3D Star Trek Chess

Anyone who is playing chess, is most likely a nerd. Let’s be honest here. As such, most of us have probably watched Star Trek, and have seen their 3D chess board. After seeing it a few times, I, and probably a lot of you, have looked into purchasing one. However, they are all very expensive. So wouldn’t it be great if chess.com added a Star Trek 3D chess board! Although it would probably take a while to make, I think that most of chess.com’s users and people who are just Star Trek fans would love this! If you like this idea, please comment and like this.

Since STNG had an episode where Counselor Troi beat Lt. Cmdr. Data, I lost interest in that game. A cybernetic life form harnessing computer power hundreds of years into the future losing a tactical game is very implausible. I have yet to see a fully annotated game with a clear description of every move. The game is in the realm of science fiction plot filler.

ArchbishopCheckmate, although there is probably a reason that the writers wrote in a win for Troi, it (3D chess) is still an iconic part of Star Trek that many would love to try. Also, there may be many different interpretations of the Star Trek rules, but I’m sure that chess.com could read between the lines and figure out the real rules (the ones that make the most sense), or even make an official collaboration with Star Trek! Maybe, if we give chess.com a chance, they can make a standardized set of rules (and we all know how much Star Trek could use some more standardizations). Please give 3D chess a chance not just for me or you, but for all the trekkies out there. 🖖Live long and prosper.

If it was a real game, I would give it a shot. But I don't think it is. I think it is a TV prop. As I mentioned, just show me one game, start to finish, and then I will decide whether or not it would be enjoyable for me.

It actually is a real game. There's rules for it and everything.

Arch is just asking to see a whole game, start to finish. Nobody has shown one yet.

Nobody has done it yet. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t.

I wasn't implying that, I don't think Letchworthshire was either. just usually enthusiasts for variants usually can at least post game diagrams. Here's a variant game to illustrate.

Black allowed himself to be attacked in order to have white overextend himself and get caught in some deadly pins. Korchnoi used to torment his opponents in a similar way. It takes nerves of steel to play under such self imposed pressure.

Alright, I understand what you are saying, and I stand by my statement. I have no idea how to represent a 3D chess game in a message YET, but I’m sure that we (chess.com and its community) will find a way. Also, nice tri chess game (I think that is the name).

It’s called “Gothic Chess” on chess.com which is its older name from 2000-2019. In 2019 Amazon.com asked the inventor to rename it, so it became known as Trice’s Chess after his last name.

Are you talking about this?

It looks like 5 levels. Different numbers of squares. No intuitive link associating squares of one level to destinations on another level. I just don't see the excitement.

I went so far as to locate the 3D chess federation website. Still showing a COVID message from 2019 as the "reason" why international matches are "temporarily suspended." Yeah, sure.

w3dcf.com

Looks like they didn't purchase any SSL for the site, as it comes up "unsecure." Another bad sign.

Not a single diagram on the site. No graphics showing how to play. Yet there is a "donate" button, how very thoughtful of them.

Let's contrast this with the 10x8 variant.

There's a pretty nice partial view of the 10x8 board. Further examination shows that it's 2-sided and wooden, a rarity indeed! And a whole video on YouTube showing it being built.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7CKxNdGWaw

Further searches on YouTube shows annotated games by a Chess Variant author named Rick Knowlton. One with Grandmaster Susan Polgar playing an incredible game to defeat the game's inventor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prVYwsBpHb8

Trying to find out why this informal game was played leads to the remarkable story that Fischer wanted to play Karpov in this variant.

https://nypost.com/2006/10/29/bobby-tolya-maybe-game-for-gothic/

And there's even a Discovery Channel video documenting this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54I8wqm2NeE

And if you want to actually see some great games, there's the 110 best games played from 2000-2024 all available for replay.

https://triceschess.com/articles_04.shtml

The point I guess is this: When something is truly "great," it makes an impact that one can see. It isn't invisible. It doesn't have people making paper-thin statements about it. There's actual newspaper interest. A documentary. Something other than someone's friend with a blog. And high-level interest. At least 6 grandmasters have played Trice's Chess, and 3 of them are true 8x8 chess legends.

Anything other than cubic chess 8x8x8 board ain't real 3 dimensional chess!

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-variants/3-dimensional-cubic-chess-88613629

Detailed discussion here:

I thought I’ve already seen the most ridiculous variant ever. I was wrong. 512 squares with 256 being occupied is the new, best, winner of the most outstanding representation of sheer lunacy I’ve ever encountered.

But it's the most consistent. Every other variant has altered number of pieces, pieces added in, weird rules regarding pawn mobility..etc.

Gentlemen (and maybe women, I don’t really know who any of you are), the discussion of these posts have changed from the original intention of my post. These may be great chess variants, but I want to show chess.com how excited people would be for Star Trek’s 3D chess.

After looking it up, I have found some sets of rules that other trekkies have pieced together from television footage:

This is really detailed, https://www.chessvariants.com/3d.dir/startrek.html

Also, https://meder.spacechess.org/3dschach/chess3d.htm

So look people, I don’t really think that this idea can qualify as some pipe dream, that is not worthy of a proper discussion with chess.com.

If chess.com is reading this, look at the links, see that it is a real game, and please consider it for your website. Trekkies, please comment with support. Other people, please comment with questions about this variant. 
I wish you all a great day, and to boldly help us add 3D chess to chess.com.

I’ve played about 20 different variants.

The best variant out there is known as Trice’s Chess or Gothic Chess on this server.

It's like when they say shapes like the

pryamids of Egypt are "3d triangles".. Nope, only pyramids with a triangle as a base also, are real 3d triangles.

We’ll look long_quach, cards may be more realistic, but 3D chess would be more fun and reminiscent of Star Trek. 3D chess may not be the most realistic game, or best chess variant, but I’m just trying to make it because it would be fun for all of the trekkies out there.