Editing Three-dimensional chess (section)

==''Star Trek'' Tri-Dimensional Chess== <!-- This section is linked from [[Chess]] and [[List of games in Star Trek]] -->
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     [[Star Trek 3-D Chess]],
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[[File:StarTrekChess.jpg|thumb|240px|right|3D chess on ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' (from the episode "[[Court Martial (Star Trek: The Original Series)|Court Martial]]")]]

''Tri-Dimensional Chess'', ''Tri-D Chess'', or ''Three-Dimensional Chess''{{efn|There is some discussion whether this game should be called "Tri-Dimensional Chess" as in the ''[[Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual]]''{{sfnp|Schnaubelt|1975|p=T0:03:98:3x}} or "Three-Dimensional Chess" as in ''[[The Star Trek Encyclopedia]]''{{sfnp|Okuda|Okuda|Mirek|1997|p=342}} and as on [[Memory Alpha]].}} is a chess variant which can be seen in many ''[[Star Trek]]'' TV episodes and movies, starting with [[Star Trek: The Original Series|the original series]] (TOS) and proceeding in updated forms throughout the subsequent movies and spinoff series.{{sfnp|Pritchard|2007|p=226}}

The original ''Star Trek'' prop was crafted using boards from 3D Checkers and [[Qubic|3D Tic-Tac-Toe]] sets available in stores at the time (games also seen in TOS episodes) and adding chess pieces from the futuristic-looking ''Classic'' chess set designed by [[Peter Ganine]] in 1961.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vintage Chessmen by Peter Ganine |date=12 October 2011 |website=Dansk the Night Away |url=http://danskthenightaway.blogspot.com/2011/10/vintage-chessmen-by-peter-ganine.html |access-date=2 June 2014}}</ref> The design retained the 64 squares of a traditional [[chessboard]], but distributed them onto separate platforms in a hierarchy of spatial levels, suggesting to audiences how chess adapted to a future predominated by space travel. Rules for the game were never invented within the series{{sfnp|Okuda|Okuda|Mirek|1997|p=509}} – in fact, the boards are sometimes not even aligned consistently from one scene to the next within a single episode.

The Tri-D chessboard was further realized by its inclusion in the ''[[Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual]]'' by [[Franz Joseph (artist)|Franz Joseph]], who created starting positions for the pieces and short, additional rules.

===Rules development===
The complete Standard Rules for the game were originally developed in 1976 by Andrew Bartmess (with encouragement from Joseph) and were subsequently expanded by him into a commercially available booklet.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bartmess |first=Andrew |title=The Federation Standard Tri‑D Chess Rules |edition=Revision 5.0 |year=2005}}</ref> A free summary in English of the Standard Rules is contained on Charles Roth's website, including omissions and ambiguities regarding piece moves across the four Tri‑D gameboard 2×2 ''attack boards''.

A complete set of tournament rules for Tri-Dimensional Chess written by Jens Meder is available on his website. Meder's rules are based on [[FIDE]]'s rules more than Andrew Bartmess' Standard Rules, with some deviations too. A repository of Tournament Rules games can be found on the website of Michael Klein.

===Board details===
{{multiple image |caption_align = center |total_width = 364 |align = right
 |image1 = Star trek chessboard.JPG
 |width1 = 574 |height1 = 582
 |caption1 = The Tri‑D chessboard
 |image2 = Parmen_graphic.jpg 
 |width2 = 450 |height2 = 461
 |caption2 = Playing Parmen
}}
Plans for constructing a Tri‑D chessboard can be found on ''[[The Chess Variant Pages]]'', as well as in Bartmess' ''Tri‑D Chess Rules''. Details for building a travel-size board are included on Meder's website.

===Software===
There is software for playing Tri‑D Chess. ''Parmen'' (possibly named after a lead character in the episode "[[Plato's Stepchildren]]") is a Windows application written by Doug Keenan and available free on his website. A free Android version of Tri‑D Chess is offered by AwfSoft.{{cn |date=August 2024}}