US3186716A

US3186716A - Modified checker game

Info

Publication number: US3186716A
Application number: US187580A
Authority: US
Inventors: Anthony A Shabarick
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-04-16
Filing date: 1962-04-16
Publication date: 1965-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 1982-06-01

Description

United States Patent O 3,185,716 MDEED @HECKER GAME Anthony A. Shabariclr, 4211/2 San Fernando Road, Glendale, Calif. Filed Apr. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 187,530 Claims. (Cl. 273-137) This invention relates generally to the game of checkers and more particularly to checkers of novel construction for adding parameters of complexities to the normal game of checkers.

The new game is played on a checkerboard by two persons each having twelve checkers which are moved diagonally one square or jumped as in the normal game of checkers. The increased complexities provided by this invention are derived from a construction in which certain of the checkers are mateable with certain others only permitting interesting variations in `the rules of the game relating to jumping. The game equipment of this invention permits the players to choose between different degrees of increased complexity.

The details of construction of the game equipment provided by this invention and the manner of playing the game in its various degrees of complexity are described in the following part of this Ispecification With reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is a linear perspective view of equipment for playing a game of this invention; and

FIGURES 2 to 8 inclusive are views of dierent forms respectively of checkers of this invention shown partly in side elevation and partly in central vertical section.

Referring to the drawing in greater detail, and with the use of reference numerals, there is shown a conventional checkerboard, designated generally by the reference numeral 10, having side edges 11 and 12 and end or base edges 13 and 14. The surface of the board is divided into sixty-four squares, half the total number being black squares 16 and the other half being white squares 17, the black squares alternating with the white squares both sidewise and endwise of the board. The game is designed to be played by two persons positioned opposite each other with the end edges of .the board being nearest the players respectively. There is a set of twelve black checkers 19 for one player and a set of twelve white checkers 26 for the other player and these are positioned on the board before beginning play as shown in FIG- URE 1.

The checkers are moved diagonally on the black squares 15 only, one square per Iturn of play. Should a black checker, for example, be in a 4square next adjacent that on which a white checker sets, and should the black square next beyond the black checker he vacant, the white checker may jump the black checker and remove the jumped checker from the board. The object of the game is to block or capture all of the opponents checkers. A checker or man becomes a king when it reaches any of the squares in the last row adjacent the base edge of the opposing side, and thenceforth it may be moved backwards as well as forwards.

As thus far described, the manner of playing the game is according to the normal game of checkers, and it is obvious that the equipment provided by this invention may be used to play the normal game.

Referring to FlGURES l to 8, inclusive, typical species of checkers of this invention are shown, they being designated by numerals 22 to 28 inclusive, respectively. As will become apparent hereinafter, diderent combinations of the illustrated examples of checkers of this invention may be used for playing games of different degrees of complexity over the normal game of checkers. For the purposes of presenting herein a full description of a ice specic embodiment, the species of FIGURES 2-5 are selected for particular description with reference to FIG- UR'E l.

It will be assumed that each players set of twelve checkers contains four groups of three checkers each, with the members of the same group being identical to each other and being diiferent from those of any other group, i.e., one group consists of three checkers of the form shown at 22 in FIGURE 2, another group consists of three checkers 23, another of checkers 24, and the remaining group of checkers 25. The illustrated checkers are circular, and for convenience of reference herein, they are said to have a top surface 30 and a bottom surface 31. Each has a cylindrical projection extending axially upright from the top surface 30, the projections of

checkers

22 and 23 being square in horizontal section and are designated by reference numeral 33. The projections of

checkers

24 and 25 are circular in horizontal cross-section and are designated by reference numeral 34. Each of the checkers 22 to 25 inclusive has a cylindrical recess formed coaxially in the checker. The recesses of

checkers

22 and 24 are of square cross-section and are designated by reference numeralV 36. The recesses for

checkers

23 and 25 are circular in cross-section and are designated by numeral 37.

The square projections 33 are slidably receivable in the square recess 36 of another checker, and the circular projections 34 of any checker are slidably receivable in the circular recesses 37 of any other checker. The square projections are not receivable in a circular recess nor are the circular projections receivable in a square recess, i.e., the cross-sectional figure of a circular projection 34 can neither be circumscribed nor inscribed in the square ligure of a horizontal section through a square projection 33.

When a player has completed arranging his checkers to begin play, he'is not permitted thereafter to turn any checker over as for the purpose of ascertaining whether it has a square or a circular recess. Before beginning play each player may arrange his checkers in any pat tern he desires of three adjacent rows of four checkers each star-ting at his base row, and is charged thereafter with remembering which of his checkers have square recesses and which have circular recesses. After play has commenced, it being conventional for black to move first, w-hen a player whose turn it is to play has one of his -checkers in position to jump an opposing checker he may do so and remove or take the jumped checker only if his jumping checker mates with the jumped checker, i.e., the recess and the projection of the jumping and jumped checkers respectively are ofV common cross-sectional conguration. Should he find, in attempting to mate the recess of his jumping checker with the projection of the opposing checker to be jumped, that mating is not possible, then he forfeits his jumping checker. Alternatively, he is permitted to elect whether or not he will attempt to mate his jumping checker with the checker to be jumped. Should he declare that he will not attempt to mate, he is free to complete the jumping play without risking forfeiture of h-is jumping checker but, in this case, he may not take the jumped checker.l Thus it is clear that the players must -not only concentrate on the rules of the normal checker game, but also, to be successful, must remember which of their checkers have square recesses and which have round recesses.

To prevent each player from observing how his opponent is disposing his differently recessed checkers before beginning play, a suitable screen 39 is placed upright on the board medially and crosswise thereof.

