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It would be wonderful if the full rules of tri-dimensional chess could be explained in more detail, from experimentation it appears highly plausible that it is possible to play it as a serious game.
In your diagram illustrating the possible rook moves, two of the moveable boards are not above or below corners. It's implied from your written description that the moveable boards can only occupy spaces above or below corner squares of the 4x4 boards. Is this a mistake or have I misunderstood something? Seamus
thanx i've been looking 4 the board an rules 4 ages. ta very much!!!!
Hi, For rules written by Anderw Bartmess, same person who wrote them for the Poster Book, look here: http://www.grigor.org/startrek.htm
hello, just found your site, i was looking a round the web to find out the value of my star trek chess set, i payed way to much for it when the franklin mint put it out. i have it still sitting in the box it was shipped to me in. anyone interested in buying it send me an offer at [email protected] thanks David
I just received a FREE TRIDIMENSIONAL CHESS SET!! THANK YOU FRANKLIN MINT ********* SINCERELY, CAROLYN
This site is great. The way to set up the board is almost like getting a rule book for free! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jay, The current price for a set NOW as of 2004 is about $250-350 in a good condition - very good condition. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chris, You can get some good high gloss gold paint and buy a cheep set/set peices, then use a toner like used on a car let set for a day or 2 the paint gold(smooth side to side strokes work well for the king to look good) Also check ebay because i see peices all the time. If you shop smart, you can get a good set rather cheap. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- (The other site on how to build a chess set is also very good if you do not have a lot of money to waste on a set you can build one for about $20-30)(I built one following the instructions a the site- http://www.chessvariants.com/3d.dir/starboard.html) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- LIVE LONG AND PROSPER
I cannot complain about the quality of this site, as I had no idea what to do with the board before I got it. I like the Star Trek movies, but I've never been a real fan of any of the shows, so the only place I'd ever seen one of these tables was in the window of the Franklin Mint store. All of a sudden, for Christmas 04 I get one of these from the Franklin Mint; certificate and everything from my neighbor. I cannot believe that she spent that much money on me for Christmas. If she did, then I am absolutely flattered. $200 plus dollars? Insane! I have to admit that it is really cool lookin'. I just wish it didn't have the Star Trek logo as I am a huge Star Wars fan, and never the twain shall meet. My only complaint about the site is that if the moveable boards are supposed to be able to connect to the bottom or the top of any of the stationary boards, then why do they slip out so easily from underneathe? I can't get those pieces to stick in like that. Especially if there was the weight from any of the pieces on them. And one can't say it's because the pieces aren't well made, because Franklin Mint prides themselves on precision, and wouldn't put a piece on their shelf if it didn't serve its function properly. Go Star Wars.
I note that this page offers a variation of the Tournament rules of http://home.arcor.de/jens.meder/3dschach/chess3d.htm in that this page's variation starts the King & Queen in a different position than does the Tournament version of the rules. Also here is allowed the movement of an attack board under White's [home] Board. Not complaining, just comparing.
I Thought The Game Is Good Fun. I may have taken hours to play but at least the game is challanging(With a few minor modifications to the rules). My mate and I build one out of wood and now my most of my year like playing the game.
Just come nto possession of the 3-d chess set ... thought I knew chess! Thank you so much for enlightening me!!!
I have a GENUINE STAR TREK Tridimensional Chess Set made by FRANKLIN MINT. I want to sell it. Does anyone know how much it is worth and where you can sell it. [email protected]
I like this game, but it will be hard to make board... Isn't there game, created by 'Star Wars' fans? There also was shown chess variant: in 'Episode IV, A New Hope' C-3PO and Chewbaca played game on circular board, where some wild space creatures were pieces :). By the way, it would be interesting to remember different chess games, wich was showwn in films or described books, and when thinked up, like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stealth_chess
Clear explanations, excellent site with all the information I required. Congratulations and thank you. I think I have spotted one minor error. I think that there is an error with the last diagram which shows the moves: The path of the lower white castle should go over the far to squares of the movable/attach board, not the nearest two as shown. Many thanks, Norman
Just a small update on the post by Jaymes. Taking the picture shown in the article for the starting position, the left hand side is the Queens side and the right hand side is the Kings side. The Kings and Queens should be on the movable levels next to the Rooks (or Castles). The back rank on the top and bottom levels should have the Knights at each side with the two Bishops on the centre ranks. At least, this is the setup shown in the pamphlet I got with my official Star Trek Tridimensional Chess Set almost 30 years ago.
The premise for tri dimensional chess set's presence on federation star ships was to teach three dimensional combat tactics, which is something the Bartmess and Meder rules patently fail to do, by blocking circumventing moves.
The rules presented here, on chess variants, are not complete and lack rules for castling but also advocate inverted attack boards, which, if nothing else, are highly impractical.
Not only were the World Tri Dimensional Chess Federation rules written by a fighter pilot, to teach three dimensional aerial combat, which is more in keeping with the original theme, they also start the king and queen in the centre files and provide the most reasonable method for castling, as the attached images demonstrate.
King's side castling
Queen's side castling
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