This playing field is a feature of the Star Trek series. In this variant captured pieces become the property of the capturer and the opponent Queen is the goal of the game.
 
Valid Attack Platforms are denoted by the yellow squares at the center of the appropriate shadowy 2x2 grid.
 
Pieces move accordingly:
PAWNs step without capturing any orthogonal and step with capturing any diagonal on the level or triagonal.
BISHOPs step triagonal, slide diagonal on the level.
ROOKs slides orthogonal.
KNIGHTs leap one orthogonal then one diagonal.
QUEEN steps triagonal, slides orthogonal or diagonal on the level.
KING steps orthogonal, diagonal on the level or triagonal.
 
All pieces may only change Fixed Levels by way of the Attack Platforms. Knights are permitted to leap to, from and between Attack Platforms but must either pass through or from an Attack Platform to change Fixed Levels.
 
Captured pieces become the property of the captor, and on a subsequent turn may be introduce to a vacant cell of any Attack Platform which has no enemy pieces present.
 
The game is won by checkmating the opponent Queen, of course.
 
 
Check out the Kobayashi Maru Variant of ST3D Chess.