7 Pawns (15 pieces total).
McCooey's Hexagonal Chess — starting position
https://engine.moddable.games/play/?game=chess&variant=mccooey
Key Differences from Gliński
| Rule | Gliński | McCooey |
|---|---|---|
| Pawns per side | 9 | 7 |
| Pawn capture direction | Orthogonal (rook, 60°) | Diagonal (bishop, 60°) |
| Center pawn double step | Allowed | Not allowed (f-file pawn cannot double-step) |
| Stalemate | 3/4 to 1/4 split | Draw (1/2 each) |
Pawns
Pawns move one cell straight forward. They capture one cell diagonally forward (through a shared corner, bishop direction). The f-file pawn (center pawn) may not make an initial double step.
All other pawns may make an initial double step from their starting position. En passant applies.
Promotion: same as Gliński — on reaching the opponent’s furthest rank in that file.
Rules
Identical to standard chess and Gliński except as noted above. Stalemate is a draw. No castling.
Win Condition
Checkmate.
Attribution
Dave McCooey. Published on chessvariants.com. Public domain rules.