Board and pieces

Jetan is played on a black and orange checkered board of 10 ranks by 10 files, with orange pieces on the "north" side and black pieces on the "south".

Jetan gameboard and starting setup

Each player has the following playing pieces: one Chief, one Princess, two Fliers; two Dwars (Captains); two Padwars (Lieutenants); two Warriors; two Thoats (Mounted Warriors); and eight Panthans (Mercenaries). The Chief, Princess, Fliers, Dwars, Padwars and Warriors are positioned along the rank closest to the player with the Chief at left center, the Princess at right center, and the Fliers, Dwars, Padwars and Warriors arranged to flank each, with the Fliers innermost and the Warriors outermost. The Thoats and Panthans are positioned along the next rank out from the player with the Thoats flanking the Panthans. The complete arrangement of each side follows:

T	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	T
W	P	D	F	C	P	F	D	P	W

There has in the past been considerable confusion regarding the rules of Jetan, but research has shown that most such problems can be cleared up through careful analysis of the text in The Chessmen of Mars.^[1] This article is based primarily on the Appendix in The Chessmen of Mars, but takes the abovementioned research into consideration.

Movement

Jetan pieces move one, two or three steps for every move. Two- and three-steppers may change their direction of movement at each step in the course of a move, so long as this is in a direction permitted for that piece. No piece can cross the same square of the board twice during the course of a move. The Princess and the Flier may jump over a piece that is in their path.

A capture is made when a piece lands on a square occupied by an opposing piece with its final step or jump; the Princess may not capture.

The pieces move as follows:

• Chief: three steps in any direction or combination of directions.

  This is equivalent to three moves of a chess king, except that it cannot double back and may only capture at the third step.

• Princess: three steps in any direction or combination of directions; it may jump over other pieces but cannot capture.

  It may make one ten space "escape" at any time during gameplay, jumping to any unoccupied and unthreatened space on the board.

• Flier: three steps diagonally; it may jump over other pieces.

  Per Burroughs, in an older version of Jetan these pieces were called Odwars.

• Dwar: three steps orthogonally.
• Padwar: two steps diagonally.
• Warrior: two steps orthogonally.

  A quote from Chapter 2 in The Chessmen of Mars that can be interpreted as a different type of move for the Warrior has been shown to be based on a typographical error.^[1]

• Thoat: one orthogonal and one diagonal step.

  In Chapter 2 of his text, Burroughs mentions that the Thoat can jump, but this is not mentioned in the more detailed Appendix. Most players disregard this.

• Panthan: one single step forward, sideways or diagonally forward.

By analogy to standard chess, it is assumed that a piece that moves multiple squares can capture an opposing piece only by finishing its move on the opposing piece's square. In other words, a piece can capture only once per turn. Burroughs was explaining his chess rules for an Earth audience familiar with standard chess. He deliberately stated that the Princess and the Flier may jump over a piece that is in their path. The only reasonable interpretation is that the Chief, Dwar, Padwar, and Warrior are blocked by pieces in their path (as are the queen, rook, and bishop in standard chess). It is unreasonable to suppose that Burroughs could have meant that the Flier jumps over intervening pieces while the Chief captures all intervening pieces, as this would be so different from standard chess that he would have stated this, had it been his intention.

It is not explicitly stated in Burroughs' text that a piece entitled to a two-space or three-space move must move the full amount, but implicit information suggests that this is the case.^[1] For example, the Padwar at [P] is entitled to a two-space diagonal move, so in the diagram below, it must end its move on the spaces marked [2]; if all the spaces marked [1] are occupied by friendly or opposing pieces, or if all the spaces marked [2] are occupied by friendly pieces, then the Padwar is blocked and unable to move.

2		2		2
	1		1
2		P		2
	1		1
2		2		2

Ending the game

In Burroughs's description, Jetan is won when either a Chief captures the opposing Chief, or when any piece captures the opposing Princess. The game is drawn if each player is reduced to three or fewer pieces of equal value and it is not won within the next ten moves, or if a Chief is taken by any piece other than a Chief.

Some consider these rules to result in too many draws^[2][3] so a number of variants have been proposed to address this issue, the simplest being that the capture of a Chief by a piece other than a Chief merely retires the Chief without drawing or ending the game.