Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
Enochian Chess
Introduction
Chess variants are sometimes created and played in a particular subculture
outside the chess community itself. Notable examples of such an origin
include Tridimensional Chess, hailing from the world of Star Trek, and Gary
Gygax's Dragonchess, an offspring of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing
phenomenon. Enochian chess, an interesting variation on Chaturanga for Four
Players, also has its origins in a particular subculture, in this case the world of
Victorian occultists.
Introduction
Board
Setup
Pieces
Notes
Rules
Bibliography
Traditional
Equipment
Alternate Arrays
Why "Enochian"
Chess?
Traditional
Beginning
Final Note
Enochian chess first appears to have been played by members of the Order of
the Golden Dawn, who used their boards and pieces for divination as well as
gameplay. Documentary evidence for the existence of the game (in the form of
a Golden Dawn paper dating from no later than 1897) has come to light, but no
historical documents discovered so far have given the complete rules for game play. Nobel Prizewinning poet and Golden Dawn member William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) records in his memoirs
that in 1894 he played "a curious form of chess at which there should be four players" with two
other members of the Golden Dawn. One of the other players was MacGregor Mathers
(1854-1918), a founding father of the order. In his book The Golden Dawn noted occultist Israel
Regardie (1907-1985) provides a description of the boards and the pieces used in Enochian chess.
He also gives two arrays and the occult methodology whereby the others may be derived. Regardie
attributes part of the information he provides, including the movement of the pieces, to an
"Official Ritual" written by Mathers.
The Golden Dawn considered Enochian chess to be a secret teaching. At least partially because of
this veil of secrecy, authorship of this variant is unclear. Golden Dawn founder Dr. Wynn Westcott
(1848-1925) has been suggested as the inventor of this particular variant, but some (including
Westcott himself) have claimed that the documents describing Enochian chess were among those
supplied to him from an older occult group operating in Germany. The complete rules presented
here are based upon a modern reconstruction by Golden Dawn student Chris Zalewski.
The magical practices of the Golden Dawn are of no concern to the chess variant community, so
this essay will focus on Enochian chess as a game. Information of an occult nature will be omitted
or glossed-over wherever possible.
Board
Enochian chess can be played on the 8x8 board of FIDE chess. (Golden Dawn members did not
use orthodox boards. For more information on the traditional equipment used to play this variant,
see Appendix I.) However, play is facilitated by making the corner spaces of the board at least
twice as large as the other squares. After some experimentation the author of this essay found the
following board to be particularly suitable:
1 of 20
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
Figure 1: Board
The four corner spaces (a1, a8, h1, h8) are the throne squares and have special properties
involving the four kings that will be explained below.
Setup
Each of the four players begins with a king, a queen, a rook, a knight, a bishop and four special
pawns. Enochian Chess allows for eight different initial arrangements of these pieces, each
designated by reference to a combination of the classical 4 elements (fire, earth, water & air). One
such array, "Air of Air & Water", is given below. For the others see Appendix II.
2 of 20
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
YELLOW
pawn of bishop, a7
pawn of queen, b7
pawn of knight, c7
pawn of rook, d7
BLUE
pawn of bishop, g8
pawn of queen, g7
pawn of knight, g6
pawn of rook, g5
RED
pawn of bishop, h2
pawn of queen, g2
pawn of knight, f2
pawn of rook, e2
BLACK
pawn of bishop, b1
pawn of queen, b2
pawn of knight, b3
pawn of rook, b4
In all eight initial arrangements each throne square is occupied by two pieces, a king and another
piece (in the above case a bishop). This double occupancy is only allowed at the beginning of the
3 of 20
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
game. Once either the king or the other piece moves off of the throne square then for the
remainder of the game only one piece may sit on that particular throne square at any one time.
Both pieces are captured if an enemy piece moves into a throne square while it is still occupied by
the both original pieces.
Pieces
The king moves one step in any direction as in FIDE chess. More information concerning the king
may be found in the Rules section.
The queen moves by leaping two squares in any direction, as would an alibaba. The movement of
a queen is illustrated in Figure 3. The queen has a special form of capture only allowed against
other queens. For more information on this special case, see Rules.
The rook moves orthogonally as in FIDE chess. Castling is not allowed in Enochian chess.
The bishop moves diagonally as in FIDE chess, except that like the queen it has a special form of
capture only allowed against other bishops. More information on this can be found in the Rules
section.
The knight behaves exactly as it does in FIDE chess.
4 of 20
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
The four classes of pawn (pawn of queen, pawn of rook, pawn of bishop, and pawn of knight)
behave much like FIDE pawns, moving one space forward or capturing one space in the forward
diagonal. For yellow, "forward" constitutes movement towards row 1. For blue, forward
movement is in the direction of column A. Red pawns move towards row 8 amd black pawns
toward column H. Upon reaching the far rank/file, pawns can promote as in FIDE chess, except
that promotion of pawns only occurs after a player has lost at least one pawn. Promotion must
be delayed if all four of a player's pawn are uncaptured. Also, a pawn may only promote to its
type. (A pawn of rook promotes to a rook, a pawn of knight promote to a knight, etc.)
