In Star Trek franchise, there is no dearth of interesting props and the tri-dimensional chess is one such artifact that continues to spark curiosity among the Trekkies.

Chess is timeless, but automating it? That’s where the real magic begins. Enter [Tamerlan Goglichidze]’s Pi Board, an automated chess system that blends modern tech with age-old strategy.

The first machine had a vertical board. Of course ... although it could take up to 63 moves, and standard chess rules would call a draw on 50 moves without a capture or pawn move.