Overview

Apocalypse is a chess variant for 2 players invented by C.S. Elliott in 1976. It is played on a 5x5 board with simultaneous secret moves. Each player controls 2 Horsemen (knights) and 5 Footmen (pawns). The goal is to eliminate all of the opponent’s Footmen. The simultaneous movement creates unique tactical and psychological tension not found in standard chess.

Components

• 1 board (5x5 grid)
• 10 White pieces: 2 Horsemen, 5 Footmen
• 10 Black pieces: 2 Horsemen, 5 Footmen
• Paper and pen for writing secret moves

Setup

Arrange pieces on the 5x5 board:

White (rows 1-2):

• Row 1: Horseman, Footman, Footman, Footman, Horseman
• Row 2: Footman, Footman, empty, empty, empty

Wait – the standard layout is:

• Row 1 (White’s back rank): Horseman on a1, Footman on b1, Footman on c1, Footman on d1, Horseman on e1
• Row 2 (White’s front rank): Footman on a2, Footman on b2, Footman on c2, Footman on d2, Footman on e2

Black (rows 4-5), mirrored:

• Row 5 (Black’s back rank): Horseman on a5, Footman on b5, Footman on c5, Footman on d5, Horseman on e5
• Row 4 (Black’s front rank): Footman on a4, Footman on b4, Footman on c4, Footman on d4, Footman on e4

Turn Structure

Both players act simultaneously each turn:

1. Secret Move: Both players secretly write down one move for one of their pieces.
2. Reveal: Both moves are revealed simultaneously.
3. Resolve: Execute both moves, resolving any conflicts according to the collision rules.

Actions

Horseman Movement: Moves exactly like a knight in chess (L-shape: 2 squares in one direction, 1 square perpendicular). Can jump over other pieces.

Footman Movement: Moves like a pawn in chess with these modifications:

• Moves 1 square forward (toward opponent’s side). No initial double-step.
• Captures diagonally forward 1 square.
• No en passant (since there is no double-step).

Collision Resolution (when both pieces move to the same square):

• Horseman vs. Footman: The Horseman captures the Footman.
• Horseman vs. Horseman: Both pieces are eliminated.
• Footman vs. Footman: Both pieces are eliminated.

Footman Capture of Vacated Square: If a Footman attempts to capture diagonally but the target piece moved away, the Footman’s move is still executed as a diagonal non-capturing move to that square.

Promotion: When a Footman reaches the opponent’s back rank, it is promoted to a Horseman – but only if the player currently has fewer than 2 Horsemen on the board. If the player already has 2 Horsemen, the Footman remains a Footman on the last rank.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Win by Elimination: The first player to capture all 5 of the opponent’s Footmen wins.

Win by Penalty: If a player accumulates 2 penalty points, they lose immediately.

Draw: If both players’ last Footmen are eliminated simultaneously, the game is a draw.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Illegal Moves: If a player writes an illegal move (e.g., moving a captured piece, moving off the board, or making an impossible move), they receive 1 penalty point. Their piece does not move. Two penalty points = immediate loss.
• No Move Available: If a player has no legal move, they must pass (write “pass”). This does not incur a penalty.
• Simultaneous Elimination: If both players lose their last Footman on the same turn, the game is a draw.
• Horseman Stalemate: Horsemen alone cannot win – you need to eliminate all opposing Footmen. Horsemen capturing Horsemen does not affect the win condition directly.

Player Reference

Piece	Movement	Capture
Horseman	L-shape (as chess knight)	Same as movement
Footman	1 square forward	1 square diagonally forward

Collision (same square)	Result
Horseman vs. Footman	Horseman wins
Same type vs. same type	Both eliminated

Condition	Result
All enemy Footmen captured	You win
2 penalty points	You lose
Simultaneous last Footman loss	Draw

| Promotion | Footman reaching back rank becomes Horseman (if fewer than 2 Horsemen on board) | |———–|—|