Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • A63F3/00—Board games; Raffle games
  • A63F3/02—Chess; Similar board games

Definitions

• This invention relates to a board game.
• Chess is a game that includes a board and two sets of playing pieces, each set of playing pieces usually comprising 16 individual members. Each piece is distinguished from members of the other set of playing pieces, usually by the colour of the piece. Each piece also has a pre-defined method of moving over the board, and also a set of pre-defined methods of capturing members of the opposing set of pieces.
• the board that the pieces move over usually comprises a chequered grid of 64 squares.
• Chess has been found to possess a number of limitations which detract from the enjoyment of the people playing it. For example, many players quickly become frustrated by the overly tactical nature of the game, which largely arises due to limitations in the allowed moves of each piece in a Chess set. These limitations are further exaggerated by the reasonably small size of the board, which restricts the number of squares pieces in a Chess set can move to. This often results in
• Chess Although many alternative versions of Chess has been suggested over the years (eg. one alternative version involves rearranging the pieces on the "back rank" of each side), no alternative versions of Chess (to date) have been found to be very satisfactory. Furthermore, despite a number of very famous Chess players (such as Fisher and Capablanca) complaining about the need for improvements in the game of Chess, there has not to date (before the present invention) been any serious attempt (to the applicant's knowledge) to create a board game that could supersede Chess, while retaining the general appeal of a tactical two opponent board game, such as Chess is.
• the present invention relates to a board game which attempts to address some of the problems encountered in playing the game of Chess.
• the present invention forms an enjoyable and challenging board game in its own right, and no knowledge of, or experience of, a game like Chess is required to play it.
• the present invention has a number of advantages over games like Chess, and, in particular, the present invention has been found by many players to be more enjoyable, and more challenging than Chess.
• the present invention is a complete and separate game from the game of Chess, it could also be viewed as forming the type of improved Chess game that players like Fisher and Capablanca have been wishing for.
• the present game although primarily designed as a board game, may also take a number of other forms.
• the present invention may also be able to be played as a computer game, or in other versions.
• the scope of the present specifications should include any version of the present invention that is played in accordance with the rules and instructions defined herein, and should not be limited to any particular version of the present invention.
• board game comprising a board and a plurality of playing pieces, the board including a 10 by 10 array of locations substantially aligned in rows and columns, the playing pieces comprising two sets of 20 playing pieces, each playing piece in each set being uniformly distinguished from the pieces of the other set, each playing piece being able to move over the board in accordance with a set of pre-defined rules.
• a board game comprising a board and a plurality of playing pieces, the board includ ng a 10 by 10 array of locations substantially aligned in rows and columns, the playing pieces including two sets of twenty playing pieces, each set of playing pieces including ten sols, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, two princes, one queen and one king, each playing piece in each set being uniformly distinguished from the pieces of the other set, each playing piece being able to move over said board in 96/19272 PCIYNZ95/00131 accordance with a set of pre-defined rules.
• array of locations will be used to denote any form of marking or indicia used to separate or compartmentalise certain areas of the board.
• the board may include a 10 by 10 grid over which the pieces may move.
• each location on the board may correspond to each individual square in the grid.
• the board may also be divided into arrays of locations which may not be as regular as the grid described above. These embodiments should also be included in the scope of the present invention.
• each piece in each set of playing pieces may be uniformly distinguished from pieces in the other set of playing pieces, either by colour, shape, or any other marking.
• colour shall be the preferred way of distinguishing one set of playing pieces from the other.
• each set of playing pieces may consist of a number of pieces distinguished from each other in any suitable manner.
• playing pieces may be distinguished from others of the same set by shape, or by including a distinctive marking, or by any other means.
• each set of playing pieces may also include a number of pieces substantially identical to each other.
• each set of playing pieces shall comprise the same numbers and types of pieces, albeit with the pieces of each set distinguished from corresponding pieces of the other set (eg. by colour).
