Apprentice Sahle Selassie King of Shewa Patient development, a long Werera, and few hurried exchanges. A highland hall · Ankober, Shewa Take your seat → Court player Lebna Dengel Emperor of Ethiopia Balanced development, active Ferese and Pheel, and pressure through the centre. The itinerant court · The roving imperial camp Take your seat → Master Ras Wolde Selassie Ruler of Tigray Fast pressure, active Der files, and an early search for the first Medeq capture. The stone hall · Aksum, Tigray Take your seat → Empress Taytu Betul Empress of Ethiopia Concentrated attack, a short Werera, and pressure kept on one weakness until it breaks. The castle hall · Fasil Ghebbi, Gondär Take your seat → Archivist Zara Yaqob Emperor and lawgiver Restricted squares, coordinated pieces, and very few unforced exchanges. The carved hall · Däbrä Dammo, Tigray Take your seat → The opening The opening — marshal the army, and withdraw moves freely. The first Medeq taken begins alternating battle.
16–16 · 0 moves Open rules You 7 · Lebna Dengel 7 capital piecesTake the court’s last capital piece — bare its Negus — to win.
Lebna Dengel Court player Court photograph: A.Savin · Free Art License 1.3
Restart match Play a friend How to play Table settings Are you sure you want to resign? Lebna Dengel takes the match, and the board is set again from the start.
Keep playing Resign
Change opponents? Changing opponents will abandon this match.
Keep playing Change opponent
Moves Select one of the gold pieces to begin marshalling.
The army Six turned forms, differing only enough to tell them apart: five that stand, and the Medeq, a low disc. The two armies are the same six shapes in pale ivory and dark horn.
NegusKing One square in any direction
FersCounsellor One square diagonally, moving and taking alike
PheelElephant Jumps exactly two squares diagonally
FereseHorse The familiar L-shaped leap
DerCastle Any unobstructed distance along a rank or file
MedeqFoot soldier One step forward, capturing diagonally; promotes to Fers Where you stand Weekly, monthly and all-time standings for Senterej Character dialogue is original writing inspired by each opponent’s game style. It is not historical quotation.
