DISCLAIMER: The ideas expressed on this page are the creative work of its author, Charles Gilman, and they might not be shared by others responsible for this website. They do not represent any convention, consensus, or standard regarding piece names.
Index H to Man and Beast
Each entry starts with the name or prefix in capitals, linked to the Piececlopedia page if an established piece, followed by the plural in plain text if irregular. Then comes the geometry, with a link to the Man and Beast page - square also covers cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism, all covers those plus 2d hex and 2d/3d pentagonal ones, and hex covers xyrixa/hex-prism. Then comes the definition in plain text. The name's origin, if more than random and neither a Piececlopedia piece nor obvious, is in italics. Compounds of two oblique leapers always have one of a set of endings designed to avoid duplicate names for mixed-range and part-symmetric versions. Unless specified as royally-restricted a piece is capturable. The phrase "capturing as" means exclusively unless prefixed with "also". When a move can be "repeated" it means without capturing on any but the last instance. DQR stands for Defaulting to Queen (square) or Rook (hex). Names combining component names are marked ¢. FO pieces' symmetric counterparts are marked §.
New in 2016 under this letter: Haver, Helophis, Hulk
New in 2015 under this letter: Heretaker
The acknowledgments, overview, and glossary to the series can be found here.
Pieces
HABITAT cubic Hamster+Humel ¢.
HADDOCK square Hump+Helmcoward, in conjunction with other fish names, ultimately extrapolated from Crab, for pieces with two Knight and two Camel directions.
HAFT square Harlot+Thief ¢.
HAG cubic Queen+Naique, in conjunction with Harridan, Hoyden, and Henpecker from the Queen as woman.
HAIKU hex-prism Hybridiser+Hylonome ¢.
HAJJ square Camel+Antelope, as an Islamic pilgrimage which would historically have involved journeys by camel.
HAKE square Hump+Helmrevisionist, in conjunction with other fish names, ultimately extrapolated from Crab, for pieces with two Knight and two Camel directions.
HALBERD square Harlequin+Alibaba ¢.
HALBERDIER cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Harpoon+Alibuck ¢.
HALCYON square Proselyte+Bellerophon and thus 90° Crooked Harlequin, in the sense that it turns only where it can stop and so alternates between two paths of the Gorgon, by analogy to the Proselyte, as well as meaning a kingfisher, King indicating orthogonal+SD.
HALF- square, hex restricts radial moves to odd numbers of steps, and oblique ones to the forward direction, which gives about half the moves of the full Marshal given that there are sometimes more odd- than even-step radial moves.
HALIBUT square Humpreservist+Helmrevisionist, in conjunction with other fish names, ultimately extrapolated from Crab, for pieces with two Knight and two Camel directions.
HALLUCINATOR hex-prism Elephrider+Drunkard, as a drunk hsaving visions of pink elephants.
HALO cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Mitre+Ballade, as traditionally depicted over the head of the supposed Savior §.
HAMADRYAD hex-prism Hump+Marker ¢.
HAMLET hex-prism Dicorn+Othello, in conjunction with other Shakespearean names.
HAMMERHEAD cubic/hex-prism Mallet+Tellam, alluding to the Mallet as a kind of hammer.
HAMMINESS cubic Huckster+Hamster ¢.
HAMPERER cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Harpist+Impala ¢.
HAMSTER cubic symmetric 6:6:1 leaper, xyrixa, hex-prism dual of symmetric 12:1:1 leaper, symmetric 5:root 48 leaper, in conjunction with other rodent names.
HANDBALL cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Antler+Musketball ¢.
HANDLER hex-prism Prefect+Golem, as one handling ungulates such as the Camel whose 30° rotation it is.
 | HANDYMAN Handymen square Helm+Hump, from having moves in four directions (more in 3d) but all of them forward, suggesting an execss of forelimbs. |
HARANGUER, HARBINGER cubic Unicorn+Nanoe, Unicorn+Canoe, in conjunction with Hollerer and Heckler as offshoots of Herald.
HARDNESS, HARDSHIP square FO 7:1 leaper with the 7 specifically orthogonal, Hump+Haste, first punning on the hardness of e-Namel §, second as that endured on a pilgrimage such as a Hajj §.
HARE square Namelranker+Antelfiler and thus having half the directions of the Anu.
