[1] This idea eventually came full circle in the development of the 16×16×16 three-dimensional version of chess on a really big board, which he called "impossibly large".
In fact, his original plan was to include the WA along with the complementary FD, but this leaves the c- and n-pawns undefended in the initial position.
He opined that the short-range pieces, though the weakest, were crucial as they take time to get into the action, but are very important for opening up specific lines for attacks.
On such a large board, this opening move becomes much sounder, as it is more difficult to attack the queen, and from this position it bears down onto the centre from a long distance.
Trading pawns would be disadvantageous and lead to the loss of a tempo by the initiator, but at some point White's chancellor must be developed.
This region could also be used as an advanced base: the n11 square can easily be defended by the rose or the m-pawn, and a natural follow-up would be 8...Qn10.
)[13] Betza also created a second 16×16 variant, which he termed golden age chess on a really big board.
"[3] The inverted knight in the diagram is the rose from chess on a really big board, and the superknight and archbishop remain the same.
[1] Betza also suggested a version with even fewer tactics that would eliminate many of the riders, replacing bishops with alfils and queens with ferzes, turning archbishops into knight-alfil compounds, and turning chancellors into either rook-alfil or rook-ferz compounds.
Once both players are satisfied with their arrangement (this can be enforced with a timer), the screen is removed and normal play resumes.
On each level, the 2D setup would be repeated, and the pieces' moves would be translated into three dimensions just as in his idea of 8×8×8 3D chess.
Another suggestion of his was four-board chess with different armies, suggesting that one player could use knights and the other could use fibnifs (fbNF; makes longest forward or backward moves as knight, or moves as ferz), though noting that creating completely new armies was not possible in 1996 as the values of long-range pieces on 16×16 boards were not yet known to much precision.
I can enjoy this game more by just thinking about it than I could by actually trying to play it...Similarly, he considered a 64×64×64 3D variant, which he put forward as a possible world record for the largest chess variant (having 262,144 cubes), although he did not completely specify the rules, beyond stating that the standard opening setup for orthodox chess would simply be repeated to fill the 64×64 boards.
[4] No special equipment required, except for a high ceiling and a very strong floor in the room where you do this.I suppose you might need very long arms to move the pieces, and a telescope to see the enemy King, it's so far away.