GB2203659A - Game apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Game apparatus for two players comprises a board (1) with an array of playing piece locations that receive playing pieces in the form of balls (2, 3) which are conveniently black and white for the players respectively. A playing piece of an opponent is captured by jumping a playing piece over an opponent's playing piece into a vacant playing piece location. The board (1) has a central rotary section (7). Upon moving a playing piece onto the central rotary section (7), a player is entitled to rotate the central section (7) through 90 DEG which alters the configuration of playing pieces and hence the strategy needed to win the game.

Description

Game Apparatus DESCRIPTION This invention relates to game apparatus.

According to the present invention there is provided game apparatus comprising means defining an array of playing piece locations, and a plurality of playing pieces in first and second groups for first and second players respectively and for being moved between the playing piece locations, an outcome of the game being determined in dependence upon the positional relationship of the playing pieces in the array, wherein said array defining means comprises first and second board portions movable relative to one another for rearranging the relative location of the playing piece locations in the array.

Preferably, the array is a regular two dimensional array.

Preferably, the first board portion has a symmetrical quadrilateral periphery and the second board portion has a circular periphery and is mounted for axial rotation within the periphery of the first portion.

The apparatus according to the invention may be used to play a game wherein the playing pieces are moved between next adjacent playing piece locations so that on a subsequent move the first player can capture a playing piece of the second player by jumping the piece of the first player over the piece of the second player into a vacant playing piece location, and upon movement of the playing piece across from the first movable board portion to the second movable board portion, the player concerned is entitled to produce a relative movement of the board portions to rearrange the playing piece locations in the array.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood an embodiment thereof will now be described by way of illustrative example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view along the line X-X of Figure 1; and Figure 3 illustrates the various moves of playing pieces on the board.

The game is played by two players on the board 1 with playing pieces comprising black and white balls 2, 3 arranged in groups for use by the players respectively.

The board is provided with a regular two dimensional array of cup shaped receptacles 4 to receive the balls which are set up as shown in Figure 1 at the commencement of a game. Grooves 5 are formed in the surface of the board 1 between adjacent receptacles 4 to provide a visual indication of possible paths of movement for the balls.

The board consists of a first substantially square portion 6 and a second circular, rotary portion 7 rotatably mounted in the first portion 6. As shown in Figure 2, the circular board portion is provided on its underside with a plurality of ball bearings 8 which are captured in mountings 9 integral with the circular board portion 7, the ball bearings running in a circular groove 10 formed in a recess 11 in the first board portion 6. A releasable handle 12 is insertable into at least one hole 13 formed in the circular board portion 7 to enable the circular portion 7 to be rotated. The groove 10 may be provided with detents (not shown) to releasably lock the circular board portion 7 in angular positions spaced 900 from one another.

As shown in Figure 1, the receptacle 4 are arranged in a square 10 x 10 array and the grooves 5 define a pattern of squares between the receptacles together with a pattern of diagonal lines. It is to be noted that the circular boundary between the first and second board portions 6, 7 intersects some of the positions in the array and as shown at 14, 15, for example, receptacles 4 are omitted from these positions. As a result, the 10 x 10 array includes only 92 ball receiving receptacles 4.

Also as shown in Figure 1, each player is provided with a playing piece holding device 16, 17 comprising an elongate moulded plastics member formed with a pair of grooves 18 to receive the balls.

30 white and black balls 2, 3 ,are provided for the players respectively. In addition, the first and second players are provided with 10 red and blue balls 19, 20 for use in providing kings as will be explained hereinafter. In order to play the game, the first and second players arrange their playing pieces 1, 2 on the board as shown in Figure 1. The players alternate turns of play with white moving first.

The white pieces 1 are moved by the first player towards edge 21 of the board whereas the black pieces are moved towards edge 22. A piece may move along any line 5 either directly forwardly or diagonally and forwardly to a next adjacent empty receptacle 4. Thus, referring to Figure 3, white ball 2a can move along any of the lines 5a, Sb or Sc. The ball la may not move sideways or backwards.

If an adjacent receptacle 4 is occupied by an opponents piece and the receptacle directly beyond is not occupied, the opponent's piece must be jumped and removed from the board. Thus, for example black ball 3a (Figure 3) must jump white ball 2b to capture it by moving in the direction of arrow 23. If another opponents ball is then threatened, the players piece must continue to jump in the same move. Thus, as shown in Figure 3, the black ball 3a must jump white ball 2b and subsequently must jump white ball 2c as shown by arrows 23, 24.

