Three Player Chess

Amazing! Three player Chess on a hexagonal board. 3 player chess played with just the same rules as standard 2 player chess but adjusted to take account of the hexagonal board. The game is not a gimmick; it's a really interesting version of Chess that enables an extra player to play.

The extra rules are minimal but the hexagonal nature of the board does bend your mind:

• When a pieces that moves diagonally reaches the middle point of the board, it can travel in one of two directions.
• The first King must be actually taken rather than just checkmated. The owner of the first King can move even while in a checkmate position.

The ramifications of of the hexagonal board turn out to be pretty fascinating, once you've understood the way that pieces move through the middle point. For instance:

• Having a temporary ally can be more important than having a good position. Two poorer players can gang up on the better player so the better player is not always guaranteed to win.
• An exchange of pieces is usually a bad idea. If you exchange pieces with another player, the 3rd player is now a piece up!
• The value of the diagonally moving pieces is somewhat increased as they threaten more squares than on the traditional chessboard. So one could perhaps argue that the exchange of a Bishop for a Knight is less viable.
• The rule that the first King must be taken exists because of the interesting possibility that the 3rd player might do something that enables a King to actually escape from a checkmate...

The 3 player chess boards are made from a stained hardwood as are the pieces. They are folding and hinged with storage trays inside so that, when closed, they form a storage container for the pieces. There are two metal catches to keep the box closed. The game is not an inlaid, high quality item but is nicely made and will be a fascinating talking point.

The larger 3 player chess set has a 8.5cm (3.5 inch) King; it measures 54cm from point to point across the board. The standard 3 player chess set has a a 6cm (2 & 1/4 inch) high King. The standard version measures 40.5cm from point to point across the board. Pieces are Red, White and the dark colour to match the board. Rules are included.