HARLECH cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Harlequin+Eunuch ¢.
 | HARLEQUIN square Panda+Bear, as from always changing between two of four Dabbaba (in 2d) or Unicorn (cubic) bindings. |
HARPIST, HARPOON cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Pandacub+Bearcub+Raccooncub, Panda+Bear+Raccoon, former as -N to -T switch on latter, and both combining Harlequins with modern counterpart Adolph "Harpo" Marx.
HARPY cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Rook+Simurgh, in conjunction with fellow monsters Fury, Gorgon, Gryphon, Hydra, Lamia, Manticore, Simurgh, and Sphinx but also because it is a compound of the Rook whose move the Poison Chess Harpy shares.
HARRIDAN cubic Queen+Canoe, in conjunction with Hoyden, Henpecker, and Hag from the Queen as woman.
 | HARTEBEEST square Camelranker+Nightfiler and thus having half the directions of the Wildebeest which is another name for Gnu. |
 | HARVESTER square Bishop+Anchorite, from Tripunch Chess. |
 | HARVESTMAN square Boyscout with first step replaced by a Wazir one, from Seenschach. |
HATTER square Nram+Tnra, to go with Hare as Hinny goes with Hartebeest.
HAUNT hex-prism FO 5:root 3 leaper, from what a Spectre § does.
HAVER pentagonal-prism Crooked Horn rising above and falling below move of same-level Meander, as crooked movement sharing Horn's initial.
 | HAWKER square Mitre+Wingcoward, adapted from an earlier name of Falcon, but not the copyrighted one, for easy suffixing. |
 | HAWKRESS square Rookfiler+Hawker. |
 | HAWKSMAN square Bishofiler+Hawker. |
HAYMAKER hex-prism Foal+Baker, from one preparing grasses for consumption by ungulates as bakers do for human consumption.
HBESIEGER cubic Unicorn+Fwazir, adding initial of Heretic.
HCTOLB cubic FO 4:3:3 leaper, xyrixa dual to cubic Foil, Blotch for dual of FO 5:3 reversed.
HEADLOCK cubic hex-prism Meadow+Muncher, from the Headman whose 30° rotation it is.
HEADMAN Headmen square Haste+Hardness, from the high position of Anu § in the Mesopotamian pantheon.
HEADOFHERD hex-prism Heffalump+Elephant, from the head of the herd of elephants in the song Nellie the Elephant.
 | HEADREST cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Arrowhead+Slingstone, with same ending as Arbalest §. |
HEAVY Bent piece any one restricted to stopping on even steps of its longer stage.
HECHATELAINE hex-prism Unrook+Ferz, adding first letters of Heretic.
HECKLER cubic Unicorn+Naique, in conjunction with Harbinger, Hollerer, and Haranguer as offshoots of Herald.
HEDGER cubic hex-prism Fieldmouse+Numbat, from the Haymaker via haywards, who look after hedges.
HEDONIST hex-prism Dicorn+Heffalump, in conjunction with other food-related names.
HEFCRAB hex-prism Rumtusk+Rumtureservist+Rumtushelterer, extrapolated from Sencrab.
 | HEFFALUMP hex-prism symmetric 1:root 7 leaper, from sharing the SOLL of the Elephant of which word it is assumed to be a distortion in the works of Alan Alexander Milne. |
HEIGHT cubic FO 7:3:1 leaper, xyrixa dual of FO 9:6:1 leaper, as attribute of Highwayman §.
HEIMAT xyrixa Sceptic+Hemel ¢.
HEIR, HEIRESS 3d Cross+Saltire, Wing+Heir, as potential lord, lady such as Baron, Baroness §.
HELICOPTER square Knight+Camel+Antelope+Namel, as even faster means of travel than Hovercraft alluding to the Haste which is the FO Antelope.
HELLENIST cubic/xyrixa Bump+Lank.
 | HELM square Knight+Antelope, as attribute of the Knight §. |
 | HELMED MAO all Knight unblockable in the most forward directions but blockable like a Mao in the rest ¢. |
HELMSMAN Pawnlike piece all one with an optional double-step initial move restricted to one step being noncapturing and one capturing in either order, from the Helmsman Pawn's double-step move being to the Helm's destinations.
HELOPHIS pentagonal-prism Urotheca+Ferz, as snake sharing Heretic's initial.