• each set of playing pieces may consist of varying numbers or types of playing pieces. This is especially useful should "handicap” games be wished to be played. In these games, it may be appropriate for (say) the weaker player to have a “stronger” set of playing pieces.
• the relative strength of the playing pieces may be defined in any convenient way, eg. by the agreement of the players.
• each set of playing pieces may consist of the following pieces: Ten “sols”, two “rooks”, two “knights”, two “bishops”, two "princes”, one "queen”, and one "king".
• each playing piece is defined herein by the movements the piece makes, and shall be treated as such within the present specification.
• a King is intended to be defined within the present specification as any piece (of any name) that may make movements identical to (or substantially identical to) the allowed movements defined herein for a King.
• the board may include a 10 by 10 grid over which the pieces may move.
• the rules for allowing movement of the pieces in such an embodiment of the present invention shall now be described. These rules will also be described (at times) by comparison with rules of movement for "similar” Chess pieces. It should be appreciated that this is done for the sake of simplicity only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present specification in any way.
• the movement of the "sols" may resemble the movement of pawns in a Chess game.
• sols may initially be placed on the second (and ninth) "rank” (ie. "row") of the board. Sols may then move either one, two or three squares forward (at 96/19272 PCIYNZ95/00131
• Sols may also be provided with powers to capture opposing pieces, which again resemble the powers of capture of Chess pawns.
• sols may capture opposing pieces located on squares diagonally located (and in front of) the square the sol is located on, and may also capture opposing sols who traverse such a square during the opposing sols move. In embodiments of the present invention whereby sols move in this way, sols become fast moving and active pieces, in contrast to the slower movement of pawns in a game of Chess.
• rooks in each set of playing pieces may move in a similar way to a Chess rook.
• rooks may move to any unoccupied or unblocked square in the same row or column that the rook occupies.
• Rooks may also "capture" opposing pieces located in the same row of column as the square the rook occupies, providing the rooks path to that piece is not blocked by any other piece.
• knights may move in a similar way to that of a Chess knight.
• the knight in all moves apart from the first, the knight may move in the "L" motion (two squares forward or backward in the same row or column that the knight is located in, and then one square in any direction perpendicular to the direction of first motion) that is characteristic of Chess knights.
• the knight's first move it has ben found particularly useful if the knight is able to (optionally) incorporate two "standard” moves into one (providing the initial square the knight moves to after its first "L” move is not occupied). In this way, it becomes significantly easier to develop (and centralise) one's knights in the present game.
• bishops may move in a similar way to that of Chess bishops.
• bishops may move any distance in a diagonal manner, providing the square they are moving to is not obstructed, or occupied by a piece of the same set of pieces that the bishop belongs to.
• Bishops have the same capturing powers as Chess bishops. As with Chess bishops, it should be appreciated that bishops are constrained to move only on half of the squares on the board.
• princes may move in a way which roughly corresponds to the combined movement of rooks, bishops and knights in a Chess game.
• a prince may move to any square that would be accessible to a Chess rook, bishop or knight located on the same square as the prince.
• the prince also has an additional power in that it may "jump" pieces located adjacent to the location of the prince, including pieces located on squares located diagonally adjacent to the square the prince is located on.
• the prince must land on either an unoccupied square adjacent to the square that has been "jumped”, or must effect a capture by landing on a square adjacent to the square that has been "jumped”, and occupied by an opposing piece.
• the opposing piece is removed from the board (as it is with "captures” effected by all pieces).
• the prince usually becomes the most powerful piece on the board.
• the prince is also a very dynamic piece, in that many different movement options are to the prince. This tends to enhance the interest level in the present game, in that it tends to become more fast paced and dynamic than Chess tends to be.
• the queen may move in a similar way to that of a Chess queen.
• the queen may move diagonally, vertically or horizontally to any unobstructed square, or to an unobstructed square occupied by an opposing piece to effect a "capture".
• a queen thus combines the movement of a rook and a bishop.
• the queen also has a "jumping" power, in that it can jump pieces located on the same row or column or diagonal that the queen is located on, providing that piece is located also on a square adjacent to the queen. This is similar to the jumping power of the prince, with the exception that the queen cannot conduct a "knight-like" jump.
