Millennium 3D chess

Millennium 3D chess is a three-dimensional chess variant created by William L. D'Agostino in 2001 which employs three vertically stacked 8×8 boards, with each player controlling a standard set of chess pieces.[1][2] The inventor describes his objective as "extending the traditional chess game into a multilevel environment without distorting the basic game."[3]

3D rendering of starting position

Rules

Millennium 3D Chess rules extend the traditional (two-dimensional) chess game into a multi-level environment.

For notation purposes, the three board levels are denoted 1, 2 (the middle board), and 3. Moves are recorded in the same manner as chess, using algebraic notation, with the only difference that each square is prefaced by its level number. The white and black armies begin, in standard formation, on boards 1 and 3 respectively.

All pieces can always move as normal while staying on the same board. Additionally, every piece is able to move between boards. Each piece's additional permitted movement in the third dimension is extrapolated from its traditional movement as follows:

  • A king can move one square up or down in addition to its regular movement.
  • A knight's L-shaped move can involve moving one or two steps up or down, with the remaining moves either two steps or one step orthoganally. As in standard chess, the knight is the only piece able to "jump" over other pieces.
  • A bishop can move up or down one or two boards, as long as it also moves the same number of squares in a diagonal direction.
  • A rook can move vertically up and down while not moving in the other two dimensions. Additionally, a rook can move an equal number of squares vertically as it does in one of the lateral dimensions.
  • A queen moves as the bishop and rook combined.
  • A pawn can move one square up or down while staying in the same position laterally, or it can advance one square and additionally move one board up or down. Optionally, a pawn's first move can be two squares vertically, or two squares forward and two squares vertically.
    Pawns can capture diagonally forwards on boards immediately above and below. En passant rules allow capture on the square passed through, on a two-step first move, but a pawn cannot be captured en passant if its first move is two squares vertically only.
    Promotion requires the pawn to reach the opponent's back rank and starting board; i.e. White promotes at rank 8 of board 3, and Black promotes at rank 1 of board 1.


1
2
3
Initial setup


1
2
3
Movement of the rook and knight


1
2
3
Movement of the bishop and queen


1
2
3
Movement of the pawn and king. Squares marked × are capturing moves for the pawns.

Example game

George Davis vs. William D'Agostino, corr. 2006:

  1. ♘2g3   ♝2b7
  2. ♗3e3   ♞3c6
  3. ♘2b3   ♝2g7
  4. ♘2a5   ♛1b6
  5. ♘3c5   ♛x1b2
  6. ♘x3b7  ♛3b4
  7. ♘3c5   ♛3e1+
  8. ♕2e1   ♛3c3+
  9. ♔2f1   ♛x1a1
10. ♕2c1   ♝2a6+
11. 2e2   ♛x1a2
12. ♘2c7   ♜2h7
13. ♘1e7+  ♚2e8
14. ♘1c6   ♜1c8
15. ♘x3c7   ♜x1c2
16. ♕2c7   ♛2b1+
17. ♔1g1   ♞3e5
18. ♕1d7+  ♚2f8
19. ♗2f4   ♛2d1
20. ♗x3e5   ♛3e1+
21. ♔2g1   ♛x3e5
22. ♕2e7+  ♚1g7
23. ♕x3d7   ♝2d4+
24. 2e3   ♜2c1+
25. ♔1g1   ♛3g3+
26. 2g2   ♜2f1+
27. ♘x2f1   ♝3e3+
28. 2f2   ♛x2f2#
0–1

References
  1. Pritchard (2007), p. 227
  2. Smith, L. Lynn (Summer 2003). Handscomb, Kerry (ed.). "Space Chess for the Millennium". Abstract Games. No. 14. Carpe Diem Publishing. pp. 20–21. ISSN 1492-0492.
  3. D'Agostino, William L. "Millennium 3D Chess". webspace.webring.com. Retrieved 15 August 2018.

Bibliography

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