🧟 Horde: rules and free online play

White has 36 pawns and no king; Black has a regular army. White wins by checkmate, Black by capturing every white piece.

White: 36 pawns, no king
White wins: Checkmate
Black wins: Capture all white pieces

Play for free Play as a guest

Rules

The four lower ranks are full of white pawns, plus four more on the fifth rank. White pawns on the first rank may also move two squares, but that does not give en passant rights.

Black wins by capturing every white piece. White wins by mating the black king; stalemate is a draw.

Try the rules

Pick a position and press a button to see the rule in action.

How it differs from classic chess

It is a battle of structure against quality. White's pawns defend each other as a wall, while Black must break it apart and stop pawns from promoting.

Tips for beginners

As Black, attack the pawns that are not defended.
As White, advance in a compact formation.
Watch every promotion: a new queen changes the balance.

Play and practise

Choose “Horde” in the game window and play against the Fairy-Stockfish engine or send a link to a friend. Ratings are kept separately for every mode. The site interface is currently in Russian; this page explains the rules in English.