• the "king" may move to any location on the board which is within two squares (either horizontally, or vertically, or diagonally, or any combination of the aforesaid directions) of the king's current location, providing this does not give the opponent the opportunity to capture the king in his (or her) next move (or, in Chess terminology, providing that this does not put the king in "check”). This may include (if necessary) jumping pieces.
• the king may also be provided with "castling" opportunities, which occur if the king and a rook have not been moved, and if there are no pieces between the king and rook. In these situations, the king may be moved to any square between its current location and that of the rook, with the rook being moved to any vacant square on the "open" side of the king (ie the opposite side to that which the rook started from). The rook however, in the castling manoeuvre, cannot be moved past any other piece on the back rank. Unlike Chess, castling can occur while the king is in "check”, or also if the squares the king moves past, are under attack by opposing pieces.
• the primary object of the present game is to "check-mate" the opponents king. This occurs when the one sides king may be taken by the opponents next move (ie. the king is in “check"), and there is no permitted square that the king may move to where this may be avoided (ie. the king cannot move out of "check”).
• the opponents king In the process of attempting to "check-mate” the opponents king, it has been found to be desirable (generally) to capture a number of the opponents pieces.
• certain tactical considerations such as the relative worth of the pieces, or positional advantages of taking (or not taking) the opponents pieces) need also to be taken into account.
• the present invention comprises an excitable and enjoyable game, and frequently is both more exciting and enjoyable than Chess.
• the present game involves setting up the pieces in the initial positions assigned to them (see, for example, figure 1 and accompanying description), and then each player taking a turn to move one of (or in the case of castling, two of) his or her pieces in accordance with the rules as defined herein. This move may also involve capturing an opponents piece, in which case the opponents piece is removed from the board. The opponent will then respond by making a move of his (or her) own. This process of moving in turn continues until one sides king is "check-mated" (or a pre-determined time limit runs out), at which time the game is terminated.
• a time keeping device such as a clock
• a clock such as a Chess clock may be particularly useful in the present game.
• certain pre-determined time limits may also exist for making a certain number of moves, and in addition to winning by "check-mating" the opponents king, a player may also win the present game should the opponent exceed any pre-determined time limits (if any exist).
• a draw in the present game may be achieved in a number of ways. These include: a) Either player may offer the opposing player the option of a draw. This offer may preferably take place at the completion of a move by the player offering the draw. A draw is declared if the offer is accepted by the opposing player. b) A position is reached in which a player's king is not in check, and that player additionally has no legal moves. This is similar to the "stalemate" outcome in Chess.
• a board game comprising a general purpose data processing device capable of generating a visual representation of a board and a plurality of playing pieces, the visual representation of the board including a 10 by 10 array of locations substantially aligned in rows and columns, the visual representation of the playing pieces comprising two sets of twenty playing pieces, each set of playing pieces comprising ten sols, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, two princes, one queen and one king, each playing piece in each set being uniformly distinguished from the pieces of the other set, the general purpose data processing device including a means to move the visual representation of the playing pieces over the visual representation of the board in accordance with a set of pre-defined rules.
• a board game comprising a general purpose data processing device, a board and a plurality of playing pieces, the board including a 10 by 10 array of locations substantially aligned in rows and columns, the playing pieces comprising two sets of twenty playing pieces, each set of playing pieces comprising ten sols, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, two princes, one queen and one king, each playing piece in each set being uniformly distinguished from the pieces of the other set, the general purpose data processing device including a means to generate the movements of a least one set of playing pieces over the board.
