chess for 3 players

Three-player chess is a family of chess variants specially designed to be played between three people.1​ There are many variants for this game. They usually use an exotic board, for example, a hexagonal board or one with three sides connected in the middle by a special path.

Variants of this game (and others) are difficult to design due to the imbalance that occurs when two players attack one, which is difficult for the attacked player to combat. Some versions avoid this by giving victory to the player who checks first. The other players (the one who has received mate and the one who has not) lose. The chess board for three people has the characteristic of having 96 squares.

Strategy
An example of hexagonal chess for three players.
Another example of hexagonal chess for three players.
The introduction of a third player drastically changes the style of the game, even if standard pieces are used. Many chess openings are useless due to the expansion of the board and the introduction of the third player. The introduction of the "extra" can present stalemate situations, for example, when a white piece is defenseless and at the same time is attacked by two red and black pieces. The black piece cannot capture the white piece, since it is then attacked by the red piece. Thus, the black and red pieces simultaneously attack the white piece and defend it from the other player's attack. In similar situations, a piece can safely move a square attacked by two opponents, since the opponent could capture it but would risk being captured by the third player. Each player has to think twice in anticipation of opponents' moves, with the added complexity that the next player can move to attack any of their opponents.

CHESS FOR THREE PLAYERS, RULES AND WHERE TO PLAY IT ONLINE

chess for three
Let's forget conventional chess for a moment and dive into a variant that adds a third player to the board. 3-Chess.com offers a unique experience that challenges traditional strategies and opens up new tactical possibilities.

Rules and Game Mechanics
This online chess has the same rules as the basic one, but the moves are more flexible, and the turns can define the game.

Expanded Rules and Game Mechanics
In three-player chess, the Check, Checkmate and Draw conditions are adapted to accommodate a third player. For example, if a player is in Check, he must move to get out of this situation, similar to conventional chess. However, in a three-player Draw situation, the turn is simply skipped, allowing play to continue.

Piece Movements
chess 3
The pieces maintain their standard basic chess moves, but the three-player board introduces new angles and possibilities. For example, a Bishop moving diagonally can choose different routes when passing through the center of the board.

A Bishop moving from one corner of the board towards the center will have the option of following different diagonal paths once it reaches the center, which does not happen on a conventional chess board.

Turns and Order of Play
The game follows a sequence of turns that goes from White, to Black and finally to Red. This order of play adds an additional layer of complexity and strategy, as each player must think not only about their next move, but also how the third player's next turn might affect them.

If the White player makes a move that checks the Black player, he should consider that the Red player also has the opportunity to take advantage of this situation, perhaps by checkmating the Black player before his next turn arrives.

In certain circumstances, it is possible to eliminate a player by taking their King, which adds an extra layer of strategy and makes each game unpredictable.

As in conventional chess, moves such as Castling are possible, adding more tactical options to the game.

Interface and User Experience
The game uses specific indicators to show whether a player is in check or not, making it easy to understand the state of the game in real time.

3-Chess.com offers both online and offline game modes, allowing players to compete with friends or strangers.

The platform is under active development and encourages community feedback for continuous improvement.