- Zhezz – 3D Chess -

An introduction to the game:

The chequered board-game is divided up into 264 squares. The cubes-shaped blocks placed in the
middle of the board (the grey squares) make it possible to create more moves for the pieces on
another level or plane of play, at the same time constructing a 3D landscape.

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Zhezz
The Profile of Zhezz

Zhezz is a unique version of chess that makes it possible for 2-4 players from 10 years and over,
with different personalities and playing experience, to compete and gain an unforgettable social
experience.
In Zhezz both the audience and the players are challenged to participate during the dialogue that the
run of the game initiates. The only prerequisite is that the player during his/her move can demand
silence. Until now, there has not been an instance where a player’s limited knowledge or skill in
traditional chess has in any way affected his/her ability to win in Zhezz. On the other hand, even
expert players have to possess the social and communicative skills to win in Zhezz.

The contents of the box

 One Zhezz board-game

 A total of 80 pieces in the colour of red, white, black and blue
 A total of 40 blocks (20 times 5 sided blocks and 20 times white sided blocks)

The participants in Zhezz

Zhezz can be played by 2-4 players, but it is also very entertaining to be part of the game
as an observer. It is easier for players to understand the game if they know how the pieces
move in traditional chess.

 Zhezz for 2 participants is similar to an elaborate version of traditional chess

 Zhezz for 3 participants is an ideal scenario if one of the players whose level of chess
experience is higher than the other two, is placed between them.
 The course of the game in Zhezz for 4 participants is unpredictable. The participants can
constitute a mixed age group, with different levels of intelligence and experience. Due to
the fact that it is possible to have a dialogue during the game, players have the option of
learning the rules of the game during the play. A dialogue which is communicative and
positive further advances this learning process.

“During the game it can happen that others want to help. But be aware of the possibility
that this support can act as a cover for the person’s own hidden motives and forward
his/her interests. Though when more players through dialogue forward ones own interest
the game becomes quite interesting …”

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The start of the game:
In Zhezz all the players start by placing their chosen Zhezz pieces on the board as seen on figure 1.
At the start each player controls the number of blocks (5 sides white, 5 sides black).
The players decide which playing form they desire. In the case of the players not reaching an
agreement, the Horizontal form is chosen.

Figure 1 shows the starting position of the game Zhezz

How to play
Classical:
A board game played without the additional blocks.
Horizontal:
Each player chooses a number of blocks, between 1-10, which they place on the grey area of the
game board. The player with the white pieces announces first how many blocks (s)he wishes, and
afterwards by turns, clockwise. When everyone has picked a number of blocks, an average is
calculated from the total of the number of blocks chosen by all of the players.
By turns the players put their allotted blocks on the grey area in the middle of the board in a 3D
structure. At which point the game can begin.
Insanius:
This kind of the game follows the same procedure as the Horizontal. But instead of moving a Zhezz
piece during your turn it is possible to move a block, one space diagonally (only within the grey
areas).The block which has been moved must stay on the ground level or plane, i.e. only single
blocks can move, two blocks stacked together cannot move. When moving, blocks can take or
capture playing pieces. It is not possible to move a block, if a playing piece is placed on top of the
block.

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Obligation:
The possibility of choosing between seven different games, each with a definite starting position for
the blocks:
e.g. Sergeant-, Mrs President-, Spy-, Agent-, Observer-, Mr President-, Inventor game.
Sergeant Game Mrs President Game

Spy game Agent game

Observer game Mr President game

Inventor game
Each of the above photos represents and
favours the movement pattern of a
particular piece type,
for example: If a player is expert in
understanding the movement of the
bishop in chess, it could be an advantage
to pick the game blockpattern of the
Agent

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The possible moves for the pieces in Zhezz:

Many of the pieces in Zhezz are drawn from traditional chess and can be easily recognized as: king,
queen, rook, bishop, knight, pawn; the exception is the Inventor, a piece unique to Zhezz. The chess
players have an advantage in knowing the traditional pieces in chess. But there are several new
moves for the pieces in Zhezz which must also be described.

(Arrows with dot-and-dash lines show a direct jump to a square, figure 2 and figure 3. Pencilled
arrows portray a possible move to a square, where the piece can also be placed on the squares; the
line of the arrow passes between piece and arrowhead.)

INVENTOR
In the Zhezz version – the Inventor is a totally new piece, and is placed between the Agent (bishop)
and the Mr President piece (king), as well as between the Mrs President (queen) and the second
Agent (bishop).

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 Figure 2 shows a red Inventor with moves
available to it. Its movements are depicted
by the dotted line showing a direct jump to
the end square, where the arrowhead is
placed. The Inventor moves 3 squares
down and 2 squares across, or 2 squares
down and 3 squares across.

Red Inventor with possible moves

available to it.

Figur 2

SPY

The moves belonging to the Spy are

identical to the knight or horse in chess.

Figur 3
Bevægmønster for Spy

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Figure 4 shows the patterns of movement for the
Sergeant.
SERGEANT
The Sergeant moves forward one square
and attacks diagonally similar to a pawn in
chess. In addition to this however, the
Sergeant can, in one move, reach the
centre of the board or a square in-between
(see figure 4).
If one moves only one square in the first
move it is possible to again move the
Sergeant up to the centre of the board in
one of its following moves. Positioned at
the opposite side of the central line (the red
dotted line) the Sergeant is limited to
moving one square forward in each move.
If a Sergeant can reach one of the
sidelines, it can be transformed into any
other piece desired by the player, except
the Mr President piece.

MR PRESIDENT
The Mr President piece moves a square in
either direction according to choice. This
piece is identical with the king in chess,
illustrated on figure 5.

Figure 5 shows the patterns of movement for the Mr

President piece.

