WO1991001781A1 - Improved board game - Google Patents

Abstract

A new board game derived from Chess has a board with more squares and more pieces. The objective is to occupy the space of the opposing King. A further feature is that the bases of the pieces are coloured to match certain squares of the board. A piece cannot be captured in a square of its own colour.

Description

TITLE " IMPROVED BOARD GAME "

This invention relates to a novel board game derived from chess. The board, pieces and rules of chess are well known and may be taken as a starting point for this specification.

In accordance with the present invention a novel board game has the following characteristics:-

1) The board consists of 156 squares (not used in the strict geometric sense) disposed thirteen squares in width and 12 squares in depth.

2) The 156 squares are divided into 26 groups of six, 24 of these groups being similar and having six individually identifiable squares. The description will be made on the basis that the identifying characteristic is colour, though the characteristic may be other than colour provided it is visually individually recognisable. Each of the other two groups will have one colour omitted and the remaining square different in some manner, for example of a different colour.

3. The game is played between two teams of pieces, each piece of a team being predominantly of the team colour usually black or white. There is an increase in the number of pieces compared to the pieces of a normal chess game. Thus each team comprises a single King, 2 Queens, 4 Bishops, 4 Knights and 2 Castles making the 13 principal pieces and 13 Pawns. The principal pieces are disposed across the back two rows of the board as in chess. Each piece has a coloured base or other part matching the square in which it takes up its starting position. The King sits in the single different square which is disposed in the middle of the back row.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Figure 1 is the board for playing the game in accordance with the invention, and Figure 2 shows the pieces.

In the drawings the squares are marked with reference numerals each representing a particular and characteristic colour thus in one embodiment 1 can be white, 2 brown, 3 blue, 4 pink, 5 green, 6 yellow and 7 grey. There are 24 groups of squares 2 through 7, and 2 different groups of 2 through 6 and 1. These two different groups extend centrally through the board as shown.

As can be seen in Figure 2 each piece for playing the game, here represented as a traditional Staunton chess piece, has a coloured base to match one of the colours of the board. The pieces have reference numerals consisting of the number of the matching square which they sit on commencement of the game with the prefix 1. Thus considering the pieces of one team 11 being the King has a white base, 12 being one of the pair of Queens, a brown, 13 being the inner of the pairs of Bishops a blue whilst 15 being the outer of the pairs of Bishops a green. The inner 14 of the pairs of Knights is pink whilst the outer of the pairs 16 is yellow. Each Castle 17 of the pair has a brown base. The upper part of the pieces above the bases are white or black according to the team colour.

In front-of the back row of principal pieces is a row of pairs of Pawns 12A to 17A each coded 2 through 7 as set out above according to the position which they seat on the board. There are three yellow based Pawns 17A and two each of the others.

Thus an initial battle array is illustrated with one King, two Queens, four Bishops, four Knights, two Castles and thirteen Pawns for each team on the next row in front.

The object of the game is to capture an Opponent's space occupied by his King, i.e. space 1. The King has to move across the board and is the only piece that can achieve this capture.

The game commences after lot drawing for the initial starter which must be a King. The players take it in turn to move and the moves of the different pieces are as follows!- The King can move up to three squares in any direction including the diagonal; the Queen any number of spaces in any direction; the Castle any number of squares forward, backward or sideways; the Bishop any number of squares diagonally; the Knight's move is a combination of one square forward or backwards, then two squares sideways, or one square sideways then two squares forward or backwards. Alternatively and in addition to the normal Knight's move in Chess the Knight may make 3 moves in one direction followed by one in the direction at right angles. The additional Knight's move is to give necessary mobility on a larger board. Pawns may move one square straight forward only with an option of two moves on its first move. A Pawn on reaching the end rank is at once promoted to any piece of the player's choice except the King. When playing, if any piece is on a square of the same colour as its base it cannot be captured except by the opponent's piece of the same colour. It will be noted that a Pawn has to move at least 8 moves to be safe against capture and this has a considerable influence on the game. A piece may only move in one direction on each move. No two pieces may occupy the same square. No piece, except the Knight may jump over other pieces.

Capturing. - A capture is made by moving a piece on to a square occupied by the opponent's piece which is then removed from the board with the exception set out above. Pieces capture in the same way as their defined movement except the Pawn which captures one square diagonally* forward. A Pawn which makes the initial two square move may be captured by the opponent's Pawn (not other pieces) as if it had only moved one square provided the capture is made on the next move. This is known as "en passant" and is an optional feature of the game. Capturing is optional unless it is the only legal move available. A player may not capture one of his or her own pieces. If a King is captured it is not removed from the board but returns to its starting position.

Other ways of concluding the game. - A position that is repeated three times with the same player to move can be claimed a draw by either player. A game can be concluded by agreement. If a player considers his position hopeless he can resign the game; also both players can agree a draw at any time if they wish.

Table Values The approximate relative values of pieces to assess the position after a draw are:

Pawn 1 Knight/Bishop 3

Rook or Castle 5

Queen 10

The game as at present envisaged does not include the chess move of 'castling' and, of course, there is no check mate.

Although the game above, has, for ease of understanding, been described as a modification of chess it should be emphasised that the game is not chess but a different game wherein tactics are employed to move pieces against adversarial pieces and achieve a strategic objective. Moreover although the pieces are illustrated as Staunton chess pieces they need not be so and the pieces do not move necessarily in the same manner as their corresponding Chess pieces. For example the deployment and movement of the "King" is quite different to the King in Chess and the spaces 1 are probably more equivalent to the King in chess. The "King" in the present game is quite distinct from the Chess King as is the objective of capturing a designated space as opposed to a piece.

Claims

1. Apparatus for playing a game in accordance with rules set out in the Specification, such apparatus comprising a board having a surface marked with 156 squares disposed 13 squares in width and 12 squares in depth and two teams of pieces of pieces for deploying on the board each team comprising a King, two Queens, four Bishops, four Knights, two Castles to form a back row and thirteen Pawns to form the row in front.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the 156 squares are divided into 24 similar groups of six squares each square of each group being marked so as to be individually distinguishable, the remaining two groups having one square different to the corresponding square of the other groups, the King of each tern sitting on one of said different squares.

3. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.