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Influenced 8-Leveled 3D Alice Chess

by Mikael Segercrantz

Introduction

Influenced 8-Leveled 3D Alice Chess is a chess variant combining features from Ray Edward Bornert II's 3-Dimensional 8-Level Chess (henceforth 3D8L), Vernon Ryland Parton's Alice Chess (henceforth Alice), and Samuel H. Bell's Influence Chess (henceforth Influence), all molded into one large, and hard, variant.

The naming of pieces has changed from 3D8L, taking into use names used by Mr_Confuzed in his Mechanically 3D Chess (henceforth Mech). Other names have been decided upon arbitarily, and there are differences between my and Mr_Confuzed's naming conventions for pieces.

Influenced 8-Leveled 3D Alice Chess is Copyright 2003-2005 by Mikael Segercrantz. Portions relating to other variants are Copyright Ray Edward Bornert II, Vernon Rylands Parton, Samuel H. Bell and Mr_Confuzed.

Naming Conventions for the Playing Grid

Sets

Each set of boards are named according to the Hebrew alphabet, starting with the set used as White's Influence Set, using the character א (aleph), then the set used as the White Set, using the character ב (beth), then the set used as the Black Set, using the character ג (gimel), and finally the set used as Black's Influence Set, using the character ד (daleth).

Levels

Levels are named according to the Greek alphabet, starting with the bottom-most level and ending up on the top level. The letters used are α (alpha), β (beta), γ (gamma), δ (delta), ε (epsilon), ζ (zeta), η (eta), and θ (theta).

Files

Files are named using the Roman alphabet, starting with the file on the leftmost side as seen by White, using the letters a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and h.

Ranks

Ranks are named using the Arabic numbers, starting from the rank closest to white, using the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.

Naming Conventions for the Pieces

The pieces as used in Influenced 8-Leveled 3D Alice Chess are named as follows:

Setting the Game Up and Information on the Boards

Influenced 8-Leveled 3D Alice Chess uses 4 sets of 8x8x8 boards, giving a total of 4x8x8x8 = 2048 cubes, and two full sets of pieces. This gives 256 pieces for each player; a total of 512 pieces, of which half are used on the two Influece Sets, and the other half on the two Main Sets.

White places his Influence pieces on the א Set and his Main pieces on the ב Set, while black places his Influence pieces on the ד Set and his Main pieces on the ג Set, unlike Alice, in which pieces start on the same set.

Seen from the white side the capital pieces go as following, with black placing the same pieces on the 8-rank instead of the 1-rank, and with Pawns in front of every piece (i.e. on ranks 2 and 7):

PePgSR RSPgPe
PgPsPrN NPrPsPg
SPrAB BAPrS
RNBQ KBNR
RNBNP CBNR
SPrAB BAPrS
PgPsPrN NPrPsPg
PePgSR RSPgPe

Levels α, γ, ε, and η have a black cube in the a1 position, while levels β, δ, ζ, and θ have a white cube in the same position, no matter which of the four sets we're in.

Each cube also has a dot in the center of it, with the color blue, green, red, or yellow.

Red dots appear in cubes a1, a3, a5, a7, c1, c3, c5, c7, e1, e3, e5, e7, g1, g3, g5, and g7 on levels α, γ, ε, and η, and in cubes b2, b4, b6, b8, d2, d4, d6, d8, f2, f4, f6, f8, h2, h4, h6, and h8 on levels β, δ, ζ, and θ.

Yellow dots appear in cubes b1, b3, b5, b7, d1, d3, d5, d7, f1, f3, f5, f7, h1, h3, h5, and h7 on levels α, γ, ε, and η, and in cubes a2, a4, a6, a8, c2, c4, c6, c8, e2, e4, e6, e8, g2, g4, g6, and g8 on levels β, δ, ζ, and θ.

Green dots appear in cubes b2, b4, b6, b8, d2, d4, d6, d8, f2, f4, f6, f8, h2, h4, h6, and h8, on levels α, γ, ε, and η, and in cubes a1, a3, a5, a7, c1, c3, c5, c7, e1, e3, e5, e7, g1, g3, g5, and g7 on levels β, δ, ζ, and θ.

Blue dots appear in cubes a2, a4, a6, a8, c2, c4, c6, c8, e2, e4, e6, e8, g2, g4, g6, and g8 on levels α, γ, ε, and η, and in cubes b1, b3, b5, b7, d1, d3, d5, d7, f1, f3, f5, f7, h1, h3, h5, and h7 on levels β, δ, ζ, and θ.

Note: If for some reason my knowledge of the colored dots differ from what was used in 3D8L, the dots are to be colored and located according to the rules of it, instead of these. I haven't been able to find 3D8L on the Internet anymore, so haven't been able to check the correct colors and locations of the dots.

