A wireless programmable digital chess clock having to a housing, a display mounted in the housing and operatively arranged to display time associated with a first player's clock and operatively arranged to display time associated with a second player's clock, a first switch mounted in the housing and operatively arranged to stop the first player's clock and start the second player's clock when activated; a second switch mounted in the housing and operatively arranged to stop the second player's clock and start the first player's clock when activated, a microcontroller operatively arranged to set and control the first and second players' clocks, and, a near field communication module, in communication with microcontroller, and operatively arranged to receive signals from an external transmitting device, where the signals are used to set the time on the first and second players' clocks.

A wireless programmable digital chess clock having to a housing, a display mounted in the housing and operatively arranged to display time associated with a first player's clock and operatively arranged to display time associated with a second player's clock, a first switch mounted in the housing and operatively arranged to stop the first player's clock and start the second player's clock when activated; a second switch mounted in the housing and operatively arranged to stop the second player's clock and start the first player's clock when activated, a microcontroller operatively arranged to set and control the first and second players' clocks, and, a near field communication module, in communication with microcontroller, and operatively arranged to receive signals from an external transmitting device, where the signals are used to set the time on the first and second players' clocks.

A chessboard includes a housing having a chessboard area, wherein the chessboard area includes a plurality of chess squares; at least one first magnetic absorbing element arranged in the housing and corresponding to the chessboard area, configured to absorb, at least one chess piece having a second magnetic absorbing element by using a magnetic force; and a plurality of Hall elements arranged in the housing and corresponding to the plurality of chess squares, wherein each Hall element is configured to detect the second magnetic absorbing element of the at least one chess piece in the chess squares, and output a detected signal; and a control module, electrically connected to the plurality of Hall elements and configured to receive the detected signal to get information on the at least one chess piece in the chess squares.

A modified chess game is disclosed including a game board having 81 squares arranged in nine columns and nine rows, wherein the first and second rows respectively define outer and inner wards for first and second players. Example game pieces for each player include a king, a housecarl, a templar, two lancers, two archers, two priests, and eight sentries, having initial positions, from left to right along the first row, a first lancer, a first priest, a first archer, the housecarl, the king, the templar, a second archer, a second priest, and a second lancer, and from left to right along the second row, four sentries in the first four squares, an empty square, and the remaining four sentries in the last four squares.

A modified chess game is disclosed including a game board having 81 squares arranged in nine columns and nine rows, wherein the first and second rows respectively define outer and inner wards for first and second players. Example game pieces for each player include a king, a housecarl, a templar, two lancers, two archers, two priests, and eight sentries, having initial positions, from left to right along the first row, a first lancer, a first priest, a first archer, the housecarl, the king, the templar, a second archer, a second priest, and a second lancer, and from left to right along the second row, four sentries in the first four squares, an empty square, and the remaining four sentries in the last four squares.

The Galactic Battle Strategy Game is a board game for two, three or four players. Each player has fourteen game pieces comprising eight Droids, and one each Andromeda, Pegasus, Pollux, Castor, Mars and Mercury. Each playing piece has its own unique moves. The playing surface of the game varies as to whether two, three or four players are competing. However, the movement rules for the game pieces is consistent regardless of the number of players. The object of the game is to capture the opponent's Andromeda piece or move the Andromeda piece or a Droid piece into their opponents Halo zone, which is a specific location on the game playing surface. The game is simple to learn yet complex to master.

The Galactic Battle Strategy Game is a board game for two, three or four players. Each player has fourteen game pieces comprising eight Droids, and one each Andromeda, Pegasus, Pollux, Castor, Mars and Mercury. Each playing piece has its own unique moves. The playing surface of the game varies as to whether two, three or four players are competing. However, the movement rules for the game pieces is consistent regardless of the number of players. The object of the game is to capture the opponent's Andromeda piece or move the Andromeda piece or a Droid piece into their opponents Halo zone, which is a specific location on the game playing surface. The game is simple to learn yet complex to master.

A game board device is provided for carrying and identifying game pieces that are divided into different piece types. The game board device includes a board, a plurality of optically identifying modules, and a processing module electrically coupled to the optically identifying modules. The optically identifying modules respectively correspond in position to detection regions of the board. Each of the optically identifying modules includes a light emitter that can emit light toward the corresponding detection region and a light receiver that can receive light reflected by the corresponding detection region. When any one of the detection regions is in an unoccupied mode, the corresponding optically identifying module can emit an unoccupied signal. When any one of the detection regions is in an occupied mode, the corresponding optically identifying module enables an identification signal that corresponds to the piece type of the corresponding game piece to be emitted therefrom.

A game board device is provided for carrying and identifying game pieces that are divided into different piece types. The game board device includes a board, a plurality of optically identifying modules, and a processing module electrically coupled to the optically identifying modules. The optically identifying modules respectively correspond in position to detection regions of the board. Each of the optically identifying modules includes a light emitter that can emit light toward the corresponding detection region and a light receiver that can receive light reflected by the corresponding detection region. When any one of the detection regions is in an unoccupied mode, the corresponding optically identifying module can emit an unoccupied signal. When any one of the detection regions is in an occupied mode, the corresponding optically identifying module enables an identification signal that corresponds to the piece type of the corresponding game piece to be emitted therefrom.

An accelerated game engine is described for calculating and illustrating legal moves for an active player's pieces. The game engine obtains a game state of the four-player chess game describing positions of pieces. The game engine removes a first branch of calculations including moves placing a captain piece of the first active player in check. The game engine further removes and/or retains branches of calculations relating to moves based on whether the King is in check. The client device can display a graphical user interface illustrating the board and the pieces. In response to receiving a selection of a piece to move by the first active player, the client device illustrates, via the graphical user interface, valid moves of the selected piece.