HELOT hex-prism Cross capturing as Heffalump, as one lacking civic rights in ancient Greece.
HELP xyrixa dual to the FO 9:5:2 leaper, as attribute of Assistant §.
HEMEL cubic symmetric 8:5:3 leaper, xyrixa dual to cubic Heptagram, extrapolated from Camel.
HEMEROBAPTIST hex-prism Heffalump+Drummer, in conjunction with other religious groups that "march to a different drum" for Drummer compounds.
HEMI- hex-prism upward Fore- plus downward Hind-, plus whole of any same-level component.
HENPECKER cubic Queen+Nanoe, in conjunction with Harridan, Hoyden, and Hag from the Queen as woman.
HEPTAGON hex-prism 30° Dabbaba-Zombie alternator, EMD Heptagramwise.
HEPTAGRAM cubic symmetric 6:3:2 leaper, hex oblique 7 leaper dual to cubic Hemel, 1:root 48 leaper, from its leap length of 7.
HERACLES hex 90° Quibbler-Zombie alternator, in conjunction with other names of historic figures ending in -es for 90° orthogonal-ND Crooked alternators.
HERALD hex-prism Unicorn+Heffalump, from unicorns being a heraldic monster.
HERETAKER cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Occult capturing as Oump, extrapolated from Caretaker.
 | HERETIC cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Unicorn+Ferz, one attacking a church as reverse of enhanced Bishop, in conjunction with Besieger and Usurper. |
 | HINNY square Cram+Barc, as a mule-like hybrid that is part horse. |
 | HIPPOPOTAMUS square 45° Knight-Camel alternator, by analogy to Rhino. |
HOBBIT cubic/Tetraheral/hex-prism Unicorn+Pony, as imaginary rider, even in adulthood, of ponies.
HOBBLER cubic symmetric 7:7:3 leaper, xyrixa dual of symmetric 14:3:3 leaper, one of many names alluding to weakness of high-SOLL leapers.
HOBO cubic Bishop+Naique, in conjunction with Hurtler, Hustler, and Hiker from the Bishop as runner.
HOGGER cubic symmetric 8:5:1 leaper, sharing SOLL of Clinger.
HOLDFAST cubic/hex-prism Loomer+Labour, as one might do to one's labours.
HOLDUP cubic Breadth+Height, as the Highwayman whose FO form the Height is might do.
HOLE xyrixa dual to cubic Greed, as masde by Housemouse §.
HOLLERER cubic Unicorn+Caique, in conjunction with Harbinger, Hollerer, and Heckler as offshoots of Herald.
HOMELINESS xyrixa/hex-prism Heptagram+Sceptic ¢.
HOMESTEAD cubic Rook+Nanoe, in conjunction with Hotel, Hostel, and Hovel from the Rook's Staunton representation as building.
 | HOOD hex-prism Prince+Thief, from the film Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. |
HOPPING piece all a Beatified, Canonised, or Hoppered one.
 | HORN cubic/hex piece moving any distance through empty intermediate cells along forward nonstandard diagonals, as attribute of Unicorn §. |
 | HORNET square Boyscout+Harvestman, from Seenschach. |
HORSINESS hex-prism Sennight+Foal, from the nature of the Foal, and the Sennight's derviation from Knight.
HOSPITAL cubic 45° Healer+Attendant+Engineer, as the place where healing is carried out.
HOST hex-prism Cross+Rumchick, as term used for pub Landlord § but also for men offering more amateur hospitality.
HOSTEL cubic Rook+Caique, in conjunction with Hotel, Homestead, and Hovel from the Rook's Staunton representation as building.
HOSTESS hex-prism Wing+Host, as term used for pub Landlady § but also for women offering more amateur hospitality.
HOTEL cubic Rook+Canoe, in conjunction with Hostel, Homestead, and Hovel from the Rook's Staunton representation as building.
HOTSHOT cubic/xyrixa Fencer+Slimmer, as gunman and thus more modern fighter than Fencer.
HOTSPUR square Helm+Haste, as nickname of horseman famous for using his spurs.
HOUSEMAID hex-prism Wing+Rumchick, as servant echoing title of Housewife § employing her.