Definitions

Diagonal

A diagonal is a two-dimensional line through any of the 12 edges of a cube.

Triagonal

A triagonal is a three-dimensional line through any of the 8 corners of a cube.

Threat

A threat occurs when a piece threatens another with capture and the threatening piece has enough influence to perform a move, so that it could capture the piece it threatens.

Check

A check is a threatening of the King, and must be announced.

Basic Movement

Any move performed on either the White Set or the Black Set switches the piece from the one the movement started on to the other of the two sets. On the Influence Sets piece movement stay on the same set.

A piece may only move when the influence on the starting cube is larger on the side of the player controlling the piece, and the piece must be influenced. For equal influence White’s influence is seen as greater if the piece is on the White Set, and Black’s influence as greater if the piece is on the Black Set. White may move only white pieces or pieces on the א Set, while black may move only black pieces or pieces on the ד Set.

For non-capturing movement the corresponding cube on both Sets must be empty. Note that no two pieces may occupy the same cube on the ב and the ג Sets.

For capturing movement the capturing piece moves to an empty cube as normal, and the piece in the cube on the other main set is removed.

Influence

The order of the pieces for influence is as follows, from best to worst:

Unlike Influence, Influenced 8-Leveled 3D Alice Chess has as many pieces for influencing as for the main play at the beginning, while in the end game the influencing pieces exceed the influenced pieces, and the influencing pieces move according to normal rules for the pieces in question.

Pawn

Non-Capturing

The Pawn’s non-capturing move is a step forward without a change of levels.

A Pawn in cube δd4 can move to δd5.

Capturing

The Pawn’s capturing move is a diagonal move forward, in which the Pawn may change levels.

A Pawn in cube δd4 can capture at γd5, δc5, δe5, and εd5.

Double-Cube Advance

As its first move the Pawn may move forward two cubes instead of just one.

A Pawn in cube δd2 can move to δd4 as a double-cube advance.

En Passant

If a Pawn does a double-cube advance and the opposite level has an influenced Pawn such that it could have eaten the Pawn performing the double-cube advance if the Pawn had only moved one step forward, the influenced Pawn may move to the cube the double-cube advanced Pawn skipped over and capture the Pawn.

Promotion

A Pawn reaching rank 8 for White or rank 1 for Black is instantly promoted to any other piece except the King or the Knight Protector. The Pawn may promote to a Knight Protector if the player currently does not have a Knight Protector. The Pawn may not stay a Pawn.

Priest

The Priest is a sliding piece, moving any amount of cubes on the triagonals; that is from the corners of the cubes. Eight possible directions are available: [±1, ±1, ±1]. The domain of the Priest is 25%, and it can reach any of its domain’s cubes in 3 moves.

A Priest at δd4 can move to αa1, αa7, βb2, βb6, γc3, γc5, εe3, εe5, ζf2, ζf6, ηg1, ηg7, and θh8.

Bishop

The Bishop is a sliding piece, moving any amount of cubes on the diagonals; that is from the edges of the cubes. Twelve possible directions are available: [0, ±1, ±1], [±1, 0, ±1] and [±1, ±1, 0]. The domain of the Bishop is 50%, and it can reach any of its domain’s cubes in 3 moves.

A Bishop at δd4 can move to αa4, αd1, αd7, αg4, βb4, βd2, βb6, βf4, γc4, γd3, γd5, γe4, δa1, δa7, δb2, δb6, δc3, δc5, δe3, δe5, δf2, δf6, δg1, δg7, δh8, εc4, εd3, εd5, εe4, ζb4, ζd2, ζd6, ζf4, ηa4, ηd1, ηd7, ηg4, θd8, and θh4.

Archbishop

The Archbishop combines the movement of the Priest and the Bishop, giving twenty possible directions. The domain of the Archbishop is 100%, and it can reach any of its domain’s cubes in 3 moves.

Rook

The Rook is a sliding piece, moving any amount of cubes on the straight lines; that is through the faces of the cubes. Six possible directions are available: [0, 0, ±1], [0, ±1, 0] and [±1, 0, 0]. The domain of the Rook is 100%, and it can reach any of its domain’s cubes in 3 moves.

A Rook at δd4 can move to αd4, βd4, γd4, δa4, δb4, δc4, δd1, δd2, δd3, δd5, δd6, δd7, δd8, δe4, δf4, δg4, δh4, εd4, ζd4, ηd4, and θd4.

Princess

The Princess combines the movement of the Rook and the Priest, giving fourteen possible directions. The domain of the Princess is 100%, and it can reach any of its domain’s cubes in 3 moves.

