Below are two possible notations. First is a notation that is piece oriented numbering the squares from each player’s point of view. This shows only part of the notation, it’s extended logically up though BL… from white’s point of view. From black’s point of view, everything is in lowercase starting with ‘bqlr1’. At some point I will update this diagram for completeness.
Below shows an algebraic notation for the board in all possible positions.
The main levels are numbered 1, 2, and 3. The files are labeled a through d and the ranks 1 to 8, hence 1a1 for level 1 a1. The white queen’s level attack board is 1a1 and has two ranks of two files, hence 1a1a1 and 1a1b1. If an attack board is inverted it is followed by a single quote as in 1a1’a1.
| 3a8a2 | 3a8b2 | 3d8a2 | 3d8b2 | ||||
| 3a8a1 | 3a8b1 | 3d8a1 | 3d8b1 | ||||
| 2a6a2 | 2a6b2 | 3a8 | 3b8 | 3c8 | 3d8 | 2d6a2 | 2d6b2 |
| 2a6a1 | 2a6b2 | 3a7 | 3b7 | 3c7 | 3d7 | 2d6a1 | 2d6b1 |
| 3a5a2 | 3a5b2 | 3a62a6 | 3b62b6 | 3c62c6 | 3d62d6 | 3d5a2 | 3d5b2 |
| 3a5a1 | 3a5b1 | 3a52a5 | 3b52b5 | 3c53c5 | 3d52d5 | 3d5a1 | 3d5b1 |
| 1a4a2 | 1a4b2 | 2a41a4 | 2b41b4 | 2c41c4 | 2d41d4 | 1d4a2 | 1d4b2 |
| 1a4a1 | 1a4b2 | 2a31a3 | 2b31b3 | 2c31c3 | 2d31d3 | 1d4a1 | 1d4b1 |
| 2a3a2 | 2a3b2 | 1a2 | 1b2 | 1c2 | 1d2 | 2d3a2 | 2d3b2 |
| 2a3a1 | 2a3b1 | 1a1 | 1b1 | 1c1 | 1d1 | 2d3a1 | 2d3b1 |
| 1a1a2 | 1a1b2 | 1d1a2 | 1d1b2 | ||||
| 1a1a1 | 1a1b1 | 1d1a1 | 1d1b1 |
Other Notations
Andrew Bartmess proposes a different notation. Please see his website at yestercade.net. His notation is linked to his view of the attack boards as intermediate levels where as my notation quite clearly sees the attack boards as extensions of the corners.
MGrant’s Star Trek Tri-D Chess Rules by Michael Grant is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.