HOUSEMOUSE xyrixa dual to cubic Hogger, in conjunction with other rodent names.
 | HOUSEWIFE hex-prism Rook+Rumbaba, as woman at head of lesser household than that of Chatelaine and Vicereine who are Rook+Ferz and Rook+Viceroy. |
HOVEL cubic Rook+Naique, in conjunction with Hotel, Hostel, and Homestead from the Rook's Staunton representation as building.
HOVERCRAFT square Knight+Antelope, as fast means of travel alluding to the Haste which is the FO Antelope.
HOWDAH square Elephrider+Dabbaba, as compartment for riders on back of elephant.
HOYDEN cubic Queen+Caique, in conjunction with Harridan, Henpecker, and Hag from the Queen as woman.
HREF hex-prism Rumtusk+Rumturevisionist, extrapolated from Crab.
HTMRAW cubic FO 8:6:1 leaper, Warmth for FO 10:1 reversed.
 | HUCKSTER square symmetric 8:5 leaper, from sharing Hamster's SOLL. |
HUMAN square Humel+Tray, short for Humelled Tandyman.
HUMEL square symmetric 13:3 leaper dual to the Huckster, extrapolated from Camel.
HUMMOCK hex-prism Rumkey+Slate, from shape of Hump whose 30° rotation it is.
 | HUMP square FO 3:1 leaper dual to the Helm, as attribute of Camel §. |
 | HUNTER square Wing+Mitrecoward, a long-standing name originally used as a suffix for any forward/backward hybrid. |
 | HUNTRESS square Rookfiler+Hunter. |
 | HUNTSMAN square Bishofiler+Hunter. |
HURDLER, HURDLEFOLLOW-ER/-RESS/-SMAN/-SWOMAN, HURDLE-RESS/-SMAN/-SWOMAN cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Cannonball+Slingcoward and its further compounds with the same-rank moves respectively of the Sling/Cannonade/Arbalest/Arsenal/Cannon/Arrow/Tank, from the "hurdle" as which a Hopped piece is sometimes described.
HURLER cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Spearhead+Millstone, with meaning alluding to Spearthrower §.
HURRY pentagonal FO Curved Rook, of practical use only on a Frolov board rotated by 90°, from first letter of Helm by analogy to Nadder § from (K)night.
HURTLER, HUSTLER cubic Bishop+Canoe, Bishop+Caique, in conjunction with Hiker and Hobo from the Bishop as runner.
HUTU square Huckster+Humel ¢.
HYBRIDISER hex-prism symmetric 2:root 19 leaper, in conjunction with Genome, Germinator, and Hylonome.
HYDRA hex-prism Rook with first step replaced by a Rumbaba one, in conjunction with fellow monsters Fury, Gorgon, Gryphon, Harpy, Lamia, Manticore, Simurgh, and Sphinx.
HYENA cubic/xyrixa/hex-prism Bishop with first and last steps replaced by Viceroy ones.
HYLONOME hex-prism symmetric 5:root 21 leaper, in conjunction with Genome, Germinator, and Hybridiser.
HYPER- hex adds to a FO piece its Quarterer and Reservist, as having the combined effects of Super... and Ultra....
HYPERRHINO cubic 90° Ferz-Viceroy alternator, EMD Knightwise, but moving outside plane of Nightrider moves.
HYPERSENRHINO hex-prism 80° Ferz-Rumbaba alternator, EMD Sennightwise, but moving outside the plane of the Sennirider moves.
HYPERUNHORSER cubic Double Hyperrhino restricted to moving an odd number of steps, as as differing from the Unhorser in that it moves outside the plane of the Nightrider moves.
HYPHEN hex-prism FO 3-root 12 leaper, as beside a letter as against the Accent with the same SOLL being above it.
HYRAX hex-prism Elephranker+Drummfiler on Glinski-level, vice versa on Wellisch-level, and Elephcolumner+Drummleveller on hex-ranked, as one of the Afrotheria, the same immediate subdivision of the placental mammals as elephants.
HYSTRIX hex-prism symmetric 7:4 leaper with the 7 specifically hex-oblique, in conjunction with other rodent names, particularly the Molerat that has the same SOLL.
This 'user submitted' page is a collaboration between the posting user and the Chess Variant Pages. Registered contributors to the Chess Variant Pages have the ability to post their own works, subject to review and editing by the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff.
By Charles Gilman.
Web page created: 2011-07-30. Web page last updated: 2011-07-30