GB2218003A - Board game - Google Patents

Abstract

A board game comprising a board 1 having a plurality of intersecting channels 3 along which rollable playing pieces 7 are moved, impact between the playing pieces being used to cause an opponent's pieces to leave the board via a number of exits 4, 5 disposed on the perimeter of the board. Barriers 6 are selectively positionable at intersections between channels 3 to divert playing pieces 7 striking them. The playing pieces 7 may be made of glass or steel in spherical, polyhedric or cylindrical form and moved by cue, mallet or finger along an orthoganal or hexagonal grid. The object of the game is to drive playing pieces 7 of the opposing team out of the exits 4, 5. In a second game, the playing pieces 7 are jumped along depressions 2a. <IMAGE>

Description

BOARD GAME The present invention relates to apparatus for playing a game, and particularly concerns apparatus usable with two sets of rules to allow two board games of differing natures to be played.

The present apparatus comprises a playing surface in which a plurality of intersecting channels is formed to provide a network of pathways separated by a plurality of islands, a number of movable barriers positionable at intersection points between channels, a number of exits positioned about the edge of the network of channels, and a number of rollable playing pieces.

Preferably, the playing surface is rectangular, and is provided with an orthogonal grid of channels to define a number of rectangular islands. Most preferably, the grid comprises three channels extending longitudinally of the playing surface, and five transverse channels.

In the preferred embodiment, the ends of the channels are closed by fixed walls, the walls being omitted at four locations to provide four exits from the board. The exits are positioned two at the respective ends of the central transverse channel, and two at respective diagonally opposite ends of the outer longitudinal channels.

The movable barriers are preferably resilient and are adapted to be positioned diagonally across an intersection point between two channels, for purposes to be described later.

The rollable playing pieces are preferably spherical but may be polyhedronic or cylindrical in form.

The playing apparatus will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows the playing apparatus in perspective view.

The playing apparatus shown comprises a board 1 having raised areas 2 between which an orthogonal grid of channels 3 is defined. The grid comprises three channels extending longitudinally of the board 1, and five channels extending transversely. The channels are substantially evenly spaced, with the spacing between the longitudinally extending channels being slightly greater than that between the transversely extending channels. The ends of the channels 3 are closed by walls 3a, except at four exits 4 and 5. The exits 4 are situated at the ends of the central transverse channel, and the exits 5 are situated at opposite ends of respective outer longitudinal channels. The purpose of exits 4 and 5 is to allow the playing pieces to enter and leave the grid of channels at the start and end of play. On the upper surface of each raised area 2, a depression 2a is formed.The purpose of the depressions will be described in detail below.

A plurality of barriers 6 are provided, only one being shown. The barriers are preferably of resilient material, and are dimensioned so as to fit diagonally across an intersection between two channels. The barriers are retained in their diagonal positions by inclined end portions 6a, 6b which engage respectively a side of a longitudinal and a transverse channel or vice-versa when the barrier is in position. The end portions 6a, 6b are inclined to the plane of the barrier by approximately 450, and extend on opposite sides of the plane of the barrier 6. Alternatively, the barriers 6 may be simply plane sheets, the ends of each barrier being receivable in slots formed in the sides of the channels 3 to allow the barriers to extend diagonally across the intersection of two channels.

The playing pieces 7 are preferably spheres of hard material such as glass or steel, and are dimensioned so as to fit in the channels 3. A considerable clearance may be provided for the playing pieces within the channels, by making their diameter substantially smaller than the width of the channels.

The channels are flat-bottomed and have vertical sides in the embodiment shown, but other configurations such as a "V" section groove or a round bottomed channel are possible, preferably with the barriers 6 appropriately shaped to correspond.

In an alternative embodiment, not illustrated, the grid pattern of the channels may be of a hexagonal configuration with three sets of parallel channels disposed at 12Go to each other.

Each barrier would then be shaped to fit into an intersection in one of three orientations, depending which channels are to be blocked.

The apparatus may also be supplemented by providing a tool or implement by which the playing pieces are moved, such as for example a cue or a striker in the form of a mallet.

A first game playable using the apparatus is played by two teams of one or more players, each of which is assigned an "end" of the board. To play the game, a player from each team will first decide which team is to start. This may be conveniently done by each player placing a playing piece 7 at one of the exits 5, and striking or flicking the piece 7 towards the far end of the board 1 along the longitudinal channel 3, with the intention of placing the piece as near as possible to the blind end 8 of the channel. The team whose piece comes to rest nearest the blind end 8 of the channel plays first in the game.

Play commences with each team having two playing pieces 7 of a distinctive colour. These are placed at the blind ends 9 of the transverse channel nearest the team's end of the board.

A player from the starting team then places a barrier 6 in one (any one) of the intersections of the grid, and then moves a first one of his playing pieces 7, by flicking it with a finger or with an implement, so that it makes contact with one of the opposing team's pieces 7.

If the starting player is successful, then his turn continues. He then takes a second barrier 6 and places it on the board at an intersection, and moves his other playing piece 7, attempting to contact a playing piece 7 of his opponent. The starting player's turn is then over.

If the starting player fails to make contact with an opponent's piece 7 at his first attempt, play passes to the opposing team.

At the opponent's turn, a player from the second team places a first of his barriers 6 on the board, and moves a first of his pieces 7 attempting to contact a piece 7 of the starting team. If successful, he places a second barrier 6 and moves his second playing piece 7; if unsuccessful, play reverts to the starting team, each player of each team playing in turn.

The object of the game is to drive the playing pieces of the opposing team off the board by striking them with one's own pieces so as to force them out of one of the exits 4 or 5. At each turn, the positions of the barriers 6 are changed, since a player must reposition one of his team's barriers 6 before moving a playing piece. The playing pieces 7 and barriers 6 are advantageously colour-coded so that a player may only move his team's pieces 7 and barriers 6.