• a method of playing a board game comprising a board (or visual representation of) and a plurality of playing pieces (or visual representations thereof), the board (or visual representation thereof) including a 10 by 10 array of locations substantially arranged in rows and columns, the playing pieces (or visual representation thereof) comprising two sets of twenty playing pieces, each set of playing pieces comprising ten sols, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, two princes, one queen and one king, the playing pieces (or visual representation of) being able to move over the board (or visual representation of) in accordance with a set of pre-defined rules, the method of playing the game including the steps of a) placing the playing pieces in an appropriate initial configuration, and b) allowing a first player (or a first set of players) to move one or more of the pieces in his or her set of pieces in accordance with the set of pre-defined rules, and c) allowing a second player (or a second set
• the present game may lend itself particularly well to being converted to be played on a general purpose data processing device (which shall herein be defined as any known computer, or additionally any computer that may be allow the present game to be played).
• a general purpose data processing device which shall herein be defined as any known computer, or additionally any computer that may be allow the present game to be played.
• the present game may be played either between a single player (or a single team of players), and the data processing device (such as a computer), or possibly by the data processing device itself, with a player, or number of players watching, and perhaps learning various aspects of the present game at the same time.
• the data processing device may also perform an instructional function, perhaps by giving appropriate hints at various times during the game.
• a known data processing device such as a computer
• a player, or number of players may control the movements of the second set of pieces.
• the data processing device may have a means of sensing the location of the pieces (eg. by appropriate magnets placed in the pieces), and also of indicating preferred movements of the pieces (eg. by light placed on the board).
• versions of the present invention that can be played on a computer (or a general data processing device of any kind) may allow a single player to participate in an enjoyable game (in contrast to say, board game versions of the present invention, where at least two players are generally needed).
• computers may form both powerful opponents and useful instructional aids in the present game.
• a computer (or other general purpose data processing device) may also be programmed with other useful information (such as historical information, upcoming tournaments, etc), which may add to the enjoyment of the player playing the present game.
• Figure 1 is a plan view of a board in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 2 is an elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the playing pieces forming part of the apparatus in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the movements of a playing piece of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus, namely a rook, and
• Figure 4 shows the movements of a further playing piece forming part of the apparatus of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, namely a knight
• Figure 5 shows the movements of a further playing piece forming part of the apparatus of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, namely a prince
• Figure 6 shows the movements of an obstructed prince forming part of the apparatus of a preferred embodiment of the present invention
• Figure 7 shows the movements of a king forming part of the apparatus of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 8 shows the movements of a queen forming part of the apparatus of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 9 shows the initial position of a sol, forming part of the apparatus of a preferred embodiment of the present invention
• Figure 10 shows a plan view of a casting option for the queen's side according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• Grid 2 comprises a number of squares 3, arranged in 10 rows and 10 columns. Although a regular array of locations (or squares) is pictured, it should be appreciated that various other arrays of locations, in particular incorporating non-regular configurations of squares or locations may also be used in the present invention.
• Board 1 is coloured with either a light colour, as in white squares 4, or a dark colour, as in black squares 5.
• board 1 is visually similar in appearance to a traditional Chess board, with the exception that an additional 36 squares are contained on the board. Although it is useful (for example in calculating the permitted moves of the bishops, queen or princes) it should be appreciated that the traditional "chequered" format of a Chess board need not be maintained.
• the squares 3 of board 1 are also provided with indicia 6 to identify each location on the board.
• This notation may be similar to algebraic notation often used in Chess, in that each square on the board may be identified by a letter (indicating the column it is located in) and a number (indicating the row it is located in). Other means of identifying squares 3 may also be used.
• Indicia 6 are particularly useful when recording a move made in the present game, as it is particularly easy to identify the square a piece has been moved to (or from).
• certain squares may contain an illustration 7 (or any other symbol) to indicate the initial position of the pieces in the present game.
• sols of one set of pieces be placed on squares a2-j2, rooks (of the same set of pieces) be placed on squares al and jl, knights (of the same set of pieces) be placed on squares bl and il, bishops (of the same set of pieces) be placed on squares cl and hi, princes (of the same set of pieces) be placed on squares dl and gl, the queen (of the same set of pieces) be placed on square el, and the king (of the same set of pieces) be placed on square fl.
