Shatranj (Ancient Chess): Rules and How to Play
An ancestor of chess from medieval Persia and Arabia. Move short-range pieces to win by checkmate, a bare opposing Shah or stalemate. For two players (about 20 minutes).
Setup
- Two players move 16 White and 16 Black pieces on an 8×8 board.
- From a-file to h-file the back rank is Rukh, Faras, Alfil, Shah, Ferz, Alfil, Faras, Rukh for both sides. The Shahs are on d1 and d8.
- Baidaqs start on White’s second rank and Black’s seventh. White moves first.
How to play
- Alternate one move each: select a piece and tap a destination. Capture any enemy there. Captured pieces never return.
- Shah (king): one square any direction. Ferz (queen): one diagonally. Alfil (bishop): exactly two diagonally. Faras (knight): two squares straight, then one at a right angle. Rukh (rook): any distance horizontally or vertically.
- Alfil and Faras jump intervening pieces. Rukh does not. Each Alfil can reach only eight squares.
- Baidaq (pawn): one step forward onto an empty square; capture diagonally forward. Even the first move is one square. No en passant or castling.
- White promotes on rank 8, Black on rank 1. Promotion is mandatory, automatic, and always to a Ferz.
- An attacked Shah is in check: move, capture or block to answer it. Never leave your Shah capturable.
Winning and scoring
- No answer to check means checkmate and a win.
- No legal move even without check loses (stalemate). A table setting can make it a draw.
- Capture every opposing piece except the Shah to win (bare Shah). If the opponent can immediately capture your last non-Shah piece back, it gets one final reply: capturing back draws, any other move loses. A setting removes this counter.
- Both bare Shahs, the same board and turn three times, or 50 moves each without a capture or Baidaq move draws. Checkmate on the last move takes precedence.
- Resign at any time. After the result, play again.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| StalemateStalemateA side with no legal move loses even without check (stalemate), as in historical Shatranj. Choose Draw to treat it as in modern chess. | The stalemated side loses, following historical Shatranj. | Stalemating side wins (standard) | Changeable |
| Bare ShahBare ShahCapture every opposing piece except the Shah to win (bare Shah). With a counter, the opponent may capture your last piece on the next move, leaving both Shahs bare for a draw. With no counter, baring the Shah wins at once. | Capture all opposing non-Shah pieces to win, unless the opponent captures your last piece back on its next move, leaving both Shahs bare for a draw. | Counter allowed (standard) | Changeable |
| Show legal moves | Show destination dots when selecting a piece. | On | Changeable |
| Swap first player | Swap White each game. | On | Changeable |
| Piece name labels | Show short name labels on the pieces. | On | Changeable |
Terms
- Shah (king)
- One square in any direction, never to an attacked square.
- Ferz (queen)
- One square diagonally.
- Alfil (bishop)
- Jumps exactly two squares diagonally over intervening pieces.
- Faras (knight)
- Jumps two squares straight, then one at a right angle (8 directions).
- Rukh (rook)
- Slides horizontally or vertically, stopping at a piece.
- Baidaq (pawn)
- One forward; captures diagonally forward; promotes to a Ferz on the last rank.
- Bare Shah
- No non-Shah pieces remain.
- Stalemate
- No legal move, without check. Loses by default.
- Counter
- Capture the opponent’s last piece immediately after being bared. Draws by default.
FAQ
What is a bare Shah?
A side with no non-Shah pieces. Normally it loses; if it can capture the opponent’s last piece on its next move, it gets one final reply to draw.
Isn’t stalemate a draw?
In historical Shatranj, the stalemated side loses. A setting allows a modern-chess draw.
What does a Baidaq promote to?
Automatically to a Ferz on the last rank. There is no choice of piece.
How does it differ from chess?
Ferz moves one diagonal step, Alfil jumps two diagonally, Baidaq always moves one forward. Bare Shah and stalemate also win.
Why does an Alfil jump just two squares?
That is its historical movement. It jumps over pieces and can reach only eight squares.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-10-07 · Run by Qdan, Inc.