Penalties are levied for fouls committed during play, as follows: Fouls 1. Failure to place or reposition a barrier before moving a piece.

2. Disturbing a piece when placing or repositioning a barrier.

3. Touching more than one piece during execution of a move.

4. Impeding movement of a piece with a finger or playing implement.

5. Dislodging a barrier during a turn, otherwise than by deliberate placing or repositioning.

6. Playing the same piece twice within one turn when both pieces are on the board.

7. Causing a piece to "jump" out of the channel or over a barrier without first contacting an opposing piece.

8. Causing one's own piece to leave the board directly, without contacting on opponent's piece.

9. Causing one's own piece to leave the board simultaneously with one of the opponent's pieces.

10. Causing a piece to leave the board otherwise than through an exit.

The penalty for fouls 1 to 7 is that any remaining part of the offending player's turn is forfeit, and the other team is awarded a penalty stroke in which one of its pieces may be moved closer to the offending team's pieces without contacting them. The opponent then takes his turn as normal. If, however, contact is made during the penalty stroke, the penalty stroke is forfeit and the opponent continues his turn by playing his other piece.

The penalty for foul 8 is that the piece does not re-enter play.

After fouls 9 and 10, all pieces that have left the board re-enter play. The offending player's piece is placed on the board at the intersection of the central longitudinal and central transverse channels. If this spot is occupied, the piece is placed at another intersection of the central transverse channel. His opponent's piece is returned to the board by placing it at the blind end 10 of one of the transverse channels adjacent the central transverse channel.

Barriers may be placed at any intersection in any orientation, except that they may not be placed so as to trap a piece in a corner of the board. For example, if a playing piece is situated in the blind end 8 of longitudinal channel 3, a barrier may not be so placed as to prevent movement of that piece or access to that piece from either longitudinal channel 3 or from the adjacent outer transverse channel.

In the second game, the playing pieces are moved from one to another of the depressions 2a formed in the raised "island" areas 2 of the board, the pieces being able to "jump" from island to island in the longitudinal or lateral directions of the board only.

Diagonal movement between islands is permitted only when a barrier 6 links the two islands.

The second game starts with each players' two pieces positioned in the corner recesses at a respective end of the board, and two barriers extending from the corner island across the intersection of the laterally outermost and longitudinally endmost channels 3.

Players may move one of their pieces at each turn and the move may have up to three distinct phases.

First, a piece may move diagonally from its start position along one or more barriers to reach an "island", Second, the piece may "jump" to the next adjacent island in the longitudinal or lateral direction of the board (i.e. crossing only one of the channels 3), and Third, any barrier along which the piece has passed may be repositioned on the board.

Additionally, if at the end of a players' turn a position exists in which two playing pieces are situated at the respective ends of a barrier, that barrier may be repositioned regardless of whether a piece passed along that barrier during the preceding turn.

Clearly, it will not be every turn which commences by a piece crossing a barrier to move diagonally from one island to another. Such a turn will start by the piece "jumping" to an adjacent island, and may also include repositioning of a barrier.

Likewise, where three or more islands are linked by two or more barriers, then the first phase of a move may involve crossing diagonally from one island to a second and then to a third and possibly a fourth, before a "jump" is executed. In such a case, all barriers that were crossed are available for repositioning by the player after the "jump" phase.

The object of the game is for a player to achieve a position in which his playing pieces are on islands situated at opposing sides of the board, and these islands are linked by a pathway comprising three barriers and two intermediate islands.

While the games have been described in relation to a single embodiment, it is clear that other variations are possible. For example, a hexagonal or triangular board may be used, with three parallel sets of intersecting channels, so that three teams of players may compete. Although each player or team has, in the game described, two pieces 7 and two barriers 6, it is foreseen that this can be any number providing that each team starts the game with equal numbers of pieces and barriers.

The pieces may be spherical, or may be polyhedronic, for example icosehedra, and may carry indicia on their faces.

Claims (15)

1. Apparatus for playing a game, comprising a board having a plurality of intersecting channels forming a network of pathways separated by a plurality of raised islands, a number of moveable barriers positionable at the intersections of pathways, a number of exits positioned at the perimeter of the network of pathways, and a number of rollable playing pieces.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the channels are arranged in a rectangular grid pattern

3. Apparatus according to Claim 2 in which the board is generally elongated and rectangular, and the grid pattern comprises three longitudinally extending channels and five transversely extending channels.

4. Apparatus according the claim 3, wherein the ends of the central transverse channel are open to provide two exits, diagonally opposite ends of the outer longitudinal channels are open to provide two further exits, and the remaining channel ends are blocked by fixed walls.

5. Apparatus according to Claims 2 to 4, wherein the barriers are positionable diagonally across the intersections between channels.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 5, wherein the barriers are resilient.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, wherein the playing pieces are spherical.

8. Apparatus according to Claims 1 to 6, wherein the playing pieces are polyhedral.

9. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the board is generally triangular or hexagonal, and the channels are composed of three series of parallel channels set at 1200 to each other

10. Apparatus according to Claim 9, wherein the barriers are positionable across each intersection in any one of three orientations.

11. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, wherein each island is provided on its upper face with an area where a playing piece may be located.

12. Apparatus according to Claim 11, wherein each area is a depression capable of receiving and retaining a playing piece.

13. Apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 8 or 11 or 12, wherein the number of barriers is four and the number of playing pieces is four, two of each being provided in colours contrasting from the other two.

14. Apparatus according to Claims 8 to 12, wherein the number of playing pieces and barriers is six, two being provided in each of three colours.

15. Apparatus for playing a game, substantially as described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.