Enochian Chess

The symbolic richness of Chaturaji did not remain confined to the Indian world. In time, its underlying structure — fourfold kingship, elemental conflict, and the fusion of strategy with fate — found a new and unexpected life within Western esoteric traditions, particularly through what came to be known as Enochian Chess.

This adaptation is most closely associated with the system of angelic magic recorded by John Dee and his scryer Edward Kelley, whose work laid the foundation for what is now called Enochian magic. Centuries later, within the framework of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, this system was expanded into a ritualized chess-like practice.

Here, the idea of a four-player game re-emerges, but now transfigured through an explicitly occult lens. The board is divided into four quadrants, each corresponding to one of the classical elements: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. It was governed by distinct angelic hierarchies derived from the Enochian tablets. What had once been a representation of earthly kings and armies becomes a field of interaction between elemental and spiritual forces.

Chaturaji

Chaturaji is usually understood as a four-player Indian chess-like game whose name means "four kings." The historical record is thin, so there is no single fixed myth of origin the way some games have a neat legendary inventor story.

Its mythological background comes mainly from the Mahabharata and the older idea of chaturanga as a battle formation. Chaturanga is a Sanskrit term for a formation mentioned in the Mahabharata, and later discussions of Chaturaji connect the game to a Mahabharata passage describing dice, a board, and pieces in four colors. That is why the game is often read as a symbolic reenactment of war, chance, and the fourfold structure of an army or kingdom.

The Ravana Legend

Another Chaturaji myth comes from the Ramayana epic villain, Ravana. Within the narrative world of the Ramayana, Ravana is not merely a tyrant or antagonist, but a figure of immense intellect — versed in statecraft, metaphysics, warfare, and the hidden sciences. To attribute a game like Chaturaji to such a figure is to elevate it beyond pastime into something closer to a strategic and cosmological instrument.

In this mythic framing, Chaturaji becomes a structured reflection of war itself. The four players represent rival kings or powers, each maneuvering within a shared field of conflict. The pieces correspond to the classical fourfold army: infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariots — echoing the ancient concept of chaturanga, the totality of martial force.

Yet unlike later forms of chess, Chaturaji incorporates dice, and it is here that the game transcends pure strategy. The roll of dice introduces an element of fate, suggesting that even the most calculated plans are subject to forces beyond human control. War, in this sense, is revealed as a convergence of intention and destiny.

How to Play Chaturaji

Setup

The game is played on a standard 8×8 board with four players, each controlling an army of 8 pieces in one corner. The four armies are Red (bottom-left), Yellow (bottom-right), Green (top-right), and Black (top-left).

Each army consists of: 1 King ♚, 1 Elephant ♜ (moves like a Rook), 1 Horse ♞ (moves like a Knight), 1 Boat ♝ (moves like a Bishop), and 4 Pawns ♟.

Turn Order & Dice

Play proceeds in turn order: Red → Yellow → Green → Black → Red …

At the start of each turn, two dice are rolled. The dice faces show piece types (King, Elephant, Horse, Boat) — not numbers. You must move a piece matching one of the rolled faces. If neither face matches a piece you still have on the board, you move a Pawn instead. If you have no legal moves at all, your turn is skipped.

Piece Movements

♚	King	Moves one square in any direction (like standard chess).
♜	Elephant	Moves any number of squares horizontally or vertically (like a Rook).
♞	Horse	Moves in an L-shape (2+1 squares), jumping over pieces (like a Knight).
♝	Boat	Moves exactly 2 squares diagonally, jumping over the first square. Cannot capture Kings.
♟	Pawn	Moves one square forward (away from its starting corner). Captures diagonally one square forward-left or forward-right.

Capturing

You capture an opponent’s piece by moving onto its square. All pieces capture the same way they move, except the Boat which cannot capture a King. Captured pieces are removed from the board.

Capture Point Values

Each capture earns points based on the captured piece’s value. Your score is the sum of all captures during the game.

♚	King	5 points
♜	Elephant	4 points
♞	Horse	3 points
♝	Boat	2 points
♟	Pawn	1 point

Placement Ranking Points

At the end of each game, players earn ranking points based on their final placement:

🥇	Gold (1st)	10 points
🥈	Silver (2nd)	6 points
🥉	Bronze (3rd)	3 points
4th	Fourth (4th)	1 point

Pawn Promotion

When a Pawn reaches the far edge of the board (the opposite side from where it started), it may promote. The Pawn is replaced by the first major piece (Elephant, Horse, or Boat) of its color that has been captured. If all major pieces are still alive, the Pawn waits at the edge until one is captured.

Elimination & Winning

A player is eliminated when their King is captured — there is no “check” or “checkmate,” Kings can be taken directly. The last player with a King on the board wins.

Strategy Tips

• Protect your King — it can be captured without warning.
• The dice add randomness, but positioning still matters. Keep pieces where they can respond to multiple dice outcomes.
• Eliminate weaker neighbors first to reduce threats.
• Advance Pawns toward the far edge for promotion opportunities.
• The Boat’s diagonal jump makes it tricky to block — use it for surprise attacks.

Community

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