Furthermore, pawns are not allowed an initial double step.
Notes
Neither the original Golden Dawn material nor Zalewski's reconstruction use the "pawn of ..."
terminology. Both simply refer to these pieces as pawns. The nomenclature has been adapted from
Tamerlane chess in an attempt to clarify the promotion rules.
Although Zalewski's reconstruction of the rules for Enochian chess may be sound, the author of
this article cannot help but wonder if in an earlier version perhaps the queen and bishop moved
more like their Chaturanga counterparts, i.e. the queen as a ferz (one square diagonally)and the
bishop as an alfil (leaping 2 squares diagonally). Such a suggestion is merely speculation on the
part of this essayist. Regardie and through him Mathers both support Zalewski's descriptions of the
queen and bishop.
Rules
Summary
Enochian chess is a four player chess variant in which two teams (always blue & black versus red
& yellow) strive to capture both kings of the opposing team.
Before Play Begins
Prior to the start of a game the players should choose which of the eight arrays they will use. The
players will also need to determine what color each will play (thereby determining who will be on
which team) and what color will go first. (The Golden Dawn had a special procedure for making
these determinations that had no substantive impact on play. For a description of this procedure,
see Appendix IV.) Once these issues are settled play may proceed, going clockwise around the
board.
Team Play
There is no individual winner in Enochian chess. For example, if the blue army is eliminated from
play and the black army goes on to the capture the red and yellow kings, then the team of blue and
black have won the game.
Team members are normally forbidden from capturing each other's pieces, unless otherwise noted.
Pieces belonging to armies on the same team do not threaten each other. (E.g. The blue and black
kings can be adjacent without giving each other check.)
5 of 20
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
6 of 20
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
Black has a pawn of bishop ready to promote and sees an opportunity to fork red's king and rook.
Since the pawn of bishop is priviledged, black chooses promotes to a queen. Black already has a
queen on the board, which is demoted to a pawn of queen.
7 of 20
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
What would happen if the above scenario were to involve a pawn of queen instead of a pawn of
rook? Zalewski is unclear on this point, but it could be guessed that the original queen can avoid
demotion, allowing two black queens on the board. Otherwise the player would be penalized for
having priviledge.
Concourse of Bishoping
A perusal of the eight possible arrays reveals that opposing bishops are bound on opposite colors.
The special case known as the concourse of bishoping allows bishops to capture enemy bishops.
The concourse of bishoping is similar to the triumph of the boat found in Chaturanga for Four
Players. By completing a 2x2 square formation involving all four bishops, the moving bishop
takes all three other bishops. A concourse is a special case in which capturing a teammate's piece
is legal.
8 of 20
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
In Figure 6 above if the black bishop were to move to e4 it would complete the concourse,
capturing all three of the other bishops. Unlike the triumph of the boat, the concourse maneuver is
legal in only five positions on the board. A concourse can happen either at c4, c5, d4, & d5 as
illustrated above and at the sets (b2, b3, c2, c3) or (b6, b7, c6, c7) or (f6, f7, g6, g7) or (f2, f3, g2,
g3). The other four concourse locations are illustrated by Figure 7.
9 of 20
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
Concourse of Queens
Opposing queens are also bound on opposite colors. A concourse of queens occurs under exactly
the same circumstances as a concourse of bishoping. Bishops and queens may not be combined in
a single concourse capture. All pieces involved must be either bishops OR queens.
Bare King
When two players on the same team are both reduced to bare kings the game is a draw.
Withdrawing
A player may withdraw from the game at any time, leaving their pieces in command of their
teammate. If the withdrawing player has only a bare king, the remaining teammate is allowed to
move either the bare king or their own pieces on BOTH colors' turns. If any other pieces remain in
the army of the withdrawing player, then each color army may only be moved on its own turn.
Stalemate
If a player has no move available except such that would put their unchecked king into check, that
player is stalemated. Play continues, but the player is not allowed to take a turn until such time as
a move by another player alleviates the stalemate condition. The game is drawn if a player is
10 of 20
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
stalemated and their teammate is also currently out of the game (teammate also stalemated,
teammate's king captured, teammate withdrawn or the stalemated king has seized a friendly
throne).
Two or Three Player Games Enochian chess may be played with fewer than four players by
having one or both players command two armies. Each color still receives its own turn and pieces
cannot be played out of turn. (E.g. If one player is playing both red and yellow, no red pieces may
be moved during the yellow turn unless the yellow army has taken control of the red army.) A
player operating both armies may not withdraw as described above.
Bibliography
Howe, Ellic. The Magicians of the Golden Dawn. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1972.
