Three-dimensional chess in the 23rd century.
Three-dimensional chess is a variant of the ancient Earth game chess.
It was an accustomed pastime of Kirk and Spock aboard the USS Enterprise in the 23rd century and its popularity extends into the 24th century.
Setup
The gameboard consists of seven levels, three fixed levels four squares long by four squares wide and four movable "attack board" levels which are two squares by two squares. (By the 24th Century, a variant using SIX "attack board" levels was also common.)
The three stationary levels are set up in a stair-like pattern with each higher level overlapping the one beneath it by two rows.
The four movable levels start out at the corners of the top stationary level, overlapping the corner square of both, and the bottom stationary level, two each. (With the six attack board variant, the additional two movable levels start on the centermost board, usually starting on the upper left and lower right corners as viewed by either player.)
The pieces used in three-dimensional chess are identical to those used in the traditional game: two Kings, two Queens, four Bishops, four Knights, four Rooks, and sixteen Pawns, each divided equally between the sides - Black and White.
The initial positions of the pieces appear similar to those of standard chess when viewed from above, with one rook, one knight and a pair of pawns on each of the movable levels, and the bishops, the Queen and King, and the remaining four pawns occupying half of the bottom or top stationary level - White at the bottom, Black at the top, with no pieces on the middle level.
- The Star Fleet Technical Manual establishes the starting positions of the pieces as King with Rook and Queen with Rook on their respective attack boards. Knights and Bishops occupy the first rank of each color's fixed board. This configuration is used in the Standard and Tournament rulesets.
Play
Movement of pieces is similar to that of traditional chess. The main difference is that in the course of a move, pieces may move up or down any number of levels depending on the piece. Again, it should look like a legal move in traditional chess when seen from above.
Moves
- Aldabren exchange
- Christoff gambit
- Queen's gambit
History
Commander Spock was an exceptional chess player, his game was consistently logical. However, he often had a difficult time predicting or effectively responding to the unexpected moves made by his frequent opponents, Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy. Spock introduced chess to young passenger Charles Evans, who disliked the involved nature of the game. After losing he destroyed Spock's chess pieces. Spock also played a game of chess against the Kelvan expedition leader, Rojan. He observed during their match that Rojan's game was "off," which suggests that it was not the first time they had played each other. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before", "Charlie X", "By Any Other Name")
Spock also enjoyed playing chess against a rival logical mind, that of the Enterprise computer. In 2266 he detected programming errors in the computer's databanks because of faulty chess moves made by the computer. He later introduced the tampering and unreliability of the computer's records as defense evidence in the court-martial of Captain Kirk. (TOS: "Court Martial")
When the Enterprise was apparently helpless against the alien Balok's threats to destroy them, Spock compared the situation to chess, suggesting that they were checkmated and the game was over. However, a comment from McCoy led Kirk to reject Spock's chess analogy and try playing poker with the alien instead. (TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver")
Kirk and his senior officers used a chess-based code phrase as transporter clearance in 2268, when Garth of Izar planned to escape from the Elba II insane asylum. Chief engineer Scott declined to beam Garth, disguised as Kirk, to the Enterprise, because Garth did not know the code response "queen to king's level 1" when Scott queried with the code phrase "queen to queen's level 3." (TOS: "Whom Gods Destroy")
Counselor Deanna Troi managed to beat Lieutenant Commander Data at a game of 3-D chess in Ten Forward, prompting Data to honor their bet to make Troi a Samarian sunset in the "traditional style". (TNG: "Conundrum")
Commander William Riker defeated both Ferengi Doctor Farek and a Ferengi guard at a presumably-alien variant of 3-D Chess; the former defeat again in Ten-Forward, and the latter while a captive of the Ferengi along with both Deanna and Lwaxana Troi. (TNG: "Ménage à Troi")
Captain Benjamin Sisko, also a fan of the game, kept a Three-dimensional chess set in his quarters aboard Deep Space 9. (DS9: "Statistical Probabilities")
Trivia
- A variant of the game, Three-Dimensional Scrabble, was seen in an episode of the TV series Futurama, called "Fry and the Slurm Factory".
- Collectibles company Franklin Mint produced two different tridimensional chess sets; one based on the TOS four "attack board" version, and a second based on the TNG six-boarded version.