// the find
juliangarnier/3D-Hartwig-chess-set
3D chess game done in HTML/CSS/JS
A 2013-era demo that renders a 3D chess game entirely in HTML/CSS using CSS transforms and a WebKit-specific 3D rendering library (Photon). Chess logic is handled by chess.js. This is a technical showpiece from when CSS 3D was novel, not a production chess application.
The CSS-only 3D board rendering is a genuinely clever trick for its time — no WebGL, no canvas, just transforms and perspective. Chess.js handles legal move validation and game state correctly. The two visual themes (classic and marble) are fully realized with distinct sprite sets. It still works as a standalone demo with zero build tooling.
Hard dependency on WebKit-only CSS features means it's broken in Firefox and Edge without polyfills — the README admits this outright. Last meaningful commit is years old and the Photon library it depends on is abandoned. The JavaScript is minified with no source maps, so debugging or extending is painful. No AI opponent: two-player only, no engine integration, making it limited as an actual game.