GB2116859A - Board game apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A preferred board (1) has 128 playing regions divided into 4 territories (7, 8, 9 & 10) which are arranged symmetrically about a central square (S). A cut (Z) and fold lines (F) may be provided for folding the board as shown. The playing regions may be 3, 4, 5 or 6 sided or circular and divided into 3, 4, 5, 5 or 6 equal territories while the playing pieces may be chessmen, draughts etc. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Board game This invention relates to a board game and more particularly to a game in which at least three players can take part.

Games played according to the rules of chess and draughts are well known and there are many variations in the rules but most such games are for two players only.

It is an object of this invention to provide a board of suitable design so that two, three, or in some embodiments more than three players may indulge in a game which may be played along the general lines of chess or draughts.

According to the present invention there is provided a board and a plurality of pieces suitable for playing a game, said board comprising a plurality of individual playing- regions as herein defined, and at least three zones or territories comprising equal numbers of said individual playing regions and said at least three zones or territories being equal in area to one another, the zones or territories being interspaced by respective rows of said individual playing regions, said zones being symmetrically arranged about a single central individual playing region and said rows radiating from said central region, the board and pieces being suitable for playing a game according to any of the sets of rules substantially as herein described.

The terms "board" and "pieces" as used herein are intended to include not only a board and pieces in the form of discrete physical entities, but also in some embodiments any apparatus arranged to provide a visual display simulating a physical board and pieces, e.g. programmed electronic apparatus and visual display unit.

It is an advantage of the present invention that it is possible for several versions of chess-type or draught-type games to be played on the board by at least two or three players, and it is envisaged that the board is suitable for many other games of skill between at least two or three players.

An individual playing region is herein defined as meaning an individually marked square or portion of, or portion defined by, the board. For example, an individual playing region may in fact be a hole in the board itself, and rules may provide that a playing region may or may not be occupied by a piece during a game. In general, rules will provide that no two pieces may occupy an individual playing region at any one time so that individual regions may only be occupied or "landed on" by individual pieces. The individual playing regions are, preferably, square-shaped and of equal areas but of course other shapes may be used, for example circles diamonds or stars and these need not necessarily be equal in area. The shape of the individual regions may in part be determined by the number of possible players.

Preferably, the zones or territories will be marked out on the board, by closed boundary lines, but this need not necessarily be so.

Other preferable features of the board are as follows:- (a) the number of individual playing regions is one-hundred and twenty-eight; (b) the number of individual playing regions in each zone or territory is 29; (c) the board is a generally chequered pattern and the individual regions are divided into a number of individual regions of one-type (for example, white) which are equal to the number of individual regions of a second type (for example, dark coloured).

Where features (a) and (b) are combined the board preferably consists of 1 5 lines of individual regions in the formation 3, 5, 5, 7, 9, 13, 15, 15, 15, 13, 9, 7,5,5,3.

Preferably, where four zones are provided, the individual regions in said rows are 1 2 in number and the central individual region provides a thirteenth individual region inbetween the zones or territories.

Preferably, the number of individual regions in each row is equal.

Preferably, each zone or territory has a back rank comprising at least 3 individual playing regions.

The board may be provided with markings indicating a functional purpose in one or more sets of rules. The board may also include one or more transparent overlay sheets, said sheets carrying markings appropriate to one or more sets of rules.

Where facility is provided for up to four players only (i.e. four zones or territories), it is an important feature of this invention that a special folding board may be provided having 3 fold lines (and a split projecting from said central region) so that the board can be folded into four sections, each said section being substantially one quarter the area of the board and the sections overlying one another in the folded condition. The board, in the folded condition, occupies an area about a quarter of that of the board in the "ready for play" position.

Where facility is provided for more than four players the number of fold lines may be equal to the number of zones or territories less 1, so that the board can be folded into a number of sections which equals the number of zones or territories.

