Spiral Staircase Chess is played upon four 4x4 boards which are arranged in a spiral staircase pattern, rotating clockwise from the bottom, each overlapping by two ranks. The central 2x2 column, formed by this pattern and marked with a yellow dot, is called the 'elevator'. As you play the game, you'll discover the reason.
The Black Pawns climb up the Spiral Staircase, the White Pawns climb down. Upon each tier, each pawn will move, without capturing, orthogonally. They move orthogonally up or down to change tiers.
Upon each tier, each Pawn captures any diagonal space. The Pawns attack any diagonals to the next tier.
 
The other pieces move upon each tier in standard fashion, and change tiers according to each pieces' move pattern.

• The Knight can move up or down an adjacent tier and two orthogonal spaces, or up or down two adjacent tiers, inside the 'elevator', then one orthogonal space.
• The Bishop changes tiers by diagonal moves.
• The Rook changes tiers by orthogonal moves.
• The Queen combines the power of the Bishop and the Rook plus the triagonal slide.
• The King steps like the Queen.