• the pieces of the other set may be placed in the twenty squares located in rows 9 and 10, and positioned as indicated by indicia 7 on board 1.
• board 1 may not include either indicia 6 or illustrations 7, as the information contained by these symbols may become known to players in other ways.
• Figure 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the pieces provided in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• a sol 10, a rook 11, a knight 12, a bishop 13, a prince 14, a queen 15 and a king 16 are all shown.
• the pieces may also take a number of other shapes and configurations as well.
• the moves available to rooks 30 and 31 are shown. In this figure, both rooks are unobstructed and thus both rooks can move to any location indicated by arrows 32 and 33 (for rook 30), or arrows 34 and 35 (for rook 31).
• knight 40 can move to any of squares a3, c3 or d2, or utilising the unique initial "double move” may also move to squares a2, a4, b3, b5, c2, c4, dl, d5, e2, e4, fl or f5. Similar moves are available to knight 41, which can move to squares el, e3, f2, f4, gl, g2, g5, h2, h3, h4, i3, i5, j2, j3, or j4.
• Figure 6 shows the movements available to an obstructed prince are (usually) less in scope.
• Figure 6 shows the movements available to a prince 50, obstructed by a number of pieces.
• prince 50 may move to any square indicated by arrows 52, or utilising the "jumping" feature of the princes movement, to any square including a black dot 53.
• the ability of the prince 50 to jump pieces is not influenced by the set of pieces that the piece to be jumped belongs to. However it should be noted that once a piece has been "jumped" (such as king 54), the prince cannot continue to move beyond the square adjacent to the jumped piece (for example, prince 50 cannot travel to squares a3 or b3).
• king 60 may move to any square indicated by black dot 61, providing that that square is not currently under attack by an opposing piece.
• king 60 may also jump pieces. For example, should a number of pieces occupy squares gl to g5, king 60 may jump these to move to any of squares hi to h5 (providing that the square the king 60 moves to is not under attack by an opposing piece).
• Figure 8 shows the movements available to a partially obstructed queen 70.
• queen 70 may move either to any square in the direction of arrows 71, or to any square indicated by a black dot 72. As illustrated, this may include jumping pieces (for example knight 73), in a similar way as illustrated by prince 50 in figure 6. However, the "knight type" moves available to prince 50 are not available to queen 70.
• the initial position of a sol 80 is shown. .Although not clearly shown, sol 80 may move to any of squares f3, f4 or f5 in its initial move, and in subsequent moves, also move either one, two or three squares forward.
• Sol 80 may also capture any opposing piece occupying squares e3 or g3, or in general, on any diagonally adjacent (and forwardly located) square.
• a sol on square b5 could capture opposing pieces on squares a6 or c6.
• a sol may also capture sols that move past them in a similar way to the "enboarding" rule in Chess. For example, if a sol is located on square b5, and an opposing sol moves from square c8 (or c7) to square c5 (or square c4, if the sol started on c7), then on the next move only, the sol may "capture" the passing sol by moving to square c6, and removing the opposing sol from the board.
• Figure 10 illustrates an version of "castling" in the present game.
• king 60 and rook 30 have not previously moved, then king 60 may be moved to any square indicated by black dot 90.
• Rook 30 is then moved to any square on the opposite (open) side of king 60, providing no other pieces block the movement of the rook to its final square. For example, if a bishop was located on square hi, and king 60 was moved to square bl, then (in castling) rook 30 could move to any of squares cl-gl.
• the above describes a preferred set of rules for the present game only, and it should be appreciated that other rules (or allowed movements) may be incorporated into the present game without altering the inventive scope thereof.

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• 1995
  • 1995-12-19 WO PCT/NZ1995/000131 patent/WO1996019272A1/en active Application Filing
  • 1995-12-19 DE DE19581891T patent/DE19581891T1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1995-12-19 NZ NZ297906A patent/NZ297906A/en unknown
  • 1995-12-19 GB GB9713137A patent/GB2310808B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1995-12-19 AU AU43183/96A patent/AU699905B2/en not_active Ceased

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