Since its earliest appearances in “Where No Man Has Gone Before” and “Charlie X,” tridimensional chess has captured the imagination of many Star Trek fans, continues to appear as a staple of the Trek universe through the Discovery and Picard era.
For fans of tridimensional chess who want their own set to play, The Noble Collection has released a new version of tridimensional chess that is quite accurate to the design featured in The Original Series.
The Noble Collection’s tridimensional chess set is not the first set that has been available to fans, of course; The Franklin Mint released two editions of the game in the 1990s (a TOS edition in 1993 and a Next Generation version in 1995). While these sets were highly sought after by fans — the TOS version even got a 50th anniversery re-issue in 2016 — neither of The Franklin Mint’s releases came close to matching the look of the on-screen editions.
New for 2021, The Noble Collection has gone back to the 1960s for their new edition, closely replicating the version of tridimensional chess seen in “Charlie X,” right down to the red-and-clear color scheme — the TFM versions had blue boards — and black-and-white retro-styled game pieces.
This is an impressive set that will be appealing to fans both to play with — and for those of you just looking for a neat Star Trek display piece. The set features three main playing boards at three different heights, as well as moveable “attack boards” that feature one of the biggest innovation of chess’s three dimensional counterpart.
If you have a piece on one of the attack boards, you can move it a nearby peg and relocate your piece around the game board — making every move a chance to physically restructure the shape of the playing field.
When tridimensional chess was included in Star Trek for the first time, it did not have a set of rules attached to it, throughout the franchise, characters have moved game pieces around the boards in all sorts of different ways.
In reality, artist Franz Joseph — best known for his classic blueprints of the original Enterprise and the Star Fleet Technical Manual — actually developed rules for the game, and helpfully they’re included in this set.
The instructions explain how tridimensional chess functions, and the guidesheet can be used as a handy cheat sheet mid-game with any Vulcan science officers. The thoughtful inclusion of the instructions ensures that the game can be played as well as displayed, adding value to the set overall.
The set itself is an impressive size – the game board measures approximately 13 inches tall, and will display extremely well as a centerpiece for any Star Trek collection. The game boards themselves are acrylic, but appear sturdy and not liable to break easily.
The game pieces are presented in an impressive black padded case. Each of the 32 game pieces have a nice heft to them and the case will ensure they remain safe between uses. The game pieces are impressive just on their own, and have a cool 1960’s aesthetic to them that is sure to appeal to any fan of the Original Series.
At $145, the Noble Collection’s tridimensional chess set is not a small investment. However, it’s a great set that closely matches the set as it appears in the Original Series and should appeal to fans of classic Trek, budding tridimensional chess players, and prop replica collectors alike.
And next time you have board game night, who is ever going to expect you to whip out a game of 3D chess? If you’re up for the challenge, you can get your own set at The Noble Collection’s website.