HERALDS OF SILENCE
We continue our experiments with the eight-sided die and chess. As I've said many times before, introducing an element of randomness into traditional chess through dice allows us to create unique chess worlds capable of giving players unforgettable experiences and emotions. I'm glad that many of my ideas in this field — from Grand Dice Chess, Paranormal Chess, Oracle Chess, and many others — bring people joy and unforgettable moments, making them dive into these games again and again.
And this time, I present to you my next project, born from the atmosphere of the polar night and the spine-chilling horror of "30 Days of Night."
Welcome to a world where the Darkness hunts you
HERALDS OF SILENCE is not just another chess variant with dice. This is a survival game where the board gradually fills with neutral forces that spare no one.
Imagine: on the board, only kings and pawns. No queens, no rooks, no bishops, no knights. Just your army of pawns and your king, who must survive the long night. But the main enemy is not your opponent — it is Silence.
Every quiet move you make (without capture) spawns a Herald — a neutral piece that stands on the board and waits for its hour. And that hour comes immediately after your move: you roll the die, and all Heralds move simultaneously, like a wave of darkness, sweeping away everything in their path — your pieces, your opponent's pieces, even kings.
I wanted to make this game special. And I think I succeeded.
For everyone who wants to feel like a hero enduring a long night, where Darkness watches every step — behold:
HERALDS OF SILENCE
The Long Night Chess Variant
(Inspired by the movie "30 Days of Night")
Full Rules Compendium
Introduction
In the North, where the sun does not rise for thirty days, old chronicles speak of those who come in the dark. They are called by many names: spawn of the abyss, heralds of silence, reapers. But one thing is known for certain: they belong neither to men nor to their wars. They appear where a mistake has been made — where a piece has stepped into the void without spilling blood. And from that footprint, One of Them is born.
They serve neither side. They move all at once, obeying an unknown rhythm. They spare neither kings nor pawns. And when their hour comes upon the board — one can only watch as the wave rolls across the field, gathering its harvest.
Welcome to the night that lasts thirty moves.
Game Components
To play, you will need:
A standard 8×8 chessboard.
White and Black kings (1 each).
White and Black pawns (8 each).
1–2 queens (to replace promoted pawns).
One eight-sided die (d8) to determine the direction of the Heralds' movement.
Tokens or markers to represent the Heralds of Silence (at least 15–20 pieces).
Paper and pencil for scoring (if playing with points).
White moves first (The Last Day of Sun).
1. Initial Setup
White pawns are placed on the 2nd rank (a2–h2).
Black pawns are placed on the 7th rank (a7–h7).
The White king is placed on e1.
The Black king is placed on d8.
No other pieces are on the board.
2. Objective
Kill the opponent's king. Check and checkmate do not exist. The king is an ordinary piece.
3. The Herald of Silence
The Herald of Silence is a neutral piece, belonging to neither player. It is represented by a token or any marker distinct from standard chess pieces.
3.1. Appearance of the Herald of Silence
A Herald appears when any piece makes a move without capture.
Herald Appearance on a Pawn Move:
When a pawn moves without capture, a Herald appears on the square directly in front of it (in its direction of movement).
Example: White moves a pawn to e4 → Herald appears on e5.
Example: Black moves a pawn to e5 → Herald appears on e4.
Herald Appearance on a King or Queen Move:
If the king makes a move without capture, the Herald appears on the square the king just left (its previous position).
Example: The White king moves from e1 to f2 → Herald appears on e1.
If the queen makes a move without capture, the Herald also appears on the square the queen left (same as the king).
Exceptions (Pawns Only):
Square Occupied: If the appearance square is already occupied by any piece or another Herald — the Herald does not appear.
Edge of the Board: If a pawn reaches the last rank (8th for White, 1st for Black) — the Herald does not appear. This restriction does not apply to the king or queen.
3.2. Capturing a Herald of Silence with a Piece
Any piece may capture a Herald of Silence by moving onto its square and occupying it. This counts as a normal capture.