Preferably, where the board may be folded as aforesaid, said central region is a hole and the split radiates from the central region. Where said individual regions are squares and only four zones or territories are provided, the split, preferably, extends from one side of the central region defined by the board and through one of the zones or territories along a respective side of a row of squares radiating from said central region and to the periphery of the board, so that said one zone is divided asymmetrically. Additionally, the 3 fold lines may each divide a respective zone or territory in similar asymmetrical manner, each fold line extending from a respective side of the central square region.

The special folding board is advantageous in that the board may be packed into a smaller box than would otherwise be necessary, with consequential reduction in production costs.

The board may be arranged to be folded up in other ways. In particular, four fold lines may be provided which form a square or rectangle and corners of the board folded inwardly towards said central region about the fold lines. These four fold lines may be provided in addition to the radiating split and radiating fold lines to combine the two folding techniques on the one board to further reduce packing space required.

Furthermore the board may be provided with individual playing regions marked out on both sides of the board and/or said central region may be asymmetrical of the board itself.

Where individual playing regions are marked on both sides of the board one set of markings appropriate to one or more sets of rules may be provided on one side of the board, and a second set of markings appropriate to one or more other sets of rules may be provided on the other side of the board.

The game may be played with rules allied to chess and, preferably where preferable features (a) and (b) of the board are combined each player has 1 3 chess pieces comprising 6 pawns, 2 knights, 2 bishops, 2 castles and a king. During play a queen may be introduced onto the board in respect of each player. Within each player's zone or territory rules may provide that the chess pieces move in accordance with accepted chess rules, but additional rules apply once a player has moved outside of his own zone or territory. Additionally, rules may provide that two or more players can combine forces against one or more opponents.

Preferably, when a game is to be played with rules allied to draughts and where said features (a) and (b) are combined, each player has ten draughts to be arranged on alternative individual playing regions of the player's zone or territory.

A game may be played according to a set of rules which is herein given the name WIPE-OUT and where features (a) and (b) are combined the number of WIPE-OUT pieces per player is eight, and special markings may be arranged on the board.

For the rules of WIPE-OUT the individual regions are, preferably, squares and where features (a) and (b) apply the individual regions immediately adjacent the central individual region may be marked, and the markings grouped into two sets so that said markings alternate from region to region around the central region.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a folding board provided with a hole and a split in the board extending from said hole to the periphery of the board, a plurality of fold lines extending from said hole towards the periphery of the board, the split and the fold lines dividing the board into sections which are movable relative to one another, said sections being equal to the number of fold lines + 1 and foldable over one another so that the board occupies an area which is substantially equal to the area of the board, when said sections are co-planar, divided by the number of sections.

Three embodiments of a board game in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a basic board in which four zones or territories are marked out in respect of four possible players; Figure 2 shows the basic board of Fig. 1 and pieces laid out in accordance with the first embodiment; Figure 3 shows the basic board of Fig. 1 and pieces laid out in accordance with the second embodiment; Figure 4 shows the basic board of Fig. 1 with additional markings and pieces laid out in accordance with the third embodiment; Figure 5 shows a modified board which can be folded up; Figure 6 shows the modified board in a folded condition; Figure 7 shows a second modified board which can be folded-up.

Figure 8 shows a modified board for up to three players only.

Figure 9 shows the board of Fig. 1 marked with a coded notation.

Figures iota, lOb show a modified folded board having both sets of fold lines shown in Figs.

5 and 7.

Fig. 1 shows a basic board 1 generally of diamond shape with flattened or truncated corners 2, 3, 4, 5. The board has 128 individual playing regions in the form of squares 6 marked out in a chequered pattern. In alternative embodiments the board need not be chequered. The board 1 has four zones or territories 7, 8, 9, 10 marked out, each zone or territory comprising 29 squares with 1 6 dark squares and 1 3 white squares. The zones are arranged symmetrically in the form of a cross about a central square "S". The four zones 7, 8, 9, 10 are equal in area to one another and interspaced by four rows 11, 12, 13, 1 4 of three squares. The rows radiate from the central square "S". The dark lines defining the zones need not be provided, if preferred, since an imaginery closed boundary line may still exist in a game.Preferably, said dark lines are replaced by different colours for different zones, for example red, blue, yellow, green which may also match the colour of a player's pieces.

