Two essays already on this site make the case that Raumschach must be played from principle rather than calculation or memorization, and they make it from different directions. The first…
Chess principles — control the center, develop pieces rapidly, king safety, avoid isolated pawns — were forged in an era when calculation depth was limited by human ability. Today, grandmasters and engines…
Before the word “science” meant what it means today, it named something narrower and harder to earn. Scientia, the Latin root, denoted not well-supported opinion but knowledge in the strict…
Dr. Ferdinand August Maack (1861–1930) was a German medical doctor, philosopher, and prolific esoteric writer who maintained a diverse career as an inventor and occultist. He is primarily remembered for…
The extension of chess into spatial dimensions beyond the traditional plane has fascinated game theorists and chess enthusiasts since the late nineteenth century. While the two-dimensional board had proven remarkably…
One of the most rewarding things about Raumschach is also the thing that intimidates people most: the third dimension. Adding a vertical axis to chess does not merely add squares…
When Dr. Ferdinand Maack (1861–1930) of Hamburg first conceived of Raumschach in 1907, he did not merely extend the game of chess into a third dimension; he created an object…
The IRF was founded as an online institution, and it will remain one for some years. Online and correspondence play are fully rated under the EloR system, fully governed by…