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This page is written by the game's inventor, Larry Smith.

First Contact

A Variant of ST3D Chess by L. Lynn Smith

This game is a variant on Three dimensional chess as played on Startrek.

Equipement

Rules

All pieces, including the Attack Platforms, begin the game off the field.

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:

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.


Written by L. Lynn Smith.
Webpage created: October 30, 2003. Last modified: November 12, 2003.