Referring now to FIGURES 6, 7 and 8, the species of

checkers

26, 27 and 28 shown therein may be used in various combinations with each other or with one or more of checkers 22 to 25 to add varying degrees of complexity to the normal` game. The checker 26 of FIGURE 6 has a projection 34 of circular cross-section and a recess 41 of hexagonal cross-section. The checker Z7 of FIGURE 7 has a projection 4Z of hexagonal crosssection mateable in a recess 41 of hexagonal cross-section in another checker. the degrees of complexity permitted by this invention, the bottom surface 31 of checkerZ is devoid of any recess. The checker 28 shown in FIGURE 8 is still another example of a checker for use in games of this invention, and it has neither a projection nor a recess. It is to be understood that the section iigures, hexagons, of the recesses 41 and projections 42 are congruent, but can neither be circumscr-ibed nor inscribed in either a square ligure of a horizontal section through a square projection 33 or square recess 36 nor through a circular projection 34 or circular recess 37. It is preferred that the selected figures be regular polygons, including a circle, equilateral triangle, and equilateral pentagon, the circle and regular polygons being preferred because the extent of orientation thereof to effect mating wit-h a projection or recess of a corresponding section is less than would be `the case for an irregular figure. The embodiments of square, circular and hexagonal gures have been chosen for purposes of illustration because their appearances in side elevational and axial section are more easily distinguishable from each other than is the case of triangular and pentagonal sections.

Illustrative of still another variation in which the checkers of each players set of twelve have projections and recesses of square, circular and hexagonal section figures is the Vcombination of three groups of checkers, all having projections, four of square section, four of circularVV In each of theV section, and four of hexagonal section. three groups of four `checkers each, one has a recess of square section, another a recess of circular section, another a recess of hexagonal section, and the fourth is devoid of a recess. To further complicate the game, a checker devoid of a projection may be substituted for one having a projection, as at 30 in FIGUR-E S. The number of possible combinations thus is manyfold, and

the invention provides for interesting games of various..

degrees of complexity.

While the particular modied checker game herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capablelof attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefor stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of thek invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Equipment for playing a modified checker game. comprising two sets of twelve `checkers each, means for distinguishingthe checkers of one set from those of the other, each checker having a cylindrical projection extending centrally from a top surface of the checker and a cylindrical recess axially aligned with the projection and open in the bottom surface of the checker, each set being separable into four groups of three checkers each with the members of the same group being identical to each other and bein-g different fromthose of the other groups, said groups being as follows:

GroupjI in which the projection and recesses are of a first configuration in cross-section and of uniform size and with the projections being mateable with the recesses;

Illustrative of further liexibility inl Group II in which the projections and recesses are of a second configuration in cross-section and of uniform size and with the projections being mateable with the recesses; j

Group III in which the projections are of the same configuration and size as those of Group I and the recesses are of the same configuration and size as those of Group II; and,

Group IV in which therprojections are of the same conguration and size as those of Group II, and the recesses are of the same coniiguration and size as those of Group I,

and said first and second cross-sectional configurations being neither circumscrbable nor inscribable with respect` to each other.

2. Equipment for playing a modied checker game comprising `two setsl of distinctively marked checkers, each checker having a projection from its top surface, of one of ya plurality of diierent shapes, certain checkers of of each set having a recess in its bottom surface mateable with certain ones only of said projections, certain pieces having similarly shaped projections and recesses and others having dilerently shaped projections and recesses, and each of said recesses and each of said projections being Imateable, respectively, with a projection or a recess of another oneof said checkers.

'3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the bottom surface of at least one checker of each group is devoid of a recess mateable with any one of said projections.

4. A set of checker game pieces comprising a separate group of distinctively marked pieces for each player, the checkers of each group including a plurality of projections on one side diierent in shape from one` another and a plurality of recesses on their opposite sides which are different in shape fromL one another and mateablel only with like-size and shape ones of said projections, certain of said pieces havin-g similarly shaped recesses and projections and other of said pieces having ditferently shaped recesses and projections on their opposed sides, and said last-mentioned recesses and projections being adapted to mate with like shaped projections and recesses.

5. Equipment for playing a modified checker game comprising, a plurality of checkers for each player divisible into different groups, and means projecting upwardly from the upper sides of said checkers for distinguishing checkers of a rst group from those of a second group, wherein each of a given number of checkersV of each group has saidmeans provided in one of t-Wo distinctively different shapes, certain checkers of each group having recesses of one of two distinctively dilerent shapes opening through the bottom surface complemental to and mateable only with certain ones of the projec tions, certain other checkers of each group having recesses of the other of said two distinctively different shapes opening through the bottom surface, which latter recesses are not mateable with said certain ones of the projections.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/ 62 Kazakevich 273-130 FOREIGN PATENTS 16,560 v1904 Great Britain.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

Claims

2. EQUIPMENT FOR PLAYING A MODIFIED CHECKER GAME COMPRISING TWO SETS OF DISTINCTIVELY MARKED CHECKERS, EACH CHECKER HAVING A PROJECTION FROM ITS TOP SURFACE OF ONE OF A PLURALITY OF DIFFERENT SHAPES, CERTAIN CHECKERS OF OF EACH SET HAVING A RECESS IN ITS BOTTOM SURFACE MATEABLE WITH CERTAIN ONES ONLY OF SAID PROJECTIONS, CERTAIN PIECES HAVING SIMILARLY SHAPED PROJECTIONS AND RECESSES AND OTHERS HAVING DIFFERENTLY SHAPED PROJECTION AND RECESSES, AND EACH OF SAID RECESSES AND EACH OF SAID PROJECTIONS BEING MATEABLE, RESPECTIVELY, WITH A PROJECTION OR A RECESS OF ANOTHER ONE OF SAID CHECKERS.