3 Man Chess

From my boardgamegeek.com review: In my opinion, people who love the game of chess TEND to be chess-purists for whom tinkering with the system they have spent so much effort to master occurs as a reduction of the advantages they have fought to hold. However, I can heartily recommend this variation to you if you fall into any of the following 3 categories: 1.) You enjoy chess and are open to new ways of playing. 2.) You have already played other chess variants and enjoyed them. 3.) You know how the pieces move but want to even the playing field against players with more chess skill than you. I'm not sure this game is well suited to players who don't have a ready familiarity with classical chess. I have found 3MC to be more open-ended and nebulous in its tactical and strategic options, and a player without much chess experience might well be overwhelmed. The game has been well thought-out and the rules sheet (1 page, front and back!) has proven to be functionally inclusive of any and all situations I have encountered thus far in play, despite a slightly awkward presentation; it's as if you were looking at the designer's notes, unedited. The rules concerning the "moats" between opposing players' rooks are particularly crucial and a bit tricky- make sure you understand them comprehensively. Don't underestimate how much different a round chess board is from a square one! The realized concepts of the void in the center of the board and the curving paths along the diagonals are extraordinarily innovative! Likewise, the fact that the rows of squares have become RINGS creates an extremely compelling departure from familiar chess. The lines denoting these curving paths will undoubtedly cause some peering which could strain the eyes a bit, but I'm not sure how they could be improved upon; if they were made brighter and more distinct from one another they would very likely create a much more distracting and confusing mess of the board's overall appearance. The game is a bit broken in a limited sense. Simply put, if two of the players consistently work in tandem to defeat a third player, no amount of skill can likely prevent that player's defeat. However, the same can be said of ANY "cutthroat" game I can think of playing. In games of 3 Man Chess, temporary and momentary alliances form and shift which makes for very dynamic play, but there never seems to be an impulse for it to become entirely 2 against 1. It could be considered a drawback that the player count must always be exactly 3. Also, one of the players will frequently have to wait while the remaining two finish. Overall, though, I have found the merits of this chess variant easily outweigh its shortcomings. Lastly, I do think the price is a bit high for the components, but the board IS pretty cool and I have enjoyed it beyond my money's worth regardless. I wish it were named differently, because my opponents have often been women. :)

This game was a great hit! We had Christmas yesterday with the kids and grandkids. My main reason for purchasing this was to allow at least 3 of the 4 guys the ability to play chess at the same time. Luckily it was the last gift opened - the pièce de résistance! I tell you the excitement at the table was INTENSE!!!!!!!!!! Three of the guys got started immediately! They all enjoyed it, had never heard of such a game, and just couldn't believe how much fun they were having. Game is worth the money. Have a feeling we are going to have company more often now!!!!!!! Update: Wound up purchasing another one so when the grandsons went home they could play with their father when he comes to visit!!!!!!!!!!

I bought this as a gift for an incredibly intelligent guy who finds just about everything too boring to be believed. His hobby is to teach youngsters how to play chess, so I thought he could use this with the two oldest of the youngsters to get to both of them at the same time. Wow. This was the hit of the Christmas Eve festivities! With the adults! Chess tourneys all through the night...for the next few days, he brought this set with him to play with his peers...never mind the kids. He tried (repeatedly) to explain to me why this game is so vastly superior to the "3-D" Trekkie Chess that was the rage a few years ago. Most of it went over my head but I did understand that this is an extremely well though-out game, the rules are clear. The pieces move in new ways that initially are unpredictable and enhances enjoyment of the game. So...yup...this was well worth the purchase.

This chess board is an amazing piece to my collection. The only downfall was that the rules were confusing and difficult to understand, but once you get the hang of it, it's a fun game. The price could be lowered, but I could recommend this to a good friend of mine.

Gave as a gift and was a big hit. It makes the game of chess different and make you think differently. Perfect for the chess, brain teaser, puzzle lover in your life.

I love this item, it just makes you dizzy. Often times, you cannot play more than one game in one sitting, not because it is hard, but because of how incredibly complex and mind-bending this can be. The only part i did not like about this game was the price. It is worth it, but I feel it puts the game out of the average amount people would pay for a board game. I would reccomend this to buy. But be forwarned, you aren't buying a chess game, you are buying a whole new experience.

This board is so beautiful and well-made. My chess-playing son loves it and is looking forward to playing on it.

Pros: The game is fun and very different from normal chess. Cons: The pieces are very cheap and the board seems flimsy. I'm worried I'm going to break it every time I unfold it. The rules are very barebones and they don't directly address some of the more confusing aspects of the game. For example, each player has the option from the start of taking 2 moves to attack the castle to either side. The knight doesn't pass across the corner of the moat so this move is technically legal but it seems very cheap, so we have made an unofficial rule that this isn't allowed. Definitely not worth the $50 I paid for it but unfortunately there aren't many other 3 person chessboards out there.