---
title: Diana Chess
slug: diana
board: "6×6"
players: "2"
parent: chess
win: Checkmate
special: "6×6 board. No queens or knights — bishops and rooks only."
engine:
  topology:
    type: grid
    rows: 6
    cols: 6
  players: [white, black]
  setup: "rbbkr1/pppppp/6/6/PPPPPP/RBBKR1"
---

## Diana Chess

A 6×6 variant with no Queens and no Knights. Only Rooks, Bishops, King, and Pawns. Clean, positional play on a compact board.


{{svg:diana-board.svg "Diana Chess — starting position (6×6)"}}

### Setup

**Board:** 6×6 (six files, six ranks).

**Setup (FEN):** `rbbkr1/pppppp/6/6/PPPPPP/RBBKR1`

Black (rank 6): Rook, Bishop, Bishop, King, Rook, empty.
White (rank 1): Rook, Bishop, Bishop, King, Rook, empty.

Each side has: 1 King, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, 5 Pawns (files a–e occupied; f-file back rank empty).

### Rules

- Rooks, Bishops, King, and Pawns move as in standard chess.
- No Queens and no Knights exist in this variant.
- Pawns move one square forward only (no double-step).
- No en passant.
- No castling.
- Pawns promote on the far rank to Rook or Bishop only.

### Win Condition

Checkmate.

### Strategy

Without Queens, the game is slower and more positional. Bishops are limited to one colour each, making the pair complementary — losing one cripples your coverage of half the squares. Rooks need open files, which are created slowly with only single-step pawns. The King is relatively safer but the small board means it's never far from danger.

### Attribution

Traditional variant, 19th century. Public domain.