I’ve found that I’m much better (not that that’s saying much) playing chess in two dimensions than in three. The setup and the pieces just seem to make more sense to me. Looking at a board in three dimensions messes with my game (although my game is terrible, so do with that information what you will).
I’m a bit confused here. Are we talking about actual 3-dimentional chess (as occasionally portrayed in Star Trek, for example), or just the way you view a standard chessboard? I.e. on a screen rather than a physical one?
Somewhat related question: are there in fact any standard & accepted rules for any 3-dimentional chess games?
He’s clearly talking 3 dimensional chess as real world chess, with physical pieces. There are rules for 3D chess, officially licenced. I know Franklin Mint included them with their Star Trek chess set.
I don’t have much trouble playing actual over the board chess, but “3D” presentations on a 2D screen, like Microsoft’s chess program, I find completely unplayable.
I didn’t quite get that impression, but I don’t want to second-guess the OP?
But licenced by who? The rules of ‘standard’ chess have been around for a long time, though some minor details have changed.
I mean standard chess played over the board.
So the difference between these two boards.
They are equally intimating to me but not as much as a human opponent staring across at me.
When I was a little kid, I learned chess by playing LEGO Chess on PC:
So I’m pretty comfortable with both.
I always teach new players that ornamental, themed, decorative chess sets are beautiful to look at and collect, terrible to play chess on.
No, but when I attempted 4-dimensional chess, I transmuted to a parallel universe, and that’s how you guys got stuck with me. 
I’m a retired chess teacher.
I’ve played thousands of competitive games, both v human and computer opposition.
I have no trouble switching between 2-D and 3-D.
When I was young, I decided to learn blindfold chess and spent ages staring at walls trying to visualise the board and pieces.
I reckon that helps coping with different boards - and I can also mentally turn the board through 180 degrees to evaluate the position from my opponent’s point of view.
Agreed!
Fortunately my mediocrity is at such a level that changing chess boards has no effect on my game.
I bought my father a fancy ornamental set and he asked me to take it back. What he really wanted was the most generic, run of the mill set imaginable – but could I find one where the pieces had weighted bottoms.
Here’s one (from an English company):