Regardie, Israel. The Golden Dawn. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1989.
Yeats, W(illiam) B(utler). Memoirs trans. and edited by Denis Donoghue. New York: Macmillan
Publishing, 1973.
Zalewski, Chris. Enochian Chess of the Golden Dawn. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1994.
(Please note that off the four texts listed above, only Regardie and Zalewski will be of any
possible use to the chess variantist. The others are cited only to help establish the historical
pedigree for Enochian chess.)
11 of 20
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
12 of 20
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
13 of 20
YELLOW
pawn of bishop, a7
pawn of rook, b7
pawn of knight, c7
pawn of queen, d7
BLUE
pawn of bishop, g8
pawn of rook, g7
pawn of knight, g6
pawn of queen, g5
RED
pawn of bishop, h2
pawn of rook, g2
pawn of knight, f2
pawn of queen, e2
BLACK
pawn of bishop, b1
pawn of rook, b2
pawn of knight, b3
pawn of queen, b4
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
14 of 20
YELLOW
pawn of knight, a7
pawn of rook, b7
pawn of bishop, c7
pawn of queen, d7
BLUE
pawn of knight, g8
pawn of rook, g7
pawn of bishop, g6
pawn of queen, g5
RED
pawn of knight, h2
pawn of rook, g2
pawn of bishop, f2
pawn of queen, e2
BLACK
pawn of knight, b1
pawn of rook, b2
pawn of bishop, b3
pawn of queen, b4
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
15 of 20
YELLOW
pawn of queen, a7
pawn of bishop, b7
pawn of rook, c7
pawn of knight, d7
BLUE
pawn of queen, g8
pawn of bishop, g7
pawn of rook, g6
pawn of knight, g5
RED
pawn of queen, h2
pawn of bishop, g2
pawn of rook, f2
pawn of knight, e2
BLACK
pawn of queen, b1
pawn of bishop, b2
pawn of rook, b3
pawn of knight, b4
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
16 of 20
YELLOW
pawn of rook, a7
pawn of bishop, b7
pawn of queen, c7
pawn of knight, d7
BLUE
pawn of rook, g8
pawn of bishop, g7
pawn of queen, g6
pawn of knight, g5
RED
pawn of rook, h2
pawn of bishop, g2
pawn of queen, f2
pawn of knight, e2
BLACK
pawn of rook, b1
pawn of bishop, b2
pawn of queen, b3
pawn of knight, b4
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
17 of 20
YELLOW
pawn of rook, a7
pawn of knight, b7
pawn of queen, c7
pawn of bishop, d7
BLUE
pawn of rook, g8
pawn of knight, g7
pawn of queen, g6
pawn of bishop, g5
RED
pawn of rook, h2
pawn of knight, g2
pawn of queen, f2
pawn of bishop, e2
BLACK
pawn of rook, b1
pawn of knight, b2
pawn of queen, b3
pawn of bishop, b4
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
18 of 20
YELLOW
pawn of knight, a7
pawn of queen, b7
pawn of bishop, c7
pawn of rook, d7
BLUE
pawn of knight, g8
pawn of queen, g7
pawn of bishop, g6
pawn of rook, g5
RED
pawn of knight, h2
pawn of queen, g2
pawn of bishop, f2
pawn of rook, e2
BLACK
pawn of knight, b1
pawn of queen, b2
pawn of bishop, b3
pawn of rook, b4
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
YELLOW
pawn of queen, a7
pawn of knight, b7
pawn of rook, c7
pawn of bishop, d7
BLUE
pawn of queen, g8
pawn of knight, g7
pawn of rook, g6
pawn of bishop, g5
RED
pawn of queen, h2
pawn of knight, g2
pawn of rook, f2
pawn of bishop, e2
BLACK
pawn of queen, b1
pawn of knight, b2
pawn of rook, b3
pawn of bishop, b4
7/23/16, 5:15 PM
Enochian Chess
http://www.chessvariants.com/historic.dir/enochian.html
Enochian chess is named after the Biblical patriarch Enoch, father of Methusaleh. In an occult
tradition going back at least to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Enoch is considered a source hidden
mystical knowledge, for he "walked with God" (Genesis 5:24) and "was taken from this life, so
that he did not experience death" (Hebrews 11:5).
Initially this chess variant was also called Rosicrucian chess, after the Order of the Rosy Cross, a
continental mystic fraternity from which the Order of the Golden Dawn claimed descent.
Final Note
Golden Dawn practioners may take this essay to task for the method of presentation used, whereby
the mystical nature of Enochian chess has been stripped away wherever possible. No offense is
intended. Nor is it the design of this essay to endorse or refute anyone's belief system. Enochian
Chess has been submitted to the Chess Variant Pages so that it may take its rightful place in the
broader outline of chess variant history.
20 of 20
7/23/16, 5:15 PM