The speaker said that the project was a success
The speaker declared that the project was a success. Chess is traditionally played on a 64-square board, but I wondered: could chess be played on a hexagonal board? Several attempts had been made, the most successful of which was published in a book in the UK in 1973. I promptly ordered a copy to investigate, and while I was waiting for it to arrive, I realized I would need a hexagonal chess board. Unfortunately, the internet was of no help in this regard, so I decided I would have to make one myself. A grid of squares can simply alternate two colors without touching, but a hexagonal grid needs three colors for no touching. Finding pre-made hexagons in three matching shades to make my board was a lot harder than I expected, and when I finally found some, they ended up being a lot bigger than I had anticipated. It was only after ordering them that I realized I could have just drawn a hex board.
When the book arrived, it detailed all the rules and included a pamphlet to join the Hex Chess Association. It also came with a hex chessboard, but it was too late; my board was already made. To show you how the pieces move, I began with the humble pawn. In square chess, the pawn moves forward one space at a time and can capture other pieces on the forward diagonals. I have always thought of this as a soldier with a shield protecting his front and a short sword that can jab to either side. The eight pawns with their diagonal attacks form self-defending walls that the other pieces can support or push off from, and it is these structures that make pawns the soul of chess.
In hex chess, pawn movement is mostly unchanged. They still move forward one space at a time and capture to the forward sides to keep their soulful nature. However, there are now nine pawns needed to complete the defensive structure, as opposed to eight in square chess. Pawns also have two special moves. The first is that if they make it to the back row, they can be promoted to any piece other than a king. This is a side effect of the hex board, as in square chess, every time a pawn captures, it gets one space closer to the back row for promotion. However, on a hex board, upon capturing toward the center is still the same distance from the back as before capturing, but away from the center brings a pawn closer to promotion.
The second special power of pawns is that the first time they move, they can move two spaces. This is the same in hex chess, but pawns get another bit of a buff if the first time they capture, they land on the starting space of another pawn. It is still allowed to move forward two. My guess is that this rule came about out of play testing, as in square chess it is impossible for a pawn to end up on the starting square of a neighbor. It is forward or nothing, but not so in hex chess, so buffing the pawns this way is just practical. aus of the strange rules but also because of the unfamiliar layout
The hex Knight has more freedom of motion on the hex board than the square Bishop, which is limited to the color it starts on. The hex board allows for diagonal motion, which is not obvious at first glance. The hex Bishop moves either to a neighbor or teleports one space of the same color. The hex King has an additional freedom of motion, which makes it more difficult to catch. In Hex chess, the pieces are set up in the following order: Rooks, Knights, Queen, King, and three Bishops. Playing a game against oneself can be brain bending due to the strange rules and unfamiliar layout.