US1628412A - Chess - Google Patents

Description

Q *7 1,628,412 May 10 1926. L L LESAVOY v CHESS Filed Aug. 11, 1926 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet l .J 'QM 1. 32 11; B Y

ATTORNEY 1,628,412 y 1927' L. LESAVOY CHESS Filed Aug. 11, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR A TTORNE Y Patented May 10, 1927. l

UNITED ST ATES PATENT OFFICE.

rsanonr: LAWRENCE LESAVOY, or NEW wax, n. Y.

canes;

Application filed August 11. 1926. Serial No. 128,580.

This invention relates to the game of chess.

As is well known, the game-pieces or chess-men are of different types and a abilities of movement 01' maneuverabil ty. The different types of chess-men comprise, in addition to the king, the fawn, the bishop, the knight, the castle and t 'e queen. These six types of chess-men, only, are the ones employed, as the ame has been played for centuries past; an the game as'thus played, and as now being played, is-the sub ect of the present invention.

To those skilled inthe gaine of'chess, the different permissible. movements of the different chess-men are well known.-- Thus most people are probably aware'that the piece attacked or defended is the king, while.the other ieces enumerated are the attacking or det nding pieces. To those who are not et devotees of the game of chess, the di erent permissible movements of the attacking or defending pieces often seem so com licated and confusing, when first explaine that the game is consldered too difiicult to become acquainted with easily, and hence not worth the effort to attempt playing it, eve'n though its recreat1onal virtues are apparent and its value as a means of exercising the mental powers is generally .admitted.

)ne of the objects of the present 1nvention is to provide, in connection w th an equipment of pieces regresentlng a standard set of chess-men, signi catory means giving easy and instantaneous, and preferably graphic, indication of the ermissible movements of any particular 0 less-men. Another object is to provide said means, and a means functioning as explained with the chess-men at rest on. a board either at the beginning of a game or during the course of the game. It is also known that many persons have attempted to take up the game ofchess, and have even gone so far as to learn the permissible movements of different chessmen, and in some cases have even gone further and learned a good many of the standand and more common attacks and defenses, and yet have sooner or latervdropped the game because of an apparently mysterious inability ever to win a game against certain players. I have found that this discouragmg experience is in the great majority of cases immediately overcome when advanta e is taken of the discovery that each of tie different attacking or defending chess-men represents a definite, absolute function which I may designate the sacrifice-value. I have found that when two players of approximately the same amount of familiarity with the game of chess (such familiarity representmg the sum, as to each player, of his study and experience), the one of the two players which wins a articular game is the one who happens to s new the least amount of carelessness and forethought during that game; grovided the two players are not widely ifferent in intellectual power, and, above all, provided one of such players has not the advantage over the other which follows from a knowledge lacked by the other, of such sacrifice-values.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in connection with an equipment of pieces representing a standard set of chessmen, significatory means iving easy and instantaneous, and preferahly graphic, indication of the comparative or any two or more chess men.

Another object is to provide a means as last described and a means functionin with the chess-men at rest on a board either at the beginning of a game or during the course of the ame.

One of the lmportant objects of the invention is to providea standard chess game. and yet one which may be used practicably asa teachers assistant or chess-game-instructor.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof as at present preferred; it being understood, of course, that such embodiment represents merely an illustrative one of the many possible ways of carrying out the invention. Therefore, as to the illustrative form of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, it is particularly to be understood that the detailed desacrifice-values scription of such form now to be given is not to be taken as at all defining or limiting the invention itself. That is to say, the scope of protection contemplated is to be taken solely from the appended claims,

interpreted as broadly as is consistent with the prior art, and with explanatory references to the specification only where a claim is ambiguous or to be impliedly limited beyond its express terms to avoid such art 1n order to save the validity of said claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of pawn according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a substantially vertical section, taken on: the line 2--2 of ,Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one form of bishop according to the invention;

Fig. 4 is a substantially vertical section, taken on the line 4-4= of Fig. 3;

Fi 5 is a side elevation of one form of knig t according to the invention;

Fig. 6 is a substantially vertical section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of one form of castle according to the invention;

Fig. 8 is a substantially vertical section, taken on the line 88'of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of one form of queen according to the invention;

Fig. 10 is a substantially vertical section, taken on the line 10-10 of F i 9;

Fig. 11 is a; side elevation 0 one form of king according to the invention; and

Fig. 12 is a substantial? vertical section, taken on the line 2-2 of ig. 11.

