Check out Janggi (Korean Chess), our featured variant for December, 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]


This 'user submitted' page is a collaboration between the posting user and the Chess Variant Pages. Registered contributors to the Chess Variant Pages have the ability to post their own works, subject to review and editing by the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff.


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