Enochian chess is played on one of four boards, each ruled by a classical element. The four look alike at a glance, an eight-by-eight grid of colored pyramid squares, but the board you choose changes who moves first, which colors lead, and the elemental world a divinatory reading speaks from. The four seats and their two alliances stay the same on every board.
Choosing a board
On the Fire board, the Fire army opens and warm reds carry the field. On the Water board, Water opens and cool blues lead. The Air and Earth boards do the same for their own armies, gold for Air and green for Earth. Picking a board is a real decision. It hands the first move to that element's army and colors the tempo of the game toward that element's nature: quick and kindling for Fire and Air, holding and enduring for Water and Earth.
Why every square is a pyramid
Look closely and each square is drawn as a small pyramid seen from above, its four sloping faces meeting at a center. Those faces are not decoration. Each one carries part of the square's meaning: the board's element, the letter of its column, the quarter or lesser angle it belongs to, and the letter of its rank. Together they give the square a sign of the zodiac or an elemental force, which is what lets a finished game be read as an oracle. The divination page covers how those meanings are read.
The two alliances
Four armies, two teams, and the teams never change. Water and Earth stand together as the passive, receptive side: the forces that receive, hold, grow, and consolidate. Air and Fire stand together as the active side: the forces that move, think, dare, and ignite. Your ally sits at the corner beside you. You cannot capture each other, you share the win, and in a tight spot you can rescue an ally's threatened King into your own keeping so the army fights on.
An alliance wins by capturing both of the opposing Kings. That is why the board and its four corners matter as much as the pieces: you are always playing two games at once, protecting your side of the board while your ally works the other. Read how to play for the full rules, or start a game and pick a board now.
Try each board
The quickest way to feel the difference is to play one game on Fire and one on Water. Free, in your browser.
Choose a Board