It will be seen from the drawing, and particularly from the odd numbered views, that each of the chess-men'incorporates a shape or localized shaping similar to or suggestive of the familiar figure of the particular chess-man represented.

Thus, the pawn of Fig. 1 is of no particular configuration or other characteristic exce t that it is-of smaller stature than the ot er pieces; the bishop of Fig. 3 at its top is provided with a bishops mitre 14; the knight of Fig. 5 is provided at its top with a horses head 15; the castle of Fig. 7 includes the conventional turret 16; the queen of Fig. 9 is provided at its top with a crown, l7; and the king of Fig. 11, of greater stature than the queen, is also provided at its top with a crown, 18.

It will further be noted that, as is usual with chess-pieces, the knight is of slightly less stature than the queen, and that the castle and the bishop, both of the same height, are of slightly less stature than the knight, yet taller than the pawn.

Referring now particularly to the even numbered views, these are fragmentary sections so laid out as to show the obverse faces of discs 19 secured to or integrally carried by the diiferent pieces, and to show such faces of said discs so that the faces will lie in planes perpendicular to the line of vision, as would be the case when a player is seated in back of his chessmen at a table on which the chess board rests.

These discs 19, in the present case, carry indicates plainly that the pawn may in an case be moved one square straight ahea while, if the pawn can be moved so as to take an opponents piece, the awn may also be moved to a square either-immediately to the right or to the left of the square straight ahead. In this connection, note the crisscross lines 20 indicating square boundaries, the junction oint 21 of the butts of the arrows 22, suc point indicating the assumed location of the pawn on a square and the length of the arrows as well as the small circle, indicating the square to square travel of the piece on each movement thereof. Note, too, that the letter T is opposite the heads of two of the arrows to indicate that these movements may be performed only when an opponents piece can thereby betaken or captured.

. Referring to the bishops disc 19 of Fig. 4, we-see again the criss-cross' lines 20 and a circle 23 from which diverge various arrows 24. This circle carries within it the legend Any Na. Note also that all these arrows are representative of diagonal travels across bishop may be moved at an time any number of squares desired, an may be moved backward or forward, provided the line of travel is diagonally of the board.

Referring to the knights disc 19 of Fig. (I, we see again the criss-cross lines 20, and the junction point 25 of various obtusely bent arrows 26; such arrows being arranged in pairs and each pair of arrows having a common stafi 26 between their butts and the point on each arrow where a change of direction thereof establishes an obtuse angle fl in the.

the board. Thus the significance is that a as indicated. Such a graph as that just described, carried by the piece representing the kni ht, easily and instantaneously points out to the tyro the permissible and only the permissible movements of the knight.

Referring to the castles disc 19 of Fig. 8, we see again the criss-cross lines 20, and also the circle 23, from which diverge various arrows 27 This circle carries within it the legend Any No.. Note also that these arrows are representative of straight up and down and straight right and left travels across the board. Thus the significance is that a castle may be moved at any one time any number of squares desired, and may be moved backward or forward, provided the line of travel is parallel to any one of the lines 20.

Referring to the queens disc 19 of Fig. 10, we see again the cries-cross lines 20, and the circle 23. From this circle diverge various arrows 28. Said circle, like the circle Ill was,

' s uares desired, backward or orward, and

a ong either diagonal, or parallel to any one of the lines 20.

Referring to the kings disc 19 of Fig. 12, we see again the criss-cross lines 20, and the circle 23, and diverging arrows 28 as in Fig.

