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

Polyhedron Chess

By L. Lynn Smith


The 3D Chess game is played on a field composed of one 10x10, two 8x8 and two 6x6 fields.
The 10x10 field (Level C) is centered with each of 8x8 field (Level B & D) above and below, 
followed by each of the 6x6 field (Level A & E).


           ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ 
          |____|____|____|____|____|____|   Level E

      ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ 
     |____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|   Level D

 ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ 
|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|   Level C

      ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ 
     |____|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|   Level B

           ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ 
          |____|____|____|____|____|____|   Level A


Initial Setup:

	      [p][p][p][p][p][p]
	      [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
	      [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]  Level A & E
	      [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
	      [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
	      [P][P][P][P][P][P]


	   [g][w][h][u][u][h][w][g]
	   [p][p][p][p][p][p][p][p]
	   [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
	   [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]  Level B & D
	   [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
	   [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
	   [P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P]
	   [G][W][H][U][U][W][H][G]


	[d][s][a][f][q][k][f][a][s][d]
	[r][n][b][u][u][u][u][b][n][r]
	[p][p][p][p][p][p][p][p][p][p]
	[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
	[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]  Level C
	[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
	[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
	[P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P]
	[R][N][B][U][U][U][U][B][N][R]
	[D][S][A][F][Q][K][F][A][S][D]



Movement of Pieces:

	ARCHBISHOP[A] slides diagonal or triagonal.
	BISHOP[B] slides diagonal.
	DRAGON[D] slides orthogonal or triagonal.
	FAVOURITE[F] slides orthogonal or diagonal.
	GARGOYLE[G] steps one or leaps to the next orthogonal, diagonal or triagonal cell.
	HIPPOGRIFF[H] leaps to the opposite corner of a 2x2x3 area.
	KING[K] steps one orthogonal, diagonal or triagonal cell.
	KNIGHT[N] leaps to the opposite corner of a 1x2x3 area.
	PAWN[P] steps without capturing one forward orthogonal cell, captures to any 
		one forward diagonal or triagonal cell and promotes, upon reaching the 
		farthest rank of a level, to a previously captured piece.  In Polyhedron 
		Chess, the Pawn is allowed to make an initial two step move, if both cells 
		are vacant.  The en passant rule applies, such captures occur diagonally 
		and triagonally.
	QUEEN[Q] slides orthogonal, diagonal or triagonal.
	ROOK[R] slides orthogonal.
	SPACE KNIGHT[S] leaps to the opposite corner of a 1x2x3, 2x2x3 or 2x3x3 area.
	UNICORN[U] slides triagonal.  Upon performing a capture, it may promote to a 
		previously captured piece.
	WYVERN[W] leaps to the opposite corner of a 2x3x3 area.

Some area of leaps may contain voids.  Such leaps are legal as long as the destination 
cell is within the playing field.

The game is won by checkmating the opponent King.
You can read some of the reasoning behind the game at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/3-d-chess/message/1534
There is a Zillions implementation of the game at:
http://zillionsofgames.com/games/PolyhedronChess.html