Shafran’s Hexagonal Chess
Invented by Boris Shafran. Played on a smaller 70-hex board with 9 files (a through i). Castling is permitted and the pawn initial step varies by file.
Setup
Board: 70-hex irregular hexagonal grid, 9 files (a–i), 10 ranks. File lengths: a(6), b(7), c(8), d(9), e(10), f(9), g(8), h(7), i(6). Files a–e share the bottom edge; files e–i share the top edge.
White pieces (back rank, bottom edge):
- King on e1
- Queen on d1
- Bishops on c1, f2, h4 (one per colour)
- Knights on b1, g3
- Rooks on a1, i5
- Pawns on a2, b2, c2, d2, e2, f3, g4, h5, i6 (9 pawns)
Black pieces (back rank, top edge — 180° rotation):
- King on e10
- Queen on f10
- Bishops on g10, d9, b7 (one per colour)
- Knights on h10, c8
- Rooks on i10, a6
- Pawns on i9, h9, g9, f9, e9, d8, c7, b6, a5 (9 pawns)
Shafran's Hexagonal Chess — starting position
https://engine.moddable.games/play/?game=chess&variant=shafran
Pawns
Pawns capture diagonally (bishop direction, through shared corners). The initial step from the starting rank depends on the pawn’s file:
| Files | Initial step |
|---|---|
| d, e, f | 1, 2, or 3 cells forward |
| b, c, g, h | 1 or 2 cells forward |
| a, i | 1 cell only |
Castling
Castling is permitted on both the Queen-side and King-side. The King moves two cells toward the Rook; the Rook moves to the other side of the King.
Rules
Identical to standard chess adapted for the hex grid except as noted. Stalemate is a draw.
Win Condition
Checkmate.
Attribution
Boris Shafran. Public domain rules.