First Contact

A Variant of ST3D Chess by L. Lynn Smith

Equipement

• 1 ST3D playing field with four Attack Platforms
• 1 Standard set of Chessmen

Rules

Each player first introduces the four Attack Platforms onto the playing field one at a turn. Such placement may be to any desired position on the field.

Then each, in turn, introduces their King to their particular Fixed Level. Play continues with each player, in turn, either introducing a new piece, moving a piece on the field or moving an Attack Platform.

Pieces, after the placing of the King, are introduced to their particular Fixed Level.

Attack Platforms are moved according to the following restrictions:

1. Moving platforms must be either empty, or occupied with only one friendly Pawn.
2. Each may only be moved either to an orthogonally adjacent vacant point on their current Fixed Level or to the similar vacant point on the next Fixed Level. Such movement may involve leaping an intervening Attack Platform of another Fixed Level.
3. Only empty Platforms may be moved to an inverted orthogonal position. All other movement must involve a Pawn-occupied Platform.
4. Once a Platform is moved, it is not allowed to move again until another Platform has moved. Placement is not subject to this restriction.

Pieces move accordingly:

• PAWNs step without capturing any orthogonal and step with capturing any diagonal on the level or triagonal.
• BISHOPs steps triagonal, slides diagonal on the level.
• ROOKs slides orthogonal.
• KNIGHTs leap one orthogonal then one diagonal.
• QUEEN steps triagonal, slides orthogonal or diagonal on the level.
• KING steps orthogonal, diagonal on the level or triagonal.

All pieces may only change Fixed Levels by way of the Attack Platforms. Knights are permitted to leap to, from and between Attack Platforms but must either pass through or from an Attack Platform to change Fixed Levels. Pawns do not promote.

The game is won by merely checking the opponent King.