Setup
The 8×8 back rank follows the chess order, with khon instead of bishops and met instead of queens. Pawns start on each side's third rank. White moves first.
ASEAN Chess
ASEAN Chess, adopted by the ASEAN-Chess Council in 2011, keeps the chess back-rank order but uses one-step khon and met, and pawns promote on the last rank.
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Moves and captures
King, rook and knight use chess moves. A khon steps diagonally or straight forward; a met steps diagonally, always one square. Pawns step forward and capture diagonally. There is no double step or castling.
Winning and draws
Checkmate wins. Stalemate is a draw, and a position where neither side can checkmate is drawn automatically. A player may claim a draw after 50 moves by each side without a pawn move or capture, or on threefold repetition. Counting: when one side has only its king and no pawns remain, the count starts from the lone king's first move; the attacker must mate within 16 moves with a rook, otherwise 44 with a khon, otherwise 64 with a knight. If the count runs out, the game is drawn.
Special rules
Pawns promote only on the last rank. ChessPlayX lets you choose a rook, knight, khon or met; the 2011 Laws of ASEAN-Chess allow promotion to a met (queen) only. There is no castling or pawn double step.
Read the full guide
Board setup, special rules and winning conditions for ASEAN Chess.
A white pawn on a6 remains a pawn; on a8 it may promote to a rook.
A quick guide to ASEAN Chess
Read the ASEAN Chess rulesWhat is ASEAN Chess?
ASEAN Chess is a standardised Southeast Asian form of chess played on an 8×8 board. It replaces bishops and queens with khon and met. The back rank keeps the chess order; the khon steps diagonally or straight forward, and the met steps one square diagonally. Pawns start on the third rank and promote only on the last rank, to a rook, knight, khon or met. Checkmate wins; endgame counting can force a draw.
How is ASEAN Chess different from Makruk?
ASEAN Chess sets up the back rank in the chess order, with the met on d1 and the king on e1, and pawns promote on the last rank instead of the sixth. Its counting rule applies only against a bare king: 16 moves with a rook, 44 with a khon, 64 with a knight.
What can a pawn promote to in ASEAN Chess?
On ChessPlayX, a pawn that reaches the last rank can become a rook, knight, khon or met, chosen from the promotion panel. The 2011 Laws of ASEAN-Chess allow promotion to a met (queen) only, so the wider choice is a ChessPlayX rule.
Is there a 50-move rule in ASEAN Chess?
Yes. A player may claim a draw after 50 moves by each side without a pawn move or capture, and also after a threefold repetition; neither draw is automatic. Stalemate and positions where neither side can checkmate, such as king and met against king, are drawn automatically.
How can I play with a friend?
Share one device for a local game, or choose the friend option above to create an online room and send its invitation. Online games need an internet connection. Local games are saved in this browser.
Play ASEAN Chess on one deviceWhich rules apply here?
ASEAN Chess. Read the setup, legal moves, special rules and end conditions before starting. The guide describes the variant used on ChessPlayX, including differences from other versions where relevant.
Read the ASEAN Chess rulesCan I play against AI?
Choose AI mode to practice at your own pace. Start with a lower difficulty while learning the moves, then increase it when you can spot threats and plan your replies.