3D Chess

On finding myself torn away from a computer screen for some reason, with alcohol in short supply, I'll often be found turning to nearby friends, family or strangers and offering them a game of chess. They decline, with a stuttered excuse and I get to feel intellectually superior for the rest of night.

However...

...every now and then, I'm caught out. Someone actually agrees to play with me and I have to start trying to remember strategies, to plan out moves and construct elaborate defences. Soon enough, I can simply use a delightful mix of verbal gamesmanship and bluffing to lead them into making a mistake and claim a win - but this is very risky territory indeed.

So, as an alternative, I'm going to learn 3D chess.

Now, my original plan was to learn how to play Asimovian Hyperchess (yes, named after our friend Isaac). This is just chess with one extra dimension - i.e., an 8x8x8 board. I have various ideas as to how I could construct a board, and the rules are fairly simple if you know how to play regular chess. Unfortunately, I can imagine games becoming impossibly long - just working out if you were in checkmate could take minutes.

There are other variants on 3D chess already out there, but only one appears to have any real following. In order to participate, I had to delve into the murky depths of Star Trek fandom, but I've been rewarded with what appears to be a full rulebook and guide to board-making for the Tri-D chess game seen in Star Trek.


_{Mine probably won't look this elegant}

At only $9.95, including international shipping, it seems a bargain. You can get your own copy here - I'll let you know how I get on.

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