# Chess players: do you have a hard time mentally switching between two-dimensional (computer) and three-dimensional (OTB) chess? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** chess\ **Created:** [October 15, 2025, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-players-do-you-have-a-hard-time-mentally-switching-between-two-dimensional-computer-and-three-dimensional-otb-chess/1023997 "2025-10-15T15:37:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-players-do-you-have-a-hard-time-mentally-switching-between-two-dimensional-computer-and-three-dimensional-otb-chess/1023997/1 "2025-10-15T15:37:17Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-players-do-you-have-a-hard-time-mentally-switching-between-two-dimensional-computer-and-three-dimensional-otb-chess/1023997/2 "2025-10-15T17:43:24Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > playing chess in two dimensions than in three. 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? ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-players-do-you-have-a-hard-time-mentally-switching-between-two-dimensional-computer-and-three-dimensional-otb-chess/1023997/3 "2025-10-15T17:49:23Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > 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 look at 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. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-players-do-you-have-a-hard-time-mentally-switching-between-two-dimensional-computer-and-three-dimensional-otb-chess/1023997/4 "2025-10-15T18:34:50Z")
> [@colinfred](#): > > He’s clearly talking 3 dimensional chess as real world chess, with physical pieces. I didn’t quite get that impression, but I don’t want to second-guess the OP? > [@colinfred](#): > > There are rules for 3D chess, officially licenced. But licenced by who? The rules of ‘standard’ chess have been around for a long time, though some minor details have changed. > **[Rules of chess](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_of_chess)** > > The rules of chess (also known as the laws of chess) govern the play of the game of chess. Chess is a two-player abstract strategy board game. Each player controls sixteen pieces of six types on a chessboard. Each type of piece moves in a distinct way. The object of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king; checkmate occurs when a king is threatened with capture and has no escape. A game can end in various ways besides checkmate: a player can resign, and there are several ways a game can e... ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-players-do-you-have-a-hard-time-mentally-switching-between-two-dimensional-computer-and-three-dimensional-otb-chess/1023997/5 "2025-10-15T23:30:29Z")
I mean standard chess played over the board. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-players-do-you-have-a-hard-time-mentally-switching-between-two-dimensional-computer-and-three-dimensional-otb-chess/1023997/6 "2025-10-16T12:27:30Z")
So the difference between these two boards. [![](https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/3158990/a36b31060be525b1c17aaa07d83d12e84fa77a86/ss_a36b31060be525b1c17aaa07d83d12e84fa77a86.1920x1080.jpg?t=1750942816) ](https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/3158990/a36b31060be525b1c17aaa07d83d12e84fa77a86/ss_a36b31060be525b1c17aaa07d83d12e84fa77a86.1920x1080.jpg?t=1750942816) They are equally intimating to me but not as much as a human opponent staring across at me. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-players-do-you-have-a-hard-time-mentally-switching-between-two-dimensional-computer-and-three-dimensional-otb-chess/1023997/7 "2025-10-16T12:44:55Z")
When I was a little kid, I learned chess by playing LEGO Chess on PC: [![](https://images.gog.com/842369e792ead665be01c37065fd9d43bcd8a5370cc85b946217313fe71a8abe.webp?namespace=gamesdb) ](https://images.gog.com/842369e792ead665be01c37065fd9d43bcd8a5370cc85b946217313fe71a8abe.webp?namespace=gamesdb) So I’m pretty comfortable with both. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-players-do-you-have-a-hard-time-mentally-switching-between-two-dimensional-computer-and-three-dimensional-otb-chess/1023997/8 "2025-10-16T13:39:09Z")
I always teach new players that ornamental, themed, decorative chess sets are beautiful to look at and collect, terrible to play chess on. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-players-do-you-have-a-hard-time-mentally-switching-between-two-dimensional-computer-and-three-dimensional-otb-chess/1023997/9 "2025-10-16T13:44:39Z")
No, but when I attempted 4-dimensional chess, I transmuted to a parallel universe, and that’s how you guys got stuck with me. 🙃 ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-players-do-you-have-a-hard-time-mentally-switching-between-two-dimensional-computer-and-three-dimensional-otb-chess/1023997/10 "2025-10-16T16:38:55Z")
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](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-players-do-you-have-a-hard-time-mentally-switching-between-two-dimensional-computer-and-three-dimensional-otb-chess/1023997/11 "2025-10-16T16:39:13Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I always teach new players that ornamental, themed, decorative chess sets are beautiful to look at and collect, terrible to play chess on. Agreed! ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-players-do-you-have-a-hard-time-mentally-switching-between-two-dimensional-computer-and-three-dimensional-otb-chess/1023997/12 "2025-10-17T00:21:01Z")
Fortunately my mediocrity is at such a level that changing chess boards has no effect on my game. > [@HeyHomie](#): > > I always teach new players that ornamental, themed, decorative chess sets are beautiful to look at and collect, terrible to play chess on. 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. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2025, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chess-players-do-you-have-a-hard-time-mentally-switching-between-two-dimensional-computer-and-three-dimensional-otb-chess/1023997/13 "2025-10-18T12:19:13Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > 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): [Super Staunton Quadruple Weighted Chess Pieces](https://chess.co.uk/products/super-staunton-quadruple-weighted-chess-pieces?_pos=1&_sid=f95e08ef7&_ss=r)