4D chess

English

Alternative forms

• 4-D chess, four-dimensional chess

Etymology

An extension of the older term three-dimensional chess, which is an actual chess variant which is viewed as being very complex, and had long been used as a simile ("like a game of 3-D chess") in reference to geopolitics. The term 4D chess ("four-dimensional chess") became popular around 2017, in the context of US politics.

Noun

4D chess (uncountable)

1. (usually ironic) A sophisticated strategy that is far beyond the comprehension of others, in which apparent blunders are simply indicators of yet-to-be-understood brilliance.

   Coordinate terms: 3D chess, 5D chess

   • 2017 May 31, “The Enduring Appeal of Seeing Trump as Chess Master in Chief”, in The New York Times‎, archived from the original on 27 April 2025:

     Steve Bannon, who once referred to Trump as a “blunt instrument” for his ideology, risks 4-D-chess-playing his way straight out of his position of influence, as his president has reportedly become either annoyed or threatened by his attempts to cast himself as the real grandmaster.

   • 2017 May 31, “The Trump Administration Shakes ‘House of Cards’ Hard”, in The New York Times‎, archived from the original on 29 May 2025:

     He plays four-dimensional chess while his current analogue often seems to play Whac-a-Mole.

   • 2021 August 5, “Messi’s Departure Is a Mess Everyone Could See Coming”, in The New York Times‎, archived from the original on 5 August 2021:

     These are the actions of a club flailing around to make things work, not the 4D chess moves of some Machiavellian puppet master.