Cubic chess

Cubic chess is a chess variant, where 8 boards are stacked on top of each other, thusly making an 8x8x8 grid. The moves that each piece can make are the same as standard 8x8 chess however they are expanded to apply to a third plane and four people.

Grid Layout

The X-axis (left to right) is represented using the letters A through H and the Y-axis (front to back) is represented using the numbers one through eight. The Z-axis is represented using colors. From top to bottom the colors are, white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and black.

Number of Players

Cubic Chess can be played with two or four player. Players can play individually or on teams. Teams can consist of any two players. (I.e. 1&2 v. 3&4, 1&3 v. 2&4, or 1&4 v. 2&3).

Order of Play

Player one will go first, player two will go second, player three will go third, and player four will go fourth. This rule holds true regardless of team play.

Check, Checkmate and Stalemate

Standard 8x8 chess rules apply. However, when playing on teams teammates can place their pieces in such a position where check or checkmate would result if they were not on teams. (I.e. moving player one’s king into the path of player two’s queen is perfectly fine so long as they are on the same team).

Piece Control

During team play, if a player is checkmated (or stalemated) the player’s partner will assume control of his or her remaining pieces, including the king. Therefore the king of the checkmated (or stalemated) player can be taken. If the king of the checkmated (or stalemated) player remains after the partner’s king has been checkmated (or stalemated), the game is over. In other words, the survival of the first checkmated (or stalemated) king is irrelevant.

tarting Positions

Each player will have one King, one Queen, two Bishops, Two Knights, Two Rooks, and twenty four pawns. The pieces will be setup as follows

Player One

King – E1White

Queen – D1White

Bishops – C1White & F1White

Knights – B1White & G1White

Rooks – A1White & H1White

Pawns – (A-H)2White & (A-H)(1-2)Red

Player Two

King – E8Black

Queen – D8Black

Bishops – C8Black & F8Black

Knights – B8Black & G8Black

Rooks – A8Black & H8Black

Pawns – (A-H)7Black & (A-H)(7-8)Purple

Player Three

King – E8White

Queen – D8White

Bishops – C8White & F8White

Knights – B8White & G8White

Rooks – A8White & H8White

Pawns – (A-H)7White & (A-H)(7-8)Red

Player Four

King – E1Black

Queen – D1Black

Bishops – C1Black & F1Black

Knights – B1Black & G1Black

Rooks – A1Black & H1Black

Pawns – (A-H)2Black & (A-H)(1-2)Purple

Piece Movement

No piece can make a move that would put it (or its teammate’s) king in check.

King

A King can move and capture in any linear direction one space, so long as a piece of its color (or a teammate’s color) is not in the way.

For example a King at D4Yellow can move to D3Yellow, C3Yellow, C4Yellow, C5Yellow, D5Yellow, E5Yellow, E4Yellow, E3Yellow, D4Orange, D3Orange, C3Orange, C4Orange, C5Orange, D5Orange, E5Orange, E4Orange, E3Orange, D4Green, D3Green, C3Green, C4Green, C5Green, D5Green, E5Green, E4Green, or E3Green assuming a piece of its color (or a teammate’s color) is not in the way.

NOTE: The King's Castle move is still valid under the same conditions in standard 8x8 chess.

Queen

A Queen can make the same linear movements a King can make except it can move multiple spaces at a time until it has reached a piece of its color (or a teammate’s color) or has taken an opponent’s piece.

For example a Queen at D4Yellow can move as far as D1Yellow, A1Yellow, A4Yellow, A7Yellow, D8Yellow, H8Yellow, H4Yellow, G1Yellow, D4White, D1White, A1White, A4White, A7White, D7White, G7White, G4White, G1White, D4Black, D1Purple, A1Purple, A4Purple, A7Purple, D8Black, H8Black, H4Black, or G7Purple assuming that no pieces are in the way.

Bishop

A bishop may move any number of spaces diagonally to the left forward (or backward), right forward (or backward), upper left forward (or backward), upper right forward (or backward), lower left forward (or backward), or lower right forward (or backward) until it has reached a piece of its color (or a teammate’s color) or has taken an opponent’s piece.

For example, a Bishop at D4Yellow, may move as far as A1Yellow, A7Yellow, H8Yellow, G1Yellow, A1White, A7White, G7White, G1White, A1Purple, A7Purple, H8Black, or G7Purple, assuming that no pieces are in the way.

Knight

A Knight can move forward, backward, left, right, up or down, one space and diagonally one space respective to the direction made. The position the knight ends up on must be opposite to the shade it was on prior to the move (i.e. colored to clear and vice versa) The Knight may jump pieces to its location.

For Example, a knight at D4Yellow can move to C6Green, C6Yellow, C6Orange, E6Green, E6Yellow, E6Orange, F5Green, F5Yellow, F5Orange, F3Green, F3Yellow, F3Orange, E2Green, E2Yellow, E2Orange, C2Green, C2Yellow, C2Orange, B3Green, B3Yellow, B3Orange, A5Green, A5Yellow, A5Orange, C4Red, D5Red, E4Red, D3Red, C4Blue, D5Blue, E4Blue, or D3Blue, assuming no pieces of its color (or teammate’s color) are in that position.

Rook

A Rook may move any number of spaces up, down, left, right, forward, or backward until it has reached a piece of its color (or a teammate’s color) or has taken an opponent’s piece.

For example, a rook at D4Yellow, may move as far as D8Yellow, D1Yellow, A4Yellow, H4Yellow, D4Black, or D4White, assuming that no pieces are in the way.

Pawn

A pawn may move forward one space (two spaces on their first move), diagonally forward up (down from the perspective of players one and three) one space (two spaces on their first move), or up (down from the perspective of players one and three) one space (two spaces on their first move). A pawn may take forward diagonally to the left, right, upper left, upper right, upper left forward, or upper right forward (lower left, lower right, lower left forward, or lower right forward from the perspective of players one and three).

A Pawn may be promoted to a Queen, Bishop, Rook, or Knight once it has reached an opponent’s home row and plane.

For example, player one’s pawn at B2Red, may move to B3Red, B4Red (if first move), B2Orange, B2Yellow (if first move), B3Orange, or B4Yellow (if first move). If taking it may move to C3Red, C3Orange, A2Orange, C2Orange, A3Red, or A3Orange.

True King Variation

When playing with two players, all 128 pieces can still be used. Before play each player will secretly write down the true color of their King. During play each player will try and checkmate the other’s king in hopes that they picked the correct one. Even if the wrong King is checkmated (or stalemated) game play will continue until a true king is checkmated or stalemated.

ee also

*Chess
*Chess Variant