Where the game is for five players a similar board layout may be provided and the shape of the individual playing regions may, conveniently, be pentagons to provide five zones or territories. For six players the regions may be hexagons to provide six zones or territories.

The blank edges 1 5 of the board are useful for captured pieces no longer in play to rest on while a game is played, and when playing a game according to the following chess rules, queens may stand on edges 1 5 before being introduced into the game.

The number of dark squares is equal to 64 and the number of white squares is equal to 64.

The dark and white squares form two groups. The squares are arranged in horizontal lines and adhere to the formation 3, 5, 5, 7, 9, 13, 15, 1 5, 15, 13, 9, 7, 5, 5, 3. This formation is considered especially advantageous. Each zone 7, 8, 9, 10, has a respective back rank 7a, 8a, 9a, 1 Oa of three squares.

Fig. 2 shows a board initially laid out for four players to partake in a chess style game. The notation used in respect of the chess pieces is standard notation. Each set of pieces in respect of each player will be marked distinctively to avoid confusion between one another's pieces.

Although where four players are involved in some instances the four sets of pieces may be grouped into two pairs and only one pair of pieces marked distinctively from the other.

The number of chess pieces originally laid out may alter and the arrangement of the pieces on the individual regions may differ.

A first set of rules for a chess-style game will now be described: (1) The game may be played with at least two or three players.

(2) Each chess piece moves within its own zone or territory according to the normal rules of chess.

(3) The centre individual region or square has a special function.

Preferably, the following further rules may also apply: (4) A player's queen can only be brought onto the board when one of said player's pawns is advanced to the centre region or square.

(5) A player may reclaim a captured piece by advancing a pawn to the centre region.

(6) Rules 4 and 5 can be parallelled to pawn-piece exchange as in normal chess, or, if preferred each player may only be allowed one queen or one exchange.

(7) The object of the game is to checkmate the opponent's or one of the opponents kings or to bring an opponent's pieces to the point of surrender, and then remove these pieces from the board, to allow the other players to play the game out to find an eventual winner.

Any of the following more specific rules of this first set may also apply: (8) The players toss for colour, then move in turn going clockwise around the board, with red always starting first. The sets of pieces may be coloured red, green, blue, yellow respectively.

(9) A pawn may move one square forwards with the option of moving one or two squares on its first move. Within its own territory a pawn cannot move backwards, sideways or take a player's piece other than diagonally forwards. A pawn on reaching the centre region or square is at once promoted to a piece (other than a king) of the player's choice. This will usually be a queen, as this is the strongest piece or a captured piece of the players force. A pawn is replaced by one piece only. The queen or reclaimed piece must then be moved out of the centre region or square by the player on his next move and then the reclaimed piece is free to play the board.

If in the event of a pawn reaching the centre region or square, the player finds he has no pieces to reclaim, the pawn must still come out of the region or square on its next move.

However, the pawn may only move forwards and sideways, and cannot move backwards from the centre region or square into its own territory. It can however take diagonally forwards or backwards outside its own territory.

(10) Once outside its own territory a pawn can move forwards, sideways, backwards and can take both diagonally forwards or diagonally backwards.

(11) Capturing is optional unless it is the only legal move available. A player cannot capture one of his own pieces. When an opponent's piece is taken it is placed on the side of the board.

It is to be noted that a player who keeps reclaiming pieces will eventually run out of pawns thus weakening his defence.

(12) A king that is attacked i.e. (in a position to be taken on the next move) is said to be in "check". The player who makes the attack usually announces "check". The player whose king is in check must then on their next turn try to get their king out of "check" in one of the following ways:- Capture the attacking piece. Interpose a man between the attacking piece and the king or move the king. If unable to make any of these moves the king is said to be in "checkmate" and the player under attack has lost the game providing other players do not interfere with the checkmate on their next move. It follows that a player may not make a move that places his own king in check, nor may the kings stand next to each other.

