GB2237750A

GB2237750A - Game

Info

Publication number: GB2237750A
Application number: GB9023753A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Stanley Ringham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-11-08
Filing date: 1990-11-01
Publication date: 1991-05-15
Anticipated expiration: 2010-11-01
Also published as: GB9023753D0; GB2237750B; GB8925216D0

Abstract

A board game apparatus has a chequerboard-like main grid (1) and at least two subsidiary grids (3) at opposite sides. There are at least two sets of pieces, divided into sub-sets, identifiable by colour, the total number substantially corresponding to the number of squares of the main grid. Certain squares may be marked as "no-stop" areas. Playing in alternation, each player moves one piece straight, diagonally or transversely to a black square (for the black player) or to a white square (for the white player) the object being to fill the main grid with as many pieces as possible without setting down a piece next to one of the same colour. In a modification, the board can be folded (Fig. 3) so that in an initial stage dispositions on the subsidiary grids cannot be seen by an opponent. <IMAGE>

Description

"A GAME" This invention concerns a game, primarily intended as a board game, having a flat board with markings for table use, or a board to which pieces can be held, as by pegs in holes or by magnets, for travel use. However, it could possibly be developed into a three-dimensional version, and it could also be made into a computer version, the board being displayed on a VDU with "pieces" moved by keyboard manipulation. For convenience and brevity, reference will hereafter only be made to board versions.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for playing a game comprising a board marked with a main grid and two subsidiary grids, the main grid distinguishing between adjacent areas in the manner of a chequerboard, and the areas of the subsidiary grids being in alignment with areas of the main grid, and two distinguishable sets of playing pieces, each set being subdivided into separately identifiable sub-sets with each subset of one set having a corresponding sub-set in the other set.

The pieces do not have to be any particular size or shape, but should fit comfortably within any one area of the grids. They may, for example, be like draughts pieces or "Halma" men. Conveniently, the distinction between sets may be by colour, for example one set being basically black and the other white. Likewise, the separate identification of the sub-sets may be by colour, each piece having a visible portion on the black or white background coloured red, yellow, green, blue and so on. These may be stick-on patches, or small markers that clip into position on the main piece. Generally there will be the same number of pieces in each sub-set, but this could be varied.

Preferably, the number of areas in each subsidiary grid is about half the number of areas in the main grid, and the number of pieces in each set will be sufficient substantially to fill each subsidiary grid, one piece to each area. The pieces may be set down initially in an arbitrary manner, at the whim of the player. However, the areas of each subsidiary grid may be subdivided into groups corresponding to respective sub-sets of pieces. For example, they might be coloured in correspondence with the colouring of the sub-sets, and the pieces may then initially be placed on areas of corresponding colour.

In the preferred form, the main grid will be square, for example 8 x 8 like a chessboard, an the subsidiary grids will be on opposite sides, extending the full length of those sides, and rectangular in form (e.g. 8 x 4). The subsidiary grids do not have to be marked in chequerboard fashion like the main grid.

Certain areas in the main and subsidiary grids may be distinguished from the others to signify some restriction on play or to indicate where certain pieces should be put.

In one preferred form, the corner areas of the main grid are so marked, and in the subsidiary grids the corners furthest from the main grid may also be marked.

In a more developed version of the game, the main grid may have at least one extra area overlapping the common junction of a group of normal areas. Thus, where there is a group of four normal areas in a square, this extra area may be another square (or circle or other regular figure) symmetrically arranged over the common point of the four squares but leaving much of those squares still exposed.

Such an area will generally be at the centre of the main grid, and preferably there will be four other such areas, symmetrically placed on the diagonals of the main grid.

For one possible game whose rules are outlined later it is important that another player should not see the subsidiary grid of his opponent while the pieces are being set out on those grids. To achieve this the board may be foldable to create a central barrier while the two subsidiary grids remain flat on the supporting surface. For example, the two subsidiary grids may have hinged connections to the main grid, while the latter will be in two halves hinged at the transverse centre line and foldable in the opposite sense to the subsidiary grids. This enables the board to assume an inverted T-shape, the stem of the T, formed from the folded main grid, providing the visual barrier. The board can be flattened out from this condition by sliding the subsidiary grids away from each other in the horizontal plane. This will not disturb the pieces set out on them.

The board may be modified for play with three or four people by having further subsidiary grids on the other pairs of opposite sides of the square grid, and there may then be two further distinguishable sets of playing pieces.

For a better understanding of the invention, some embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a board for one version of the game, Figure 2 is a plan view of a board for another version of the game, and Figure 3 is a side view of a board for further version of the game.

In Figure 1, there is a main grid 1 resembling a chequerboard, marked with black and white squares in an 8 x 8 configuration. The corner squares are distinguished by oppositely shaded spots 1 and represent "no-stop" areas as described below.

Along two opposite sides of this grid there are subsidiary grids 3, each 8 x 4, but not marked in chequerboard fashion. However, apart from the remote corner squares 4, they may be coloured red, yellow, green, blue and white as indicated by the respective initials. This colour pattern is not mandatory, and other patterns may be used or not provided at all.

