Mini Hexchess
Invented by Dave McCooey in 1997. A compact hexagonal chess on a 37-hex board with 7 files (a through g). The Queen is not used. Otherwise follows McCooey’s hexagonal chess rules.
Setup
Board: 37-hex grid, 7 files (a–g).
Pieces per side: King, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights, and Pawns. No Queen.
Mini Hexchess — starting position
https://engine.moddable.games/play/?game=chess&variant=mini-hexchess
Key Differences from McCooey
| Rule | McCooey | Mini Hexchess |
|---|---|---|
| Board | 91 hexes | 37 hexes |
| Files | 11 (a–k) | 7 (a–g) |
| Queen | Yes | No |
| Initial double step | Allowed | None |
| En passant | Yes | No (no double step) |
| Promotion targets | Q, R, B, N | R, B, N only |
| Promotion squares | Furthest rank per file | All 7 opponent-side hexes |
Promotion
All 7 hexes on the opponent’s side of the board are promotion squares. A pawn reaching any of these hexes promotes immediately to Rook, Bishop, or Knight. Promotion to Queen is not permitted as the Queen is not part of this variant.
Rules
All other rules follow McCooey’s Hexagonal Chess. No castling. Stalemate is a draw.
Win Condition
Checkmate.
Attribution
Dave McCooey, 1997. Published on chessvariants.com. Public domain rules.