(13) When a player can move no piece on the board except his king and if the king is not in check but would move into check if moved at all, then this is said to be a stalemate and the game is declared a draw. This happens if there are only two players or two partnerships left on the board. However if there are more than two players left on the board and a stalemate does occur, the player who is at stalemate is forced to surrender and the remaining players will carry on the game.

(14) No rule is envisaged similar to "castling" in normal chess.

(1 4a) No rule is envisaged similar to en passant.

(15) Further rules may apply in relation to the central region or square.

(a) A pawn may or may not re-enter the central region or square.

(b) A pawn may or may not capture an opponent's piece on the central square or region, or said region or square may be a "protected" area, so that a piece can enter without being taken.

(c) No piece other than a pawn may enter the centre region or square.

(16) Pawns may additionally be promoted when reaching the back rank of any opponent's territory.

(17) A pawn is the only piece which cannot move back into its own territory once it has moved outside its territory.

The following is a table of considered relative values for the chess pieces: TABLE OF VALUES HIGHEST VALUE FIRST QUEEN """" CASTLE, KNIGHT, BISHOP PAWN Fig. 3 shows a board laid out for four players to partake in a draughts-style game. Each set of pieces in respect of each player will be marked distinctively to avoid confusion between players' pieces. Where four players are involved in some instances the four sets of pieces may be grouped into two pairs and only one pair of pieces marked distinctively from the other.

The number of draughts may alter and the arrangement of pieces on the individual regions may differ.

A second set of rules for a draughts-style game will now be described: (1) The game may be played with at least two or three players.

(2) Each draught moves within its own zone or territory according to the normal rules of draughts and cannot therefore move backwards in its own territory; (3) The centre individual region has a special function; (4) A draught may be "crowned" on entering the central region or square; (5) The object of the game is to defeat opponents by removing from the board as many of their men as possible and to try and immobilize any pieces left. This is achieved by capturing pieces.

Preferably, the following further rules also apply: (6) The players toss for colour, then move in turn going clockwise around the board, with red always starting first.

(7) All play takes place on the white squares only and movement of the pieces is confined to moving forward on diagonals (across the corners of the squares). Pieces may not move backwards. The board is open to all play. All pieces have the same value and are all confined to the same type of move until they have advanced to the centre region or square; they are then "crowned" and become kings. This is done by placing a second disc on top of the successful one so that it can be distinguished from the ordinary men. Once a king, it can then move any direction on the diagonals across the board and may retreat as well as advance. Once a piece reaches the centre region or square and becomes a king, it must on its next move, be removed from the centre region or square. A king cannot re-enter the central region or square again and no two pieces may occupy said region or square or any region or square at the same time.

(8) A piece can also be "crowned" if it reaches the bottom line of another players defence. It is preferable to obtain a crown from the centre region or square as it is far more difficult to obtain a crown from another players bottom line in his defence. A piece cannot hop over the centre region or square.

(9) Capturing is achieved by hopping (crossing) over an opponents piece or pieces and in order to do this the piece to be captured must have an empty square behind it. The piece hopped (crossed) over, is then removed from the board. A piece making captures may continue to move for as long as there are opponents pieces to hop over, and in doing so, the piece may change direction. Players cannot take their own pieces. A player must take if an opponent offers a piece to be taken unless there is another option to take. A missed capture can be taken off the board by the next to play only. This is known as "huffing".

(10) A player who fails to take a piece that could have been taken may be "huffed" by his opponent. Thus must be done by the opponent moving after and he can insist that the piece which should have made a capture is removed from the board. A "huff" is not a move and the player who claimed the "huff" must then make his own move. When an opponent finds that he has two pieces on the board which can make different captures, he cannot be "huffed", provided that the piece he chooses to move takes all captures available.

(11) A draw can result when two players or two partnerships agree amicably to resolve the game on equal terms with no one winning. This usually occurs with two players who have both got one piece left each and when one of the players is moving backwards and forwards in a corner in consecutive moves.