3.3. Movement of the Heralds of Silence (The Reaping Phase)
After each move with one of their pieces, if at least one Herald of Silence is on the board, the player must conduct the Reaping Phase:
1. Roll: Roll the d8 die.
2. Move: Move all Heralds of Silence on the board one square in the direction indicated by the die.
The numbering on the die corresponds to directions relative to the player making the move:
Direction Diagram:
8 1 2
7 H 3
6 5 4
Direction Key:
1: Up (↑)
2: Up-Right (↗)
3: Right (→)
4: Down-Right (↘)
5: Down (↓)
6: Down-Left (↙)
7: Left (←)
8: Up-Left (↖)
For White, "forward" is toward the 8th rank.
For Black, "forward" is toward the 1st rank.
Order of Movement (Important!):
To avoid confusion, Heralds are moved in a wave, starting from the board edge toward which they are moving.
Example (Direction 1 – Up):
You are playing White. You roll a 1 (all Heralds move up, toward the 8th rank).
Take all Heralds standing on the 8th rank. They try to move up but hit the board's edge → they stay in place.
Then take all Heralds on the 7th rank. Move them to the 8th rank (if there are pieces there, they are destroyed; if other Heralds are there, those are destroyed).
Then move Heralds from the 6th rank to the 7th.
Continue until you reach the 1st rank.
Results of Movement:
Clear Path: The Herald moves to the new square.
Board Edge: If a Herald cannot move (blocked by the edge) — it stays in place.
Collision with a Piece: If a Herald moves onto a square containing ANY piece (including the king) — the piece is removed from the board (destroyed), and the Herald occupies that square.
Collision with Another Herald (possible only at the board edge): If a moving Herald arrives on a square already occupied by another Herald, the stationary Herald is destroyed, and the moving Herald takes its square.
Two Heralds can never occupy the same square.
This order ensures the Heralds move fairly, like a wave, with the "tail" never passing the "head."
3.4. Heralds of Silence and the Queen's Line of Sight
Heralds block lines for the queen. They physically stand on the board and obstruct vision.
4. Rules for Pieces
4.1. Pawn
Moves and captures according to standard chess rules (including the initial two-square move).
Promotes only to a queen upon reaching the last rank.
If a Herald of Silence stands on the promotion square — the pawn cannot move to that square.
4.2. King
Moves one square in any direction according to standard chess rules.
May capture a Herald of Silence as part of its move, like any other piece.
If a player, at the start of their turn, cannot move any of their pieces (neither a pawn nor a queen, if they have one), they gain the right to teleport their king to any empty square on the board. This counts as their normal move for the turn.
This rule also applies to situations where a player has only their king remaining (no pawns and no queen).
When the king teleports, a Herald of Silence appears on the square the king left (according to section 3.1).
4.3. Queen
Appears only after a pawn promotes.
Moves according to standard chess rules (any distance horizontally, vertically, or diagonally).
On a quiet move (without capture), a Herald of Silence appears on the square the queen left (according to section 3.1).
5. Turn Structure
Each player's turn consists of two mandatory phases, performed in strict order:
The Move Phase: The player makes one normal move with one of their pieces according to the rules. New Heralds of Silence may appear during this phase (according to section 3.1).
The Reaping Phase: After completing the move, if at least one Herald of Silence is on the board, the player must roll the d8 die and move all Heralds according to the movement rules (section 3.3).
6. Game End
The game ends when one of the following conditions is met:
6.1. Victory
A player is declared the winner if their piece (during their Move Phase) or a Herald (during the Reaping Phase) destroys the opponent's king.
Scoring: Winner receives 2 points, loser receives 0.
6.2. Simultaneous Death of Kings
If both kings are destroyed during the Reaping Phase, the game is a draw.
Scoring: Both players receive 0 points ("Silence has taken all").
6.3. Thirty Moves Without Capture ("Dawn")
If, over the course of 30 full moves (30 moves by White and 30 moves by Black), no capture has been made (neither by a piece nor by a Herald during the Reaping Phase), the game ends in a draw.
Scoring: Both players receive 1 point each ("The night has ended; both have survived").
