These variant rules are by David Barron originally published in "Agonizer" #12 published in December 1999

The bottom most level is the standard triangular board with nine triangles per edge. The second level is smaller with six spaces per edge. The third level is three spaces per edge.

The bottom and second levels are divided into Rim Spaces; those along the edges, and Inner Spaces, those bounded by Rim Space.

Upward movement is modified as such:

All pieces are able to move upward. In fact, unless pieces movement is kept to RIM SPACE of the Primary Board, upward movement is required. No piece may enter or move within the Primary Board's INNER SPACE (the 36 spaces that are "covered" by the Secondary Board), even though all pieces may be placed there to begin the game.

Movement from RIM SPACE to RIM SPACE (those not covered by another board) are accomplished at the cost of two moves, i.e. one up and one over.

Movement from INNER SPACE to INNER SPACE (those spaces that are covered by another board) are accomplished in one move, that is, straight up.

These rules of movement produce obvious restrictions on certain pieces.

Certain pieces may only move up one board at a time: LANCER, VANGUARD and BLOCKADER.

Certain pieces may move upwards more than one board at a time: FENCER, FLYER and SWIFT.

There are only two pieces that may move both upwards and downwards: the FLYER and the SWIFT.

FLYER downward movement may be INNER to INNER or RIM to RIM.

SWIFT downward movement is limited to INNER SPACE to INNER SPACE.

The rules stating that a piece may move ". . in any direction . ." or ". . in a straight line . ." are to be though of in three directions. For instance, if a piece that has a capability of two spaces per move wishes to move upwards, which will use up one of the two spaces it is allotted, then which direction may it move if it is only allowed to move in a straight line? The answer, of course, is "any direction!" Since the first referent is "up" there can be no restriction of direction for the next space moved.

Should the same question be applied to a piece that has the capability of three spaces to move, one would only have to think of the same three dimensions. If the first move is upwards and the next move is to the right, the third move would follow traditional rules of movement for that piece.

The only exception is if that piece used its remaining move to go back downward. This is allowed with only one proviso: No piece can return to its point of origin (the space where its move began) in the same turn.

For the capabilities of the blockader we must again think in three dimensions. If the Blockader is on the Secondary Board, he blocks not only the spaces surrounding him on that level but the spaces directly above and below him as well.

All rules applying to the capture and/or killing of opponent pieces in the traditional flat-board klin zha apply in Tri-Level klin zha as well. A piece landing on a space occupied by an opponent piece is said to have captured or killed the opponent piece.

This cannot be accomplished in either upward or downward movement. If a gold piece is in a space directly above a green piece, neither the green or the gold piece may move vertically to capture or kill the other. Capture or kill of opponents may only be accomplished hin a horizontal manner, face to face.

All rules for the passing of pieces through occupied spaces apply here as they would in the flat-board game. If a piece is allowed to move through or over an occupied space in the flat-board game, it is allowed to do so here. If there is no allowance to do so in the flat-board game, then it is not allowed.

Here again we must think in a three dimensional sense. If a gold piece wants to move three spaces, the first space being UP, and the gold piece is NOT allowed to move through or over occupied spaces, then that gold player must have a clear space above it to move UP. The same move MAY be accomplished by moving sideways first, then moving upwards.

Getting the Goal to the unclaimed corner does not constitute a win.