Dürer's Pentagonal Chess is played on a board of tessellating pentagons studded with diamonds, radiating from a central pentagon; this tiling pattern was first described by the German artist and mathematician Albrecht Dürer in 1525. The object of the game is to checkmate or stalemate the enemy King; converting the King (see below) also counts as a win.

Pieces - except Pawns and the King - are grouped into two 'families'. The line pieces (Rook, Ringmaster, Warlord, and Spire) form one such family; the leapers (Knight, Archer, Airman, and Sailor) form another. When a piece lands on top of another piece in the same family (either friend or foe), it assimilates its powers. Pieces may not assimilate pieces from a different family. A Rook-Spire combination is therefore possible, but a Rook-Knight combination is not. A Rook landing on top of a Knight simply captures it as in traditional chess, and removes it from the board.

The leaping pieces may also capture by leaping over an enemy piece. This converts it to a friendly piece. A leaper may, in fact, capture two pieces at once: if there are two adjacent enemy pieces, a leaper may jump over the first and land on the second. The first is converted to a friendly piece; the second is either assimilated (if a fellow-leaper) or removed from the board (if a non-leaper).

Pawns and Guards capture by acting as pincers. If a piece has an enemy Pawn (or Guard) both before it and after it, it is converted to the enemy player'rmf. A Pawn or Guard may also leap over multiple pieces at a time.

For information about the movements of individual pieces, right-click on piece and choose 'properties.'