What it is
Diagonals (also called Diago) is a chess variant played on a standard 8x8 board. The starting setup is rotated so White begins in the bottom-right corner and Black in the top-left. Standard pieces move as in chess, while pawns move one square in any direction and capture diagonally.
From the developer
In the developer’s own words, from diagonals.vercel.app.
This is a variation of chess in which, in addition to the arrangement of the pieces, the rules governing pawn movement are altered, and new rules are introduced: Called Diagonals, Diago, or DiagoChess. Standard 8x8 board. White sets up in the bottom-right corner (King on h1) and moves first; Black sets up in the top-left corner (King on a8). Movement: Kings, Queens, Rooks, Bishops, and Knights move normally. Pawns move 1 square in any direction to empty squares, but capture strictly diagonally. Special Rules: No check, checkmate, castling, pawn promotion, or en passant. Win Conditions: First player to capture the enemy King wins immediately. Attacked King Mechanics: Streak Reset: The attacked turn counter resets to zero as soon as your turn starts with your King safe. You can play this version on the website; I've added full-fledged multiplayer with the ability to create public and private rooms. The multiplayer is powered by NOSTR (nostr relays). The website features a game against a bot at various difficulty levels, single-screen gameplay, online matches against other players, a time limit like in chess, and even a profile (either as a guest by entering just a nickname, or via Nostr).
Editor takes
“A welcome clarity: pawns move one square any direction, capture diagonally, and capturing the king ends it—no check or castling noise to confuse.”
“Bot difficulty levels and NOSTR public/private rooms give the matchup variety, but the single fixed rule set means each 'run' is just another chess game.”
“Browser-based and bot-friendly for quick sessions; the catch is there's no mention of saving progress, so this is a play-now app, not a commute companion.”
“From the pitch alone I can't hear or see any art direction—just a standard 8x8 board, so the pixel side is left entirely to the imagination.”
How to play
Play from the modified starting positions, moving kings, queens, rooks, bishops, and knights with their usual chess moves. Move pawns one square in any direction to an empty square, but capture only diagonally. Since there is no check or checkmate, win by capturing the enemy king before it captures yours.
Tips
- Use pawns as flexible pieces: they can step in any direction, so they are useful for blocking and repositioning.
- Keep defenders close to your king, because there is no castling and no check to warn you before an attack.
- Look for direct capture paths to the enemy king; the game ends immediately when the king is taken.
- Remember that pawns capture diagonally only, so a piece sitting diagonally adjacent to a pawn is at risk.
- Since an attacked king is not forced to move, do not rely on check restrictions to protect it.
Questions
How is Diagonals different from standard chess?
The board is the same 8x8 grid, but White starts in the bottom-right corner and Black in the top-left. Pawns move one square in any direction to empty squares and capture diagonally, and there is no check, checkmate, castling, en passant, or pawn promotion.
How do I win a game?
The first player to capture the enemy king wins immediately. There is no checkmate condition.
Can I play against other people?
Yes. The website includes online multiplayer with public and private rooms, powered by NOSTR relays, as well as a game against a bot at various difficulty levels.
Do I need a NOSTR extension to play?
Multiplayer mode is powered by NOSTR relays, and the page lists browser extensions such as Alby, nos2x, and Flamingo. Playing against the bot does not require a relay.
What languages are supported?
The site interface is available in English, Ukrainian, Spanish, and Russian.
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