If You Know Chess, You're Already Halfway There

Every classical chess rule applies. Check, checkmate, castling, en passant, pawn promotion — all the same. Only three things are different.

1. The Board is 9 × 9

One extra column and one extra row. The 81 squares give pieces more space and a new file called "i" appears.

Read the official rules →

2. A New Piece: The Minister

Sits between the bishop and the knight on the king's side. Moves up to 2 squares in any direction. Can heal red tiles and even erase voids — the most important piece in the game.

Meet the Minister →

3. Capture Tiles Turn Into Voids

Every capture creates a red unstable tile. The tile becomes a permanent black void on the next turn — a hole no piece can stand on or pass through.

How the void tile works →

The Starting Position

Here is what the board looks like at the start of every game. Each side has 18 pieces: 9 pawns plus the back rank R N B Q K B M N R.

Void Chess Starting Position (9x9, 36 pieces)

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

Minister (the new piece — both sides have one, on file g)

Files: a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i — the new "i" file is on the far right.

Ranks: 1 through 9. White starts on ranks 1 and 2. Black starts on ranks 8 and 9.

King's-side order: after the queen and king, the back rank reads Bishop, Minister, Knight, Rook. The Minister always sits on file g.

Your First 2 Minutes

Four steps from zero to your first move. No experience needed.

1

Open Void Chess

You have two ways to play:

Browser: Visit voidchess.com/play.html — no download needed. Works on phones, tablets, and computers.

Android app: Download the free app from Google Play. Faster, smoother, adds offline play and a home-screen icon.

Tip: Live PvP against real players worldwide works in both the browser and the app. The app is faster and adds offline levels — but you can queue for a real opponent from voidchess.com/play just as well.

2

Sign in or Play as Guest

On the welcome screen you will see two buttons:

Sign in with Google — saves your progress, tracks your Void Rating, and lets you play live PvP and challenge friends.

Play as Guest — instant start, no account. Great for trying the game. Your progress is saved on this device only.

Tip: You can upgrade from guest to signed-in at any time without losing your local progress.

3

Choose a game mode

From the main menu, pick one:

Play vs Computer — practice against the AI. Multiple difficulty levels, completely offline.

Play Live (called Play Online in the browser) — matchmaking against real players worldwide. Works in both the browser and the app. Climb the global rankings.

Play with Friend (app only) — generate a private code and share with one friend.

Two Players — pass and play on one device with someone next to you.

First time? Start with Play vs Computer on the easiest level. It is the best way to feel the void rule without losing your rating.

4

Make your first move

The game opens with the 9x9 board. White moves first.

Tap any piece — the squares it can move to will light up with green dots.

Tap a highlighted square — the piece moves there.

That is it. All standard chess rules apply automatically. The app will block illegal moves and warn you if your king is in check.

The 10-step tutorial: The very first time you play, an interactive tutorial pops up walking you through the 9x9 board, the Minister, and the void system. It takes about 3 minutes. You can skip it or replay it any time from the menu.

5 Opening Principles

These five ideas will carry your first hundred games. Master them and you will already play better than most beginners.

1. Develop the Minister early

Push the g-pawn one or two squares, then bring the Minister out. An active Minister can heal red tiles and defend voids. A stuck Minister is a wasted piece.

2. Think twice before any capture

Every capture creates a red tile that becomes a void. Ask yourself: do I want this square gone forever? If the answer is no, find a different move.

3. Develop knights and bishops

Like classical chess, get your minor pieces (knights, bishops) into play in the first 6-8 moves. With the 9x9 board you have more room to develop comfortably.

4. Keep your king safe

Castle when you can. Even better, develop a few pieces around your king first. Void Chess endgames are dangerous because the board can shrink unexpectedly.

5. Never trade your Minister

Not even for a queen. Without your Minister, you cannot heal red tiles or restore voids. Your opponent will slowly destroy your half of the board.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Every new Void Chess player makes at least one of these. Recognize them early and you will skip months of frustration.

Capturing because you can, not because you should

In normal chess, free material is always good. In Void Chess, you might trade a pawn for a destroyed square that you actually needed. Before every capture, look at the square and ask if you want it to disappear forever.

Leaving your captured piece on the red tile

After you capture, your piece stays on the red tile. If you don't move it on your next turn, it dies and the tile becomes a void — you lose both. New players often forget this and lose a piece every few moves.

Letting the Minister get blocked in the back row

The Minister cannot jump over your own pieces. If your g-pawn, bishop, and knight all stay on the back rank, your Minister is useless. Move the g-pawn within the first three moves.

Trading the Minister for a queen

Tempting — the queen is the most powerful regular piece. But once your Minister is gone, you cannot heal red tiles or restore voids. The Minister is worth more than the queen in Void Chess. Treat it like a second king.

Ignoring voids near your king

When voids form near your king, your king has fewer escape squares. A few voids in the right place can trap your king and end the game in unexpected ways. Use your Minister to heal voids around your king first.

What to Read Next

When you are ready to go deeper, these pages will take you to the next level.

How to Play Void Chess