Setup
Base rules: chess. White has 36 pawns and no king: ranks 1–4 are full, plus pawns on b5, c5, f5 and g5. Black has the usual 16 pieces on their normal squares. White moves first.
Horde Chess
An army of white pawns faces Black's complete chess army.
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Moves and captures
All pieces move as in chess. White's pawns move and capture like ordinary pawns and promote on the eighth rank to a queen, rook, bishop or knight. White has no king and is never in check; Black must keep its king safe and may castle normally.
Winning and draws
White wins by checkmating the black king. Black wins by capturing every white piece, including promoted pieces. Stalemate is a draw, including when all of White's remaining pawns are blocked. A player may claim a draw after threefold repetition or 50 moves by each side without a capture or pawn move.
Special rules
White pawns on rank 1 or 2 may advance two clear squares. A double step from rank 1 cannot be captured en passant. Black must answer checks.
Read the full guide
Board setup, special rules and winning conditions for Horde Chess.
Capturing the last white pawn does not win if White still has a promoted queen.
A quick guide to Horde Chess
Read the Horde Chess rulesWhat is Horde Chess?
Horde Chess is an asymmetric chess variant on an 8×8 board. White has 36 pawns and no king, while Black has the usual 16-piece army. White moves first, and pawns on the first two ranks may advance two squares. White wins by checkmating the black king; Black wins by capturing every white piece, including promoted ones.
Can White's pawns on the first rank move two squares in Horde Chess?
Yes. White pawns on rank 1 or rank 2 may advance two squares when both squares ahead are empty. A two-square move from rank 1 cannot be captured en passant, while an ordinary two-square move from rank 2 can be.
How does Black win in Horde Chess?
Black wins by capturing every white unit, including pawns that have already promoted. Taking the last white pawn is not enough if White still has a promoted queen or another piece. White has no king and wins by checkmating the black king.
What happens if White has no legal move in Horde Chess?
The game is drawn by stalemate. White has no king, so it can never be in check. If every remaining white pawn is blocked and White has no other move, the game ends in a draw rather than a loss.
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 Horde Chess on one deviceWhich rules apply here?
Horde 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 Horde 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.