If a jump can be performed as just described, the player must do so or the opponent may remove the piece which could make the jump from the board or request the player to retake the move so as to make the jump and consequently capture the opponents playing piece.

When a player has one or more pieces on the second circular board portion 7, their move may consist of rotating the circular portion 7 in either direction by 0, 90, 180 or 2700 and then moving one of their pieces on the board in the manner discussed above. Rotation of the central portion 7, is only permitted for player who has a playing piece thereon. Rotation of the central portion 7 is not obligatory. Rotation of the central portion 7 can be used to avoid the need to make a capture as previously discussed.

When a player's piece reaches the opposite edge of the board 1, it becomes a king and is replaced with an appropriate coloured piece i.e. red replaces white and blue replaces black. Thus, by way of example, when a white piece reaches the edge 21, it is replaced by a red ball 19. A king can move in all directions and thus can additionally move directly or diagonally backwards, and sideways.

Play continues until one player captures all of the playing pieces of another player. If both players are reduced to sufficiently few pieces for continuous repetition of a evasive moves to occur, the player with the most pieces left on the board is declared the winner. In this situation, kings count as two pieces.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that rotation of the portion 7 of the board can produce radical changes in the configuration of playing pieces and can disturb substantially the tactics of an opponent.

Another feature of the game results from the fact that certain of the positions in the square array of receptacles 4 are omitted, as at positions, 14, 15.

Consequently, a playing piece can move a large distance across the board by moving along line 25 for example which includes the omitted receptacles. Thus by moving along the line 25 it is possible to move a playing piece rapidly across the board to produce a new tactical situation.

The board 1 may conveniently be moulded in plastics material but alternatively, it may be made from sheet metal with the receptacles 4 comprising punched holes.

Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other arrangements for mounting the second board portion 7 in the first portion 6 may be utilised.

Other modifications falling within the scope of the invention are possible. For example whilst in the embodiment described hereinbefore the first and second board portions provide contiguous co-planar playing surfaces, these surfaces need not necessarily be co-planar. Moreover, the first and second board portions need not necessarily be of the shape shown in Figures 1 to 3. For example, the first portion could comprise a pair of surfaces having triangular peripheries with the second portion comprising a further triangular portion disposed between those of the first board portion. The triangular portions may define three equilateral triangle of equal area, in which case the second board portion will be rotatable through angles of 1200. In addition, the board portions need not necessarily be rotatable relative to one another; the rearrangement of the array of playing piece receptacles could be achieved by a translatory movement.

Other modifications to the apparatus shown in the drawings are possible. For example the handle 12 need not be releasable. Moreover the balls could be replaced by other forms of playing pieces, e.g. pegs which fit into holes in the board. Also, other forms of the holding devices 16, 17 are possible. In addition it may be possible for configure the game for use by 3 or more players.

Claims (13)

1. Game apparatus comprising: means defining an array of playing piece locations, and a plurality of playing pieces in first and second groups for first and second players respectively and for being moved between the playing piece locations, an outcome of the game being determined in dependence upon the positional relationship of the playing pieces in the array, wherein said array defining means comprises first and second board portions movable relative to. one another for re-arranging the relative location of the playing piece locations in the array.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said array is a regular two-dimensional array.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein playing piece locations are omitted from some positions in the array.

4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the first and second board portions are rotatable relative to one another.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the first board portion has a symmetrical quadrilateral periphery, and said second board portion has a circular periphery and is mounted for axial rotation within the periphery of the first portion.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 including means for releasably locating the second board portion in positions of angular rotation spaced by 900 from one another.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 or 6 including handle means for releasable attachment to the second board portion for rotating it.

8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the playing pieces comprise balls and the playing piece locations each comprise a ball receptacle.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 including third and fourth groups of balls for respectively replacing balls of the first and second groups that have traversed the array from one side to the other

10. Apparatus according to any preceding claim including playing piece holding means for holding playing pieces not in use on the board portions.

11. Game apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of playing a game with apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the playing pieces are moved between next adjacent playing piece locations, the first player can capture a playing piece of the second player by jumping a said piece of the first player over a piece of the second player into a vacant playing piece location, and upon movement of a said playing piece across from the first movable board portion to the second movable board portion the player concerned is entitled to produce a relative movement of the board portions to re-arrange the playing piece locations in the array.

13. A method of playing a game with apparatus according to claim 11 and substantially as hereinbefore described.