• overview


• chess board


• set-up


• king


• queen


• rook


• knight


• bishop


• pawn


• promotion


• capturing


• castling


• check


• checkmate


• stalemate


• win/lose/draw


• notation

Win/Lose/Draw

You win Hexes Chess for Three Players either by checkmating both opponents, or by checkmating one opponent and drawing with the other.

• A draw earns one point.
• A checkmate earns two points.
• The last king standing earns one point.

The outcome of the match is written as the three scores separated by hyphens. The first number is White's score; the second is Black's, and the third is Red's. For example, if Red checkmated White, but then was checkmated by Black, the score would be written 0-3-2: Zero points for White, three points for Black, and two points for Red.

The highest score that can be earned is five points by checkmating both opponents. The chart below shows all sixteen possible outcomes of a Hexes Chess three-player match.



A player may concede at any time by laying the king on its side. If a player concedes with only one opponent remaining, it is counted as a checkmate for that opponent, earning three points (two points for the checkmate plus one for having the last king standing). If a player concedes with two opponents in play, each opponent earns one point.

A draw always ends the match. Each player with a king on the chess board gets one point for a draw. There are several ways a match might end in a draw.

Draw by Agreement

All players may agree to declare a draw. Mutual consent is all that is required.

Draw by Stalemate

When a player cannot make a legal move, yet is not in check, the match has ended in a draw by stalemate.

Draw by Insufficient Material

When no player has sufficient pieces to force a checkmate, a draw may be declared.

Draw by Repetition

If a player is about to repeat a position for a third time, that player may declare a draw by repetition. (The term "position" here means the precise arrangement of all the pieces on the board at a given time.) If the player who completes the third repetition does not declare a draw, either opponent may then declare it. This type of draw cannot be declared without an undisputed record of the match.

Fifty-Move Rule

If during the previous fifty moves no pawn has been moved and no capture has been made, any player can claim a draw. (For this purpose a "move" consists of a player completing their turn followed by the opponent completing their turn).