Check out Symmetric Chess, our featured variant for March, 2024.

This page is written by the game's inventor, Hafsteinn Kjartansson.

Óskar's 3dchess

I was checking out the 3d chess variants on this site, and didn't quite agree with'em. So I decided to make up a 3d chessvariant like I think they should be. Equipment: 2 sets of regular chess pieces and 5 regular chessboards (that'll make a total of five chess-sets). 
Enjoy!

Setup

The setup is shown below: 
 
level E 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 R N B Q K B N R 
7 P P P P P P P P 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - - - - - - - 
4 - - - - - - - - 
3 - - - - - - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - - 
 
level D 
empty 
 
level C 
empty 
 
level B 
empty 
 
level A 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - -  
5 - - - - - - - -  
4 - - - - - - - -  
3 - - - - - - - -  
2 P P P P P P P P 
1 R N B Q K B N R 
 
Note: The squere over/under another squere aren't the same color. 
For example: Ca1:black; Ba1:White; Da1:white

Pieces

The same as in chess. Movements are shown below: 
(m=movement only squere, x=movement and capture, c=capture only squere, o=other piece) 
 
PAWN 
 
level E 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - - - - - - - 
4 - - - - - - - - 
3 - - - - - - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -  
 
level D 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - -
5 - - - - c c c -
4 - - - - - m - -  
3 - - - - - - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -  
 
level C 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - -
7 - - - - - - - -
6 - - - - - - - -
5 - - - - c m c -
4 - - - - - P - -
3 - - - - - - - -
2 - - - m - - - -
1 - - - - - - - - 
 
level B 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - - - - - - - 
4 - - - - - - - -
3 - - c c c - - - 
2 - - - m - - - -
1 - - - - - - - -
 
level A 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - -
7 - - - - - - - -
6 - - - - - - - -
5 - - - - - - - -
4 - - - m - - - - 
3 - - c m c - - - 
2 - - - P - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -

KNIGHT 
 
level E 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - - x - - - - 
4 - - x - x - - - 
3 - - - x - - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -   
 
level D 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - x - - - - 
5 - - - - - - - - 
4 - x - - - x - - 
3 - - - - - - - - 
2 - - - x - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -  
 
level C 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - x - x - - - 
5 - x - - - x - - 
4 - - - N - - - - 
3 - x - - - x - - 
2 - - x - x - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -  
 
level B 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - x - - - - 
5 - - - - - - - - 
4 - x - - - x - - 
3 - - - - - - - - 
2 - - - x - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -  
 
level A 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - - x - - - - 
4 - - x - x - - - 
3 - - - x - - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -  

ROOK 

level E 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - - - - - - - 
4 - - - x - - - - 
3 - - - - - - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - - 
 
level D 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - - - - - - - 
4 - - - x - - - - 
3 - - - - - - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -  
 
level C 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - o - - - - 
6 - - - x - - - - 
5 - - - x - - - - 
4 x x x R x x x x     
3 - - - x - - - - 
2 - - - x - - - - 
1 - - - x - - - -  
 
level B 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - - - - - - - 
4 - - - x - - - - 
3 - - - - - - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - - 
 
level A 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - - - - - - - 
4 - - - x - - - - 
3 - - - - - - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -   
 
BISHOP 

level E 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - x - x - x - - 
5 - - - - - - - - 
4 - x - - - x - - 
3 - - - - - - - - 
2 - x - x - x - - 
1 - - - - - - - -  
 
level D 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - x x x - - - 
4 - - x - x - - - 
3 - - x x x - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -  
 
level C 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 x - - - - - o - 
6 - x - - - x - - 
5 - - x - x - - - 
4 - - - B - - - - 
3 - - x - x - - - 
2 - x - - - x - - 
1 x - - - - - x -  
 
level B 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - x x x - - - 
4 - - x - x - - - 
3 - - x x x - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -   
 
level A 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - x - x - x - - 
5 - - - - - - - - 
4 - x - - - x - - 
3 - - - - - - - - 
2 - x - x - x - - 
1 - - - - - - - -  
 
QUEEN 
 
level E 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - x - x - x - - 
5 - - - - - - - - 
4 - x - x - x - - 
3 - - - - - - - - 
2 - x - x - x - - 
1 - - - - - - - -  
 
level D 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - x x x - - - 
4 - - x x x - - - 
3 - - x x x - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -   
 
level C 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 x - - o - - o - 
6 - x - x - x - - 
5 - - x x x - - - 
4 x x x Q x x x x 
3 - - x x x - - - 
2 - x - x - x - - 
1 x - - x - - x -  
 
level B 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - x x x - - - 
4 - - x x x - - - 
3 - - x x x - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - - 
 
level A 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - x - x - x - - 
5 - - - - - - - - 
4 - x - x - x - - 
3 - - - - - - - - 
2 - x - x - x - - 
1 - - - - - - - -  
 
KING 
 
level E 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - - - - - - - 
4 - - - - - - - - 
3 - - - - - - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -  
 
level D 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - x x x - - - 
4 - - x x x - - - 
3 - - x x x - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -  
 
level C 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - x x x - - - 
4 - - x K x - - - 
3 - - x x x - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -  
 
level B 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - x x x - - - 
4 - - x x x - - - 
3 - - x x x - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -  
 
level A 
 
  a b c d e f g h 
8 - - - - - - - - 
7 - - - - - - - - 
6 - - - - - - - - 
5 - - - - - - - - 
4 - - - - - - - - 
3 - - - - - - - - 
2 - - - - - - - - 
1 - - - - - - - -

Rules

Same as in chess except for: 
1. When you capture a piece from your oppponent you may drop a corresponding piece from your second chess piece set (let's call it the reserve set for now) onto the board. Your opponent then gets his piece back as a piece in his/her reserve set. A pawn may not be dropped on the first rank or the eighth rank on any level. A white pawn dropped on rank 2 on level A or a black pawn dropped on rank 7 on level E has not moved,so they can move two squeres/cubes; as haven't white rooks dropped on Aa1/Ah1 or black rooks on Ea1/Eh1, so you can castle with'em. 
2. There's no en passant. 
3. White pawns promote only at level E rank 8 and black pawns only at level A rank 1

Notes

Notation: levels are marked A-E, white's pieces start out on level A and black pieces on level E. The central level is level C, the level between levels C and A is level B and the level between levels C and E is level D. So the white's king starts at Ae1 and the black one at Ee1. 
 
Note: I haven't testplayed this game yet because I haven't got five chess sets. 
 
If you think you can help me make this game better, please email me at [email protected]


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By Hafsteinn Kjartansson.
Web page created: 2010-06-21. Web page last updated: 2010-06-21