From: aberigan@nde.unl.edu (A. Berigan)
Subject: Re: Star Trek Chess
Keywords: chess
Organization: Ord High School, Ord, NE
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 17:36:11 GMT

                  -----------------------------------------
                            TRIDIMENSIONAL CHESS

                             by ANDREW BARTMESS
                  -----------------------------------------
                      reprinted without permission from
                         STAR TREK GIANT POSTER BOOK
                                  Voyage 14
                      Published by Paradise Press Inc.
                                October 1977
                  -----------------------------------------

TRIDIMENSIONAL CHESS is an extremely beautiful and logical game, known and
respected from one edge of the galaxy to another. From Cestus III to the planet
Vulcan, from Sol III to the very heart of the Klingon Empire, it is played by
numerous forms of intelligent life and honored for its cool logic. It is not
generally known, however, that the standard from of the game, so widely played
in the United Federation of Planets, can be traced back to its basic form on
20th century Earth...

A STANDARD tri-dimensional chess set consists of three main boards and four
movable attack boards. The lowermost board holds White's chessmen at the
opening of the game and is termed "White's Board (W)". The middle board is the
"Neutral Board (N)" and the top board is "Black's Board (B)". The attack boards
start the game on the rear pegs of the Black and White Boards, and are referred
to as "Queen's Level (QL)" and "King's Level (KL)", depending upon which Level
holds the King and Queen at the start of the game. (See illustration of
starting arrangement.)


                          |               |
                          +---+---+---+---+
                          |   |   |   |   |
                          +---+---+---+---+
                          | P | P | P | P |
               +---+---+  +---+---+---+---+  +---+---+
               | P | P |  |KT | B | B | KT|  | P | P |
               +---+---+  +---+---+---+---+  +---+---+
               | R | Q |                     | K | R |
               +---+---+                     +---+---+
                          STARTING POSITION


The easiest way to learn Tri-D chess is to begin by looking at the chess board
from the top. When this is done, the three main boards form one board, eight
squares long and four wide, with the attack boards overhanging at the corners.
Imagine this overview as one flat board; any move you can make in a standard
chess game (flat board), you can make in Tri-D chess, but you have the option
of deciding which level you wish it to land on. Since every overlapping square
is the same color, you can land on either. For this reason, two chessmen of the
same (or different) colors can occupy the same square (on different levels).
For notation purposes, the main board is listed in four files (Queen's Knight,
Queen's Bishop, King's Bishop and King's Knight, from left to right) and eight
ranks, followed by the board which the piece lands on (Example: Queen to QKt6,
N).

The attack boards, when occupied by a pawn or less, may move to any adjacent
pin position and such action constitutes one move. [There is a pin located
above and below the corners of each of the three main boards.] The attack
boards are fantastic devices; in three quick moves you can move your pawn into
your opponent's "Queening Zone" (the last rank of the B or W boards, or the
attack boards) and reclaim a captured Queen.

The Levels have their own notation; Queen's Level One is the square on which
the Queen starts the game, QL2 is the Queen's Pawn's starting position, QL3 is
the QR and QL4 is the QRP. Reversely, KL1 holds the King, KL2 is KP, KL3 is KR
and KL4 is the KRP. This notation is like the ranks; when looking at your
opponent's attack boards, you number them exactly like your own.

There are different ways of opening a Tri-D chess game: you may open with a
Knight (Example: Kt-QB3, N) or with one of the four pawns on the main board
(P-QKt4, W). Notice that the pawns on the main board must be moved to clear the
way for the pawns on the attack boards. (See overview of game board.)
Additionally, once the King's pawn and Queen's pawn have been moved, the Rook,
Queen and King have the ability to leave the attack boards and enter game play.


               QUEEN'S              KING'S
               LEVEL                 LEVEL
               +---+---+         +---+---+
               | 4 | 2 |         | 2 | 4 |
               +---O---++---+---++---O---+
               | 3 | 1 ||   |   || 1 | 3 |
               +---+---++---+---++---+---+
                    |   |   |   |   |---BLACK BOARD
                    +---+---+---+---+O
                    |   |   |   |   ||
                    +---+---+---+---++
                    |   |   |   |   ||---NEUTRAL BOARD
                    O===+===+===+===O+O---pin
                     |   |   |   |   ||
                     +---+---+---+---++
                     |   |   |   |   ||
                     O===+===+===+===O+
                      |   |   |   |   |---WHITE BOARD
                 +---+---++---+---++---+---+
                 | 4 | 2 ||   |   || 2 | 4 |
                 +---O---++---+---++---O---+
                 | 3 | 1 |         | 1 | 3 |
                 +---+---+         +---+---+
                 QUEEN'S              KING'S
                 LEVEL                 LEVEL

                        OVERVIEW OF GAME BOARD


The pins at the four corners of each board are listed in this manner: all pins
on the King's side of the board are "King's Pins" and all those on the Queen's
side of the board are "Queen's Pins". On each board, the closest pin is
designated One, the one farthest away is Two. Thus, the attack boards begin the
game on QP1 and KP1.

After three pieces have left the QL or KL, you are left with one pawn which
overhangs the main board. To free it, you may move (for example) QL-QP1, N and
in your next move cross to the other side of the board; QL-KP1, N, thus placing
the pawn over the board. Once the attack boards have left the opening position,
they become capturable pieces. An attack board (lets say White's) can be
captured in this manner: the attack board is occupied by *one* of White's
pieces. If one of Black's chessmen can capture White's piece, and become the
only piece on the attack board, the board is considered to be Black's property.
Black would control three attack boards instead of the two he started the game
with. White can recapture the Level in the same manner, and so it goes. If you
can capture the attack board with a pawn, you can begin moving it immediately! 
Empty Levels are effectively "neutral" and remain the property of the original
owner, free to maneuver. To be captured, an attack board must be occupied by a
chessman.

Any time after the first move a King may "castle" by exchanging places with the
King's Rook. To castle on the Queen's side you must move the Queen out of QL1.
Once this square is clear, you move K-QL1 and QR-KL1, thus castling.

A piece may *not* drop down a level to the same square. Such a move, when
viewed from above, would be the same as standing still. When making a move that
remains on one board, all moves are the same as on a regular chess board. When
in doubt on a move that crosses up or down a level (for example, you wish to
move a Queen from QL1, B, to QKt8, W) you must look down from the top at the
board. If a piece is visibly blocking your move (just as if the squares were
one flat board), you can't make the move. You can, however, move your piece
onto the square just above or below the block and attempt the move in more than
one turn.

The strategy of Tri-D chess is simple: by deploying your men all over the
levels you increase the possibility that your opponent will overlook one of
your key men. Conversely, you must check out your moves carefully before making
them, or you may discover that your Queen has been taken by a Pawn that was
hidden three levels down. This is also the main reason for moving and inverting
(QL X) the attack boards, which by the way, counts as one move. Just one more
out-of-the-way square to be overlooked by your opponent. Although looking at
the game from the top is a good way to learn how to play, by the time you have
played a few games you should be able to play without standing up, by just
envisioning the moves in your mind.