' 10. The circle here, however, carries within it'the numeral 1. Thus the significance is that the kin may be moved at any one;

time in any direction the queen. may be moved, but only one square. c

I have hereinabove referred to the attacking and defending chess-men as having definite, absolute comparative sacrifice-values. Of course, in a certain situation, these values may vary somewhat; especially to the trained sense of a player of some experience. The safer rule, however, particularly for one who is a beginner, is to assume that in all situations said values prevail. These values are as follows: Two pawns are worth one knight or one bishop; two bishops are worth one castle; two castles are equal in value to the queen. That is, giving the awn the arbitrary value of 1, the knight has the value of 2, the bishop the value of 2, the castle the value of a, and the queen the value of 8.

See now the she ings of these five attacking and defen ing chess-men last referred to, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. The main body ofthe pawn of Fig. l is shaped like the Arabic numeral 1, the main body of the bishop of Fig. 3 and of the knightof Fig. 5 in each case is shaped like the numeral 2, the main body of the castle of Fig. 7 is shaped like the numeral i, and the main body of the queen of Fig. 9 is shaped like the numeral 8.

In the present case, the king of Fig. 11 is shaped to reproduce the whole regal figure, and the monarch is shown as though fleeing, to indicate broadly the fact that the game is won by attacking the opponents king while protecting ones own.

Thus it will be seen that l have rovided a standard chess-game, yet one wel calculated to have all the advantages and attain all the ob'ects hereinabove set forth, one that may e constructed at comparatively small expense, one that may be engaged in for recreational as well as educational purposes by a beginner, and one that may be played at for long periods without having a sense of unfamiliarity develo ed on subsequently laying the game wlth the usual type of c ess-men as well as the usual type of chess board.

Inasmuch as many changes could be made in the above constructions, and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention could be made-without departmg from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter-contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the lanage contained in the following claims is Intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the. invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. A chess-man carrying visibly thereon, when the chess-man is located at a particular square on the chess board, an indicium suggestive of a permissible movement of said chess-man on said board.

2. A chess-man carrying visibly thereon, when the'chess-man is located at a particular :5 uare on the chess board, a directional indicium graphically suggestive of a permissible movement of said chess-man on said board.

3. A set "of chess-men including a plurality of chess-men of dissimilar type in that they have dissimilar permissible movements relative to the squares of the chess board, each of said chess-men carrying an indicium suggestive of the permissible movements of that chess-man on said board.

4. A. chess-man carrying visibly thereon, when the chesssman is located at a particular square on the chess board, an indicium suggestive of the sacrifice-value of said chessman.

5. chess-man carrying visibly thereon,

limb

symbol suggestive of the sacrifice-value of said chess-man.

6. Aset of chess-men including a plurality of chess-men of dissimilar type in that they have dissimilar permissible movements relative to the squares of the chess board, each of said chess-men carrying a numerical symbol, diderent types of chess-man carrying different numerical symbols.

7. A set of chess-men including a plurality of chess-men of dissimilar type in that they have dissimilar permissible movements relative to the squares of the chess-board, each of said chess-men carrying a numerical symbol, a chess-man of one ty e carrying a certain numerical symbol, an a chess-man of another type carrying a numerical symbol representing a multiple of the first mentioned symbol.

8. A set of chess-men including a plurality of chess-men of dissimilar type in that they have dissimilar, permissible movements relative to the squares of the chess board, 'ically its familiar prototgpe and also shaped each of said chess-men carrying a numerical symbol, a cl1ess=man of one type carrying a certain numerical symbol, and a chess-man of another type carrying a numerical symbol representing" a sub-multiple of the firstmentioned symbol.

9. A chess-man shaped to suggest graphgestin a certain numerical value.

to suggest a numerical gure.

10. A chess-man carrying visibly thereon, when the chess-man is located at a particular square on a chess board, indicia suggestinga certain direction of movement and also 'sug rsAnoR LAWRENCE LESAVOYT

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