A valid move for a queen could be moving 4 spaces vertically, 4 horizontally, into a timeline that is 4 timelines away, and 4 turns into that timeline's past. Queens move any number of spaces equally on any number of axes. For example, a valid move for a king is to simultaneously go one space over horizontally, into an "adjacent" timeline, and one turn into that timeline's past. Kings move one space in any number of axes. Knights move two spaces on one axis and one on another axis – for example, a knight may move to any adjacent space into a timeline that is two timelines away. Bishops move any number of spaces in exactly two axes, so it is possible, for example, to move a bishop three squares vertically and three turns into the past. For example, a rook can move any number of spaces along one axis, so a player can send the rook into its current position, but any number of turns in the past, using time as an axis of movement. The rules of piece movement are generalized from standard chess rules, with time and timelines being axes of movement, as with ranks and files. In general, the more moves have elapsed, the more complicated the game becomes due to the creation of new timelines. The game ends in stalemate if the latter condition is met but the player's king is not in check in this case, the result is a draw. The game ends in checkmate when any of one player's kings-at any point in time and in any timeline-is in check, and that player has no legal moves in at least one active timeline in this case, the player whose king is in check loses. All timelines are active except those created consecutively by the same player, so that if one player creates two or more timelines before the opposing player creates any, all but the first of the created timelines become inactive making a move on inactive timelines is optional. if there are 3 separate active timelines, each turn consists of 3 moves. Both players have to make a move on each existing active timeline e.g. Pieces can also be sent between these different "timelines" and, when moving across timelines, can move into that timeline's "past", "present", or "future".
To prevent time-travel-related paradoxes, instead of changing the "original" past, time travel in 5D chess results in the creation of an alternate timeline or " parallel universe", for which the starting position is the same as the corresponding time-point in the original timeline but with the time-traveling piece added. As the game progresses, pieces can, following specific rules, be moved onto a past version of the board. 5D Chess begins each game with an ordinary chess setup.