Prince

The Prince combines the movement of the Rook and the Bishop, giving eighteen possible directions. The domain of the Prince is 100%, and it can reach any of its domain’s cubes in 3 moves.

Queen

The Queen combines the movement of the Rook, the Bishop, and the Priest, giving twenty-six possible directions. The domain of the Queen is 100%, and it can reach any of its domain’s cubes in 3 moves.

Knight

The Knight is a jumping two-coordinate piece, moving in any of twenty-four possible directions: [0, ±1, ±2], [0, ±2, ±1], [±1, 0, ±2], [±1, ±2, 0], [±2, 0, ±1] and [±2, ±1, 0]. The domain of the Knight is 100%.

A Knight at δd4 can move to βc4, βd3, βd5, βe4, γb4, γd2, γd6, γf4, δb3, δb5, δc2, δc6, δe2, δe6, δf3, δf5, εb4, εd2, εd6, εf4, ζc4, ζd3, ζd5, and ζe4.

Squire

The Squire is a jumping three-coordinate piece, moving in any of twenty-four possible directions: [±1, ±1, ±2], [±1, ±2, ±1] and [±2, ±1, ±1]. The domain of the Squire is 100%.

A Squire at δd4 can move to βc3, βc5, βe3, βe5, γb3, γb5, γc2, γc6, γe2, γe6, γf3, γf5, εb3, εb5, εc2, εc6, εe2, εe6, εf3, εf5, ζc3, ζc5, ζe3, and ζe5.

Page

The Page is a jumping three-coordinate piece, moving in any of twenty-four possible directions: [±1, ±2, ±2], [±2, ±1, ±2] and [±2, ±2, ±1]. The domain of the Page is 100%.

A Page at δd4 can move to βb3, βb5, βc2, βc6, βe2, βe6, βf3, βf5, γb2, γb6, γf2, γf6, εb2, εb6, εf2, εf6, ζb3, ζb5, ζc2, ζc6, ζe2, ζe6, ζf3, and ζf5.

Knight Protector

The Knight Protector combines the movement of the Knight, the Squire, and the Page, giving seventy-two possible directions. The domain of the Knight Protector is 100%.

Promotion

At the loss of the King, the Knight Protector is instantly promoted to King. Note that if the new King is immediately threatened then the player losing his King is checkmated.

Chancellor

The Chancellor is the most powerful piece in the game. It combines the movement of the Queen and the Knight Protector, giving ninety-eight possible movement directions. The domain of the Chancellor is 100%.

King

The King is the most important piece in the game. It moves a single step through any of the faces, edges, or corners of the cube, into any of the twenty-six possible directions. The domain of the King is 100%.

A King at δd4 can move to γc3, γc4, γc5, γd3, γd4, γd5, γe3, γe4, γe5, δc3, δc4, δc4, δd3, δd5, δe3, δe4, δe5, εc3, εc4, εc5, εd3, εd4, εd5, εe3, εe4, and εe5.

Castling

There are six possible castling directions: O-O, O-O-O, O|O, O|O|O, O/O, and O/O/O. The King may not be threatened, nor may the destination of the King or of the Rook or the Prince castling be threatened, neither can any possible intervening cubes. All cubes between the King and the Rook or Prince must be unoccupied.

O-O

The King moves two steps towards the Rook at h-file on the ε-level, and the h-file Rook moves to the Kings opposite side.

O-O-O

The King moves two steps towards the Rook at a-file on the ε-level, and the a-file Rook moves to the Kings opposite side.

O|O

The King moves two steps towards the Rook at e-file on the θ-level, and the θ-level Rook moves to the Kings opposite side.

O|O|O

The King moves two steps towards the Rook at e-file on the α-level, and the α-level Rook moves to the Kings opposite side.

O/O

The King moves two steps towards the Prince at h-file on the θ-level, and the θ-level Prince moves to the Kings opposite side.

O/O/O

The King moves two steps towards the Prince at a-file on the α-level, and the α-level Prince moves to the Kings opposite side.

Ending the Game

Victory

The game is won when the King of the opposite player on the White or Black Sets is threatened and that player no longer has a Knight Protector to promote to King, or the King is captured and the Knight Protector is threatened. This is called checkmate, and is worth ten points against nil.

The game is also won when the player to move doesn’t have a legal move left on the main sets. This is called stalemate, and is worth seven points against three for the player having forced the other player to a position where he cannot move. Stalemate is thus a minor victory, compared to the major victory of a checkmate.

Draw

The game ends in a draw if:

  1. neither side has enough strength to force a checkmate,
  2. the same position has occurred five times during a game, or thrice on the player’s consecutive turns, or
  3. a hundred moves have been performed since a Pawn has last moved or been promoted.

The draw is worth five points against five.