(12) The centre region or square may be a "protected" region so that a draught cannot be taken while it remains in the centre region or square.

Fig. 4 shows a board 1 laid out for four players to partake in a game which has been referred to by the name WIPE-OUT. The board 1 is provided with distinctive markings arranged around the central region or square S. The four outer squares are marked similarly, in this case with a triangle, and the four inner squares, which form a cross, are marked similarly, in this case with a dot. Eight pieces are laid out in each zone, the innermost piece in each case being represented in chain-dotted lines.

Each set of pieces in respect of each player will be marked distinctively to avoid confusion between one another's pieces. Although, where four players are involved in some instances the four sets of pieces may be grouped into two pairs and only one pair of pieces marked distinctively from the other.

The number of WIPE-OUT pieces originally laid out may alter and the arrangement of pieces on the individual regions may differ.

A third set of rules for a WIPE-OUT game will now be described: (1) The game may be played with two, three, or four players; (2) Each WIPE-OUT piece has a value equal to each other WIPE-OUT piece.

(3) The centre individual region or square has no special function other than being defined as a "no man's land" i.e. no piece may land on this region.

(4) Play takes place on all the individual regions bar the central individual playing region.

(5) The pieces are limited to moving one region or square in one move and can move in any direction on the board, and no two pieces may occupy the same square simultaneously.

(6) An object of the game is to move onto and gain control of either the four squares marked with a dot or the four squares marked with a triangle. Around the centre region or square to be able to do this it is necessary to reduce an opponents pieces when possible. This is achieved by capturing.

Preferably, the following further rules may also apply: (7) The players toss for colour, then move in turn going clockwise around the board, with red always starting first.

(8) Capturing is achieved by hopping (crossing) over an opponents piece or pieces and in order to do this the piece to be captured must have an empty square behind it. The piece hopped (crossed) over is then removed from the board. A piece making captures may move and continue to move for as long as there are opponents pieces to hop over, and in doing so, the piece may change direction. Players cannot take their own pieces. A player must take if an opponent offers a piece to be taken unless there is another option to be taken. A missed capture can be taken off the board by the next to play only. This is known as "huffing".

(9) A player who fails to take a piece that could have been taken may be "huffed" by his opponent. This must be done by the opponent making the next move and he can insist that the piece which should have made a capture is removed from the board. A "huff" is not a move and the player who claimed the "huff" must then make his own move. When an opponent finds that he has two pieces on the board which can make different captures, he cannot be "huffed", provided that the piece he chooses to move takes all captures available.

(10) To reclaim a lost piece a player must advance one of his pieces to the bottom rank of his own territory. Immediately a piece reaches its bottom rank, it is rewarded with a lost piece being re-admitted to the game. The reclaimed piece is then placed upon any vacant square on the players bottom rank.

(11) A player cannot occupy an opponents bottom rank.

(12) ULTIMATE WIPEOUT A "wipeout" is rarely achieved and thus it is the ultimate move in this game. In one move a player must take an opponent's whole eight pieces or whatever pieces an opponent has on the board. A "wipeout" ends the game and a new game may then begin. An eight piece wipe out is the ultimate.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a particularly advantageous modified folding board. The centre individual region or square S is essentially a hole in the board and a split Z extends from the right side of the centre square S, as shown in Fig. 5, through zone 7 along a right side of a vertical row R of squares 6 radiating from square S. The split Z divides zone 7 asymmetrically and three fold lines F divide zones 8, 9, 10 in a similar asymmetric manner. The board may be folded as shown in Fig. 6. The board is folded up into four sections which lie in parallel planes, and the board occupies an areasubstantially a quarter of the area of the board when the sections are co-planar, as shown in Fig. 5. The centre square S is a hole to aleviate stress which would other-wise occur in folding the board and restrain the sections from lying parallel.

An alternative modification is shown in Fig. 7 where fold lines F2 form a square. The four corner portions may be folded inwardly so that the board occupies substantially half its original area as shown in the figure. Where more players are involved, for example five, the fold lines F, may form a different shape, for example a pentagon such that five corners may be folded inwardly.