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AGENT
Figure 6 gives an example of the Agent’s
movements, which are identical to those of a
bishop in chess.

Figure 6 displays the patterns of movement for the

Agent piece.

OBSERVER
The options of the Observer’s movements on
the board are identical with a rook or castle
in traditional chess, see figure 7.

Figure 7 displays the patterns of movement for the

Observer piece.

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MRS PRESIDENT
The Mrs President’s movement options include those of both the queen and the knight in chess, see
figure 8, but it temporarily loses its knight movement abilities, whenever it is under threat.

The Inventor, the Spy and the Mrs President pieces can also jump over other pieces and blocks.

Figure 8 shows the patterns of movement for the Mrs President piece.
The Inventor, the Spy and the Mrs President pieces can also jump over other pieces and blocks.

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Winnerscenarios:
In Zhezz there is usually only one winner and three losers in the case of Zhezz-mate (or check-mate)
Active Zhezz-mate occurs when;

1. One of the players zhezz-mates (checkmates) the Mr President piece of any one of the other
three players.
2. Zhezz-mate can also occur accidentally. Accidental Zhezz-mate takes place when one of the
participants playing pieces commits “treason” against his or her own Mr President piece, by
moving accidently into a position where the piece is threatened by an opponent’s piece. The
player concerned, when noting this oversight, can now claim accidental Zhezz-mate and win
the game.

Theoretical Zhezz-mate occurs when;

There is a time-limit game i.e. three hours and the allocated time has run out. In which case,
if you can prove a satisfactory Zhezz-mate scenario to the other players then you have won
the game.

The scenario of stalemate

 In a time allocated game, if none of the players can set up a satisfactory Zhezz-mate scenario
acceptable to the other three participants, then the game is left drawn, or unresolved.
 Stalemate proper. All four partially win.

Stalemate. The Mr President piece can, in a way similar to chess, refuse to enter ‘check’ and if
no other moves are available to that player, other than endangering the Mr President piece, then a
stalemate situation has been created. The game now concludes and all four players will partially
win.

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Castling:
It is possible to ‘castle’ in Zhezz, but it is done in a very different manner to castling in traditional
chess; though it is still the case that the castling consists of pieces moving in one move. Unlike
traditional chess the Observer (the castle/rook) cannot be moved. Furthermore, the players also have
the opportunity to make more than one castling move in the same game. The Mr President piece is of
course placed on the back line with an untouched Observer with a minimum of two squares between.

Figure 9 shows an example of a castling in Zhezz. There are 4

squares between the Mr President piece and the Observer
piece. The Mr President piece always moves first and in this
situation it is possible to make 3 different castlings. The Mr
President piece moves to either of the squares marked with
“P”.

Figure 9

When the Mr President piece has been placed, the Observer

moves directly across the Mr President piece, which is depicted
on figure 10 and shows an accomplished castling.

Figure 10

Zhezz for 3 players:

The rules are identical to Zhezz for 4 participants. The maximum number of squares chosen for each
player is 13.

Zhezz for 2 players:

The rules are identical to Zhezz for 4 and 3 participants. Though, if the players cannot agree upon
which game type to be played the rule is that it will then be Horizontal.
The number of squares are in-between 0-20.
This type of game is tactically very similar to the strategy used in chess. The strong player can
decide the game him/herself, and is not dependant upon others.

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Advanced movement patterns in the virtual 3D universe.
When the pieces are to move in the 3 dimensional environment it can be difficult to understand the
strength and value of the different pieces. The rule is that when a piece is changing level, the player
has to count the squares in the landscape. Other wise the piece can only move on the same level or
plane of its own vision.

Figure 11 Figure 12 Figure 13

Figure 11 depicts a Spy which shifts from one square to another on the same level. The number of
blocks on top of each other does not signify, as long as the Spy piece
stays on the same level or plane of vision.
Figure 12 depicts the different possible movement patterns for the Spy
piece on the same level.
Figure 13 shows how the blue Spy piece captures the red Mrs President
piece because its movements are counted as one to the side and two
movements up.
Figure 14 depicts the details of the knight’s movement patterns in
traditional chess: that is counting one square forward and two to the
side, or two squares forward and one to the side.
Figure 14

Figure 15. When a Spy ascends the landscape of blocks, this

demands a changing of the plane or level. This change of level has
to be calculated within the landscape. An easy way to remember
how a Spy piece moves up onto the blocks is to note that the piece
always moves diagonally up or down when it changes levels.
.
Figure 15

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Figure 16 shows the position of the red sergeants representing the 8 possible moves an Inventor can
make on the same level.

Figure 17 shows the position of the red sergeants, representing the 12 possible moves an Inventor
makes when it descends from a block and moves to a different level.

Figure 18 depicts the position of the sergeant, representing the 8 possible moves an Inventor makes
when it ascends onto the double block level.

Figur 16 Figur 17 Figur 18

When an Inventor moves to a square on the same level, the calculation should only be made “from
the level,” and not in the landscape, which is viewed on figures 19, 20 and 21.

Figur 19 Figur 20 Figur 21

Figure 22 shows an Inventors movement. The player has to

count 3 down to the ground plane, and then count 2 up onto the
block adjacent to it, to complete the pieces move.

Figur 22
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 The figure below, and to the left, (figs 23 and 24) reveal how
the Agent piece is capable of moving through “ravines” on
the ground level. The Agent is not capable of moving up
levels, neither are the Sergeant, the Mr President and the

The red Sergeant and

the Observer pieces to
the left can only move to
where the arrow points,
because the block is
obstructing any further
movements.

The Mrs President piece

is capable of moving
upwards a level, like a
knight in traditional
chess, as viewed on
figures 27 and 28. The
piece can also, in one
move, move to any
section on the blocks.

Black Inventor piece catches red Mrs President piece.

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