Each player will have a set of thirty pieces, one set being basically white and the other black. Each set will be divided into five sub-sets identified by markers of the colours displayed on the subsidiary grids. To start a game, the sets will be laid out on the subsidiary grids preferably with the pieces on their correspondingly coloured squares. The remote corner squares will be empty.

The object of the game is for each player to move as many of his pieces as possible from his set-up area or subsidiary grid 3 on to the main grid 1, the movements being subject to certain restrictions as follows: 1. Each player moves one piece at a time, the moves alternating between players.

2. Each piece can move only in a straight line, parallel to the sides of the grid or diagonally.

3. A black piece can only finish on a black square and a white one on a white square.

4. No piece can finish immediately adjacent another piece bearing the same colour, be it a piece of the opponent or of the player concerned.

5. No piece can stop on the corner squares marked by the spots 2, but any piece can move over such squares.

6. No piece can jump another piece of either player.

7. The same rules of movement apply within the setup areas, the corner squares 4 being "no-stop" areas, except that pieces marked with the same colour can be adjacent. Also, it is allowable for a piece marked with a certain colour in the front row of the set-up area to be adjacent a piece marked with the same colour in the rear row of the main grid.

8. Should a piece in error be placed and left in an unallowable position, it is removed from the main grid and returned to its set-up area, preferably to one of the remote corner squares 4. Which square may be at the discretion of the opponent, who may also have discretion to place a foul piece on some other square in the set-up area. If it cannot be determined who is at fault, both pieces are removed, each to the respective set-up area.

9. No piece can return to its set-up area, except as a result of Rule 8, after moving on to the main grid, nor can it enter the opposite set-up area.

10. A piece returned to its set-up area under Rule 8 can be brought into play again. Restrictions might be imposed, for example a number of player turns might have to elapse, or all other pieces may have to be moved out of the set-up area first.

11. Play continues until one player cannot move. The other player can then continue with successive moves. If at any point this results in the previously stopped player having a possible move, then that player may resume. When both players are immobile, the game is finished and the winner is the player with the most pieces on the main grid 1.

Instead of playing to a finish, a time limit may be imposed, the player with the most pieces on the main grid at the end of the period being the winner.

Referring now to Figure 2, the board is generally similar, although the corner squares of the main grid are no longer "no-stop" areas. But in addition, the main grid has five further squares 5, one placed centrally over the junction of the four central chequerboard squares, but leaving most of them exposed, and the others symmetrically placed on the diagonals, also overlapping the junctions of four chequerboard squares. The rules of movement are the same as before, but the final object is not to get as many pieces on to the main grid as possible, but to place a piece on one of the squares 5 and then "reinforce" it according to the following rules: 1. The only way to move on to a square 5 is from one of the squares which it overlaps.

2. Such movement is only allowed when all four such overlapped squares are occupied by pieces (two of one player and two of the other).

3. Having moved a piece on to a square 5, the player concerned at his next move must refill the vacant overlapped square. If he succeeds, the game is won.

4. If after a square 5 is filled the opponent immediately removes one of his two pieces in the overlapped squares, the piece on the square 5 in question has to be removed to the associated set-up area, for example to one of the corner squares 4. The game then continues.

5. If, after a square is filled and the opponent has played, the first player cannot refill the overlapped square he vacated on his previous move, then he must remove his piece from the square 5 and return is to the set-up area.

The game then continues.

The sets of pieces need not be divided into five sub-sets each containing six pieces, as implied by Figure 1.

A slightly easier version of each game might be provided with six sub-sets, with five pieces in each. There could even be an imbalance with different numbers between subsets.

It will be understood that the first game described in connection with Figure 1 can be played on the board of Figure 2, simply ignoring the squares 5.

Another possible game, playable on either of these boards, and using the same pieces, involves removal of an opponent's pieces somewhat in the manner of Chess or Draughts.

For this game, the same rules of movement are observed, and preferably the corner squares of the main grid will not be out of bounds for placing a piece.

The removal of an opponent's piece is achieved by a player placing one of his own pieces of one colour next to an opponent's piece of the same colour. The opponent's piece is then removed entirely from the board, while the successful player's piece remains. Should a player inadvertently place two of his own pieces of the same colour next to each other, and if this is observed by the opponent the latter can permanently remove both pieces from the board. Likewise, if the "white" player leaves one of his pieces on a "black" square or vice-versa, the offending piece can be removed for the rest of that game.

An outright win is achieved by the player who removes all his opponent's pieces. However, it is possible that one player might remove all the blue and yellow pieces of his opponent, for example, while the latter might remove all the other coloured pieces of the first player. The game will then be decided in favour of the player with the most number of colours. In other words, there could be 4 -1 or 3 - 2 wins.

In a variation of this game, each player is allowed to move his pieces into the opponent's set-up area, although not directly from his own set-up area.

