Pillars Of Medusa is played by two players (or two opposing teams), one having light pieces (traditionally white), and the other having dark pieces (traditionally black). The object of the game, as in traditional Chess and Turkish Great Chess, is to checkmate your opponent's king. A king is checkmated when you threaten to capture it on your next turn, and the capture of the king cannot be prevented. Another objective of the game, equally important, is to prevent your own king from becoming checmated. Note that the principles of stalemate apply to Medusa Chess, as in traditional chess.
 
 
  In Gary Giffords fantasy novel "Orions Sword", a GOD simular to the Greek-GOD Zeus named Winstor, created POM(Pillars Of Medusa). POM is a game requiring great feats of calculation and imagination, but also stood as a symbol of life. People started out as statues, were given the power of life, and influenced by the GODS.
 
  This game is obviously a variation of chess, and is largely based upon Turkish Great Chess (circa 1797). Turkish Great Chess has one piece which has the combined moves of a Bishop and Knight (the vizir); another which moves like a Rook or Knight (war machine), and a third which moves like a Queen or Knight (giraaffe). These three pieces being in addition to the normal chess army and taking place on a 10x10 board.