It is to be appreciated that many alternative modifications may be made to the board which still provide for a satisfactory game for four or even more players. The individual playing regions could be for example, circles, and need not be of the same size. Further individual playing regions could be added onto or deleted from the basic board shown in the figures.

One or more overlay sheets may be provided which carry markings. The sheet or sheets may be superimposed onto the basic board to make a composite board suitable for one or more sets of rules: The overlay sheet or sheets may carry a facility for marking some individual playing regions of the board, and/or to provide additional individual playing regions, and/or to highlight one or more individual regions which, in the particular set or sets of rules have a functional purpose of particular significance.

Fig. 8 shows a modified board in which the shape of the individual playing regions is determined by the number of individual players possible. In this instance three territories or zones, Z1, Z2 Z3, are marked out and the individual playing regions are triangular. Nine individual playing regions surround the central individual region S in between the zones Z1, Z2, Z3 The number of individual regions encompassed in each zone may be varied to choice and two possibilities are marked out for each zone Z,, Z2, Z3. As shown in zone Z1 the number of regions in each horizontal row may be in the sequence 3, 5, 9, 3 or 3, 9 (the end two triangular regions A being added on to the row), 9, 3.The other zones Z2 Z3, may correspond accordingly, and the board need not necessarily be chequered. Individual playing regions may be added or subtracted in each case.

As aforementioned, boards may be designed for five players based on pentagonal individual regions, or for six players based on hexagonal individual zones and so on in a similar manner to that exemplified in the Figures. In general the number of playing regions in each zone or territory will increase per number of zones provided whilst the number of regions inbetween the zones divided by the number of players may always equal the same number (in the examples shown this number is three).

A coded notation may be used to identify any particular playing region uniquely. For example, in the board as shown in Fig. 1 the zones may be marked out by coloured lines, red, green, blue, yellow (or the whole area of the zones coloured if preferred) and the squares numbered 1 to 29 in each case. Squares within the zones may be identified, for example, by green 1 or g1.

Squares between the zones could be denoted by letters, for example, ABC and represented uniquely, for example, by blue-yellow A or by A.

Figs. 1 Oa, 1 Ob show front and rear views of a folded board which has both sets of fold lines provided in Figs. 5 and 7.

Claims (29)

1. A board and a plurality of pieces suitable for playing a game, said board comprising a plurality of individual playing regions as herein defined, and at least three zones or territories comprising equal numbers of said individual playing regions and said at least three zones or territories being equal in area to one another, the zones or territories being interspaced by respective rows of said individual playing regions, said zones being symmetrically arranged about a single central individual playing region and said rows radiating from said central region, the board and pieces being suitable for playing a game according to any of the sets of rules substantially as herein described.

2. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in Claim 1 in which the number of individual regions in each row is equal.

3. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in Claim 2 in which the number of individual regions in each row is three.

4. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 in which the number of individual playing regions in each zone or territory is 29.

5. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in Claim 4 when dependent on Claim 3 and which has four zones or territories and in which the board comprises fifteen lines of individual regions in the formation 3, 5, 5, 7, 9, 1 3, 1 5, 1 5, 1 5, 1 3, 9, 7, 5, 5, 3.

6. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 in which each zone or territory has a back rank of at least three individual regions.

7. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the individual playing regions are equal in area and the shape of the individual regions is at least in part determined by the number of possible players.

8. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the board is a generally chequered pattern and the individual regions are divided into a number of one type which is equal to the number of individual regions of a second type.

9. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the board is provided with markings indicating a purpose in one or more of the sets of rules substantially as herein described.

10. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which individual playing regions are on both sides of the board.

11. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in Claim 10 when dependent from Claim 9 in which one set of the markings appropriate to one or more of the sets of rules substantially as herein described is provided on one side of the board and a second set of the markings appropriate to one or more of the sets of rules substantially as herein described is provided on the other side of the board.