The object of the game is to move as many pieces as possible into the opposing set-up area, and the winner will be the player with the most pieces so placed. As a development of this, the pieces may be weighted in value, for example, from 1 to 5 corresponding to the five colours.

Each colour would have the same value for both players, for example yellow could be worth one, blue two, red three, and so on. Then, the winner would be the player with the highest total value in his opponent's set up area.

The players could also agree to ascribe a monetary value to the pieces, and the loser would pay the winner either the total of the winning set of pieces, or the difference between the totals on the winning and losing sides.

Additional rules may be required for this game such as forbidding a player to place a piece on the front line of his opponent's set-up area, or from re-playing a piece back on to the main grid once it has been played onto the opponent's set-up area. There will be no restriction on similar colours next to each other in the set-up areas.

In a further development of the game where values are given to the pieces, while each colour will have a different value, each player can choose how to distribute the valuations to his own pieces, and this will be kept secret from the other player until the end of the game.

Such may be written down by each player and kept in a "Bank" until the end of the game.

In yet another variation, the players will decide a particular target value. This will apply to both players.

Play is as described above, and the first player to achieve this target by the amount or value of his pieces in his opponent's set-up area is the winner. Preferably, the target should be attained exactly, and a player going over it loses or suffers some penalty. Should the target not be attained by either player, the player with the higher value is the winner, while if those values are equal, the winner is the player with the least number if pieces in his opponent's set-up area.

It would be possible to differentiate between the players, one having the value of his pieces known to his opponent, while the latter would have his values kept secret to himself. If this player loses, he will pay double the difference or wager, while if he wins he will be paid the single amount.

When laying out pieces in the set-up area for these games it may be desirable, particularly when wagers are at stake, to enable each player to arrange his pieces secretly from the other player. This may be achieved by using the board of Figure 3 which can fold to an inverted Tshape, the set-up areas remaining flat on the table but being shielded from each other by the main grid which is folded back on itself about the transverse centre line.

These games could be played by other than two players. For example "doubles" could be played with two people on each side. Alternatively, there might be subsidiary grids along the third and fourth sides so that players could be paired in the manner of Whist or Bridge.

In that case, each player would have only half the number of pieces compared with a player on his own, and only half of the subsidiary grids, for example the first two rows, would be used. The distribution of pieces between paired players may be at random or according to a set pattern.

Alternatively, each player could play for himself by having four separately identifiable sets of pieces.

A single person can also play as form of "Patience". By playing the pieces with normal rotation, the object would be to fill up the entire main grid without incurring any penalties for unallowable placements.

It will be understood that, instead of a plain board, it may be made in a "travel" version, with a hole in each square to receive a peg at the base of each piece.

Alternatively, the pieces could incorporate magnets, to adhere to a suitably metallic board.

There is also the alternative of an electronic version, with a VDU showing the board and pieces, with a keyboard to move the representations of the pieces.

Claims

1. Apparatus for playing a game comprising a board marked with a main grid and two subsidiary grids, the main grid distinguishing between adjacent areas in the manner of a chequerboard, and the areas of the subsidiary grids being in alignment with the areas of the main grid, and two distinguishable sets of playing pieces, each set being sub-divided into separately identifiable sub-sets with each sub-set of one set having a corresponding sub-set in the other set.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein each set is identified by a main colour (or black or white).

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein each sub-set is identified by colour.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein there are the same number of pieces in each subset.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein each subsidiary grid has substantially half the number of areas as the main grid.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the number of pieces of each set is substantially equal to the number of areas in each one of the subsidiary grids.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the areas of each subsidiary gird are sub-divided into groups corresponding to respective sub-sets of pieces.

8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 as appendant to Claim 3, wherein the areas are identified by the colours of the sub-sets.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the main grid is square.

10. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the subsidiary grids are on opposite sides of the square and extend over the full length of those sides.

11. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the subsidiary grids are rectangular.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein certain areas of the main grid are further distinguished from the other areas.

13. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 12, wherein said certain areas are at the corners of the main grid.

14. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein certain areas of the subsidiary grids are further distinguished from other areas.

15. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the main grid has at least one extra area overlapping the common junction of a group of normal areas, leaving part of each such normal area exposed;

16. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the extra area or areas are symmetrically arranged with respect to the main grid.

17. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 15, as.

appendant to Claim 7, wherein there are extra areas at the centre and on the diagonals of the square.

18. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the board is foldable in a manner such that the main grid can provide an upright barrier between the subsidiary girds lying on a flat surface, the board being fully flattenable onto such surface by drawing the subsidiary grids apart.

19. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim as appendant to Claim 10, with the modification of further subsidiary grids on the other pair of opposite sides.

20. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 19, wherein there are two further distinguishable sets of playing pieces.

21. Apparatus for playing a game substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2, with or without Figure 3, of the accompanying drawings.

22. A modification of the apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the board and pieces are replaced by an electronic visual display unit (VDU) which will show representations of the board and pieces, and control means such as a keyboard, by which the representations of the pieces can be shifted on the display of the VDU.