Horde Chess

White has 36 pawns and no other pieces. Black has a normal army.

The rules

White starts with a wall of pawns and no pieces at all. Black has a standard army. White wins by checkmating Black; Black wins by capturing every single white pawn. White's pawns on the second rank may still move two squares.

Why it is worth playing

Horde is the purest study of pawn play in chess. White has no tactics, no pieces and no king to worry about — only a wall that advances. Black has everything and must not let a single pawn through.

Four plans that win games

As White: advance as a connected mass

A pawn alone is captured. A pawn chain supported by three more is unstoppable. Never create an isolated pawn.

As White: aim at one point

Thirty-six pawns spread evenly achieve nothing. Concentrate on one file, break through, and promote.

As Black: trade pieces for pawns freely

Every pawn you remove is progress toward the win condition. A rook for two pawns is often a good trade here.

As Black: blockade with knights

A knight in front of a pawn chain cannot be dislodged by pawns and can be defended endlessly. Knights are Black's best piece by a distance.

Mistakes that lose games

What it teaches you about standard chess

What a pawn chain actually is

Reading about pawn chains teaches you the words. Playing Horde teaches you the feeling — that a connected mass is unstoppable and a stray pawn is food. It transfers directly to French and King's Indian structures.

That is the argument for variants generally, and it is worth stating plainly: a variant removes part of chess so that what remains gets your full attention. Played casually they are a pleasant break. Played deliberately — naming the skill first, then going back to a standard game and finding the same idea — they are the most efficient training available, because you are practising one thing at a time instead of everything at once.

Who it suits

Anyone who wants to understand pawn structure viscerally. Horde teaches more about pawn chains in ten games than a chapter of a book.

You can play it right now on any device, in a browser, against a full engine — no download and no account. If you have never tried a variant before, give it three games rather than one: the first is spent learning the rules, and the second is where it starts being chess.

Common questions

What are the rules of Horde Chess?

White starts with a wall of pawns and no pieces at all. Black has a standard army. White wins by checkmating Black; Black wins by capturing every single white pawn. White's pawns on the second rank may still move two squares.

Is Horde Chess hard to learn?

The rules take about two minutes. Anyone who wants to understand pawn structure viscerally. Horde teaches more about pawn chains in ten games than a chapter of a book.

What is the best strategy in Horde Chess?

As White: advance as a connected mass. A pawn alone is captured. A pawn chain supported by three more is unstoppable. Never create an isolated pawn.

Where can I play Horde Chess free?

Grandmaster Gains has Horde Chess playable in the browser against a full engine, free and with no sign-up, alongside nineteen other variants.

Will playing Horde Chess improve my normal chess?

What a pawn chain actually is. Reading about pawn chains teaches you the words. Playing Horde teaches you the feeling — that a connected mass is unstoppable and a stray pawn is food. It transfers directly to French and King's Indian structures.

What is the biggest mistake beginners make in Horde Chess?

As White: do not push the wing pawns first. The middle is where you break through. Wing pawns advancing alone just get eaten.

More variants

• Racing Kings — Both kings race for the eighth rank. No checks allowed, ever.
• Antichess (Losing Chess) — Capturing is compulsory and losing all your pieces wins the game.
• Really Bad Chess — Randomised armies — you might get three queens, your opponent might get five knights.
• No-Castling Chess — Everything is standard except castling is illegal. Proposed by Vladimir Kramnik.