This “Wormhole Chess Board” is composed of two back-to-back regular sized chess boards connected by a catenoid surface through the central 4 x 4 grid of squares on each board. 

See here for video: https://youtu.be/ohfqQ_8oEoY 

Actual game play on this board is beyond challenging so unless you’re a genius, this board is more of an art or conversation piece.

Part of what makes game play so challenging is the presence of the eight pentagons that are required to transition between the flat and curved surfaces. 

Here are a few suggestions if you want to try playing. 

Moving a piece through a pentagon allows for additional movement options. When entering from a column or row on the flat surface (such as with a rook) there are two exit options, one that allows the piece to remain on the flat surface and another that allows the piece to enter the wormhole. The reverse is true when entering a pentagon from the wormhole. When entering a pentagon from a diagonal (such as with a bishop) there are two options for exiting the pentagon, both of which allow the piece to remain on its own colour. 

Because this piece is essentially two chess boards, there are four possible ends from which to start your pieces. 

For a two-player game, each player could use a single set or pieces each and leave two ends empty. Alternatively, each player could have two sets of pieces facing each other across the flat surface as well as through the catenoid surface. This means that there would be two kings, which would complicate the end game somewhat!

Another option would be to play as a four-player game with each set of pieces a different colour.

If anyone comes up with a comprehensive set of rules for incorporating the pentagons into game play, please share them! 

Here are printing and assembly instructions:

For the board, print two of each of the “Flat Board Half” and “Wormhole Half” files. No supports needed. Glue together carefully.

For the squares, you will need a total of 4 “Quadrant of Squares” for each colour. Note that there are small reference dimples on the bottom of the curved pieces. When properly positioned, the dimples will point towards the pentagonal piece.

Two standard sets of playing pieces are included, each with holes for 1/8” by 1/8” magnets. The larger size looks better, but pieces may collide when passing through the wormhole. Pieces in the smaller set won’t collide while passing through the wormhole.

You will need a total of 208 1/8” cylindrical magnets, one for each board piece and each playing piece (assuming you’re using two full sets of playing pieces). This model uses 1/8” length magnets, but 1/16” length would probably work fine. 

Insert the magnets into the square tiles before gluing them on to the frame. Make sure you get the polarity right so that all the pieces stick to all the squares! The magnets used in the design and assembly of this model were purchased through www.kjmagnetics.com. 

Once you’ve inserted the magnets and determined the correct orientation of each piece, go ahead and glue them in place. CA glue works well.


Wormhole Chess Board 

Wormhole Chess Board Display Do Not Print.stl

Game play remains the same but instead of moving in straight lines, pieces move in arcs across the surface of the sphere. 
 
Magnets are required to hold the pieces in place unless you are playing in a non-Euclidean universe.  

See here for video: https://youtu.be/adiWA9qTgwA 

The “Spherical Chess Board Frame” is provided with and without supports. The version with supports provides extra stability around the base of the pillars when printing. You will still need to add your preferred support for the rest of the structure, but you’ll need less of it. 

You will need a total of four “Tile Quadrants,” two of each colour. 

A standard set of playing pieces is included with holes for 1/8” by 1/8” magnets. 

You will need a total of 96 1/8” by 1/8” magnets, one for each square and one for each piece. Insert the magnets into the square tiles before gluing them on to the frame. The magnets used in the design and assembly of this model were purchased through www.kjmagnetics.com. 

Proper positioning of the “square” tiles on the board framework is the most challenging part of assembly. There are a few pieces that have very subtle differences in curves and edge lengths, and it is easy to put them in incorrectly. To make this easier, small dimples have been added to the bottoms of each “square” tile. There is a single dimple on the uppermost corner of every tile to ensure proper orientation. There is a single dimple on the outer chamfer of the four inner “squares,” and two dimples on the outer chamfer of the outer twelve “squares.” Refer to the picture provided.

Arrange the piece first, do a dry fit to make sure you’ve got it right, then use glue to attach the tiles to the framework. CA glue works well.

The magnet holes on the pieces and tiles are designed for a tight fit and shouldn’t need glue. Make sure you get the polarity right so that all the pieces stick to all the squares!


Spherical Chess Board

Spherical Chess Board Display Do Not Print.stl

These marble textured chess pieces are standardized sizes as defined by the FIDE, the Fédération Internationale des Échecs or International Chess Federation.

See here for video: https://youtu.be/0DXSG8C0YfQ 
 
The model shown in the video is printed in “copy mode” on a Snapmaker J1 IDEX printer with both colours printing at once!

Multiples of each piece are provided so that each piece within a set can have a distinct marble pattern (i.e. there are two each of the rook, knight and bishop pieces and eight each of the pawn pieces.) 

The king and knights are provided with or without built in supports for the overhanging sections.


Marble Textured Chess Pieces

Display only do not print.stl

This board is made with a single grid that interlocks with itself!

Included are the embossed and plain versions

Default size 160mm x 160mm (scale pieces and grid by 1.25 for a full size set)

Settings:

Print without support

When printing the embossed version use a support blocker on the bottom side if necessary

Patterned Chess Set (Ruby-Sapphire)

EmbossedTilesV2.obj

https://linktr.ee/blake3dcake

2 in 1 chess board and container!

Prints flat with minimal support

Grid snap fit into the board

default size: 160mm x 160mm (scale pieces and board by 1.25 for a full size set)

Settings: Print flat with support "touching build plate" enabled

Print Pieces with at least 4 walls

chess & abstract strategy games

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