1 2. A board and plurality of pieces as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the board includes one or more transparent overlay sheets.

1 3. A board and plurality of pieces as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the board is provided with a number of fold lines equal to the number of zones or territories less one and a split radiating from the central region.

1 4. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in Claim 1 3 in which the central region is a hole.

15. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in Claim 13 or 14 in which the individual regions are squares and comprising three fold lines and the board is capable of being folded into four sections, each said section being substantially one quarter the area of the board and the sections overlying one another in a folded-up condition.

1 6. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in Claim 1 5 when dependent from Claim 14 in which the split extends from one side of the central region through one of the zones or territories along a respective side of a row of squares in said region or territory radiating from said central region to the periphery of the board, so that said one zone or territory is divided asymmetrically.

17. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in Claim 16 in which the three fold lines each divide a respective zone or territory in an asymmetrical manner, each fold line extending from a respective side of the central region.

1 8. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which four, or four further, fold lines are provided which form a square or rectangle and corners of the board fold inwardly towards said central region about the four, or four further, fold lines.

1 9. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the zones or territories are marked out on the board in different colours corresponding to the number of possible players in the game.

20. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the game is capable of being played according to the first set of rules substantially as herein described and each player has fourteen chess pieces comprising six pawns, two knights, two bishops, two castles, and a king and a queen.

21. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the game is capable of being played according to the second set of rules substantially as herein described and each player has ten draughts.

22. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the game is capable of being played according to the third set of rules substantially as herein described and each player has eight WIPE-OUT pieces.

23. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in Claim 22 in which on the board individual regions immediately adjacent the central region are marked into two sets so that said markings alternate from region to region around the central region.

24. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in Claim 1 in which the board is substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

25. A board and a plurality of pieces as claimed in Claim 1 in which the board is modified substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6, or 7, or 8, or 9, or 1 0 of the accompanying drawings.

26. A folding board provided with a hole and a split in the board extending from said hole to the periphery of the board, a plurality of fold lines extending from said hole towards the periphery of the board, the split and the fold lines dividing the board into sections which are movable relative to one another, said sections being equal to the number of fold lines + 1 and foldable over one another so that the board occupies an area which is substantially equal to the area of the board, when said sections are co-planar, divided by the number of sections.

27. A board and a plurality of pieces suitable for playing a game, said board comprising a plurality of individual playing regions as herein defined, and at least three zones or territories comprising equal numbers of said individual playing regions, the zones or territories being interspaced by respective rows of said individual playing regions, said zones being arranged about a single central individual playing region and said rows radiating from said central region, the board and pieces being suitable for playing a game according to any of the sets of rules substantially as herein described.

CLAIMS (14Jan 1983)

28. A board and a plurality of pieces suitable for playing a game, said board comprising a plurality of individual playing regions as herein defined, said board being divided up into at least three player zones or territories comprising equal numbers of said individual playing regions which are arranged in lines in a non-overlapping pattern in which there is no misalignment of adjacent individual playing regions along respective ones of said lines, said at least three zones or territories being equal in area to one another, the zones or territories being interspaced and defined by respective single rows of said individual playing regions arranged adjacent to one another and not belonging to any of the zones or territories, said zones being arranged about a single central individual playing region and said rows indicating from said central region, the board and pieces being suitable for playing a game according to any of the sets of rules substantially as herein described.

29. A board and a plurality of pieces suitable for playing a game, said board comprising a plurality of individual playing regions as herein defined, said board being divided up into at least three player zones or territories generally of non re-entrant form comprising equal numbers of said individual playing regions which are arranged in lines in a non-overlapping pattern in which there is no misalignment of adjacent individual playing regions along respective ones of said lines, said at least three zones or territories being equal in area to one another, the zones or territories being interspaced by respective single rows of said individual playing regions arranged adjacent to one another and not belonging to any of the zones or territories, said zones being arranged about a single central individual playing region and said rows radiating from said central region, the board and pieces being suitable for playing a game according to any of the sets of rules substantially as herein described.