A nesting chess set with two teams of chess pieces. Each team includes one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and eight pawns. The pieces of each team are configured such that they can be organized into two nests, each nest comprising eight pieces, wherein the only difference between the two nests is that one has the king and one has the queen, while otherwise each nest has a rook, a bishop, a knight, and four pawns. The queen is the outside piece of one nest. The king is the outside piece of the other nest. The rest of the pieces are sized and shaped to nest within the king or queen. Each nest is held together by a magnetic base.

Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose an apparatus and method for playing modified chess game. The apparatus includes an expandable game to operate between a conventional mode and a powered mode. The apparatus further includes two sets of playing pieces, visually distinguished from each other are configured to operate in the conventional mode. The at least two bishops, the at least two knights, the at least two rooks, and the at least eight pawns of at least one set of the two sets of playing pieces are provided with a toggle switch. The toggle switch is adapted to form corresponding powered playing pieces during the modified chess game. The powered playing pieces are operated based on a set of powered rules. The apparatus further includes a power zone provided on a portion of the expandable game board to regulate movement of the powered playing pieces in the powered mode.

An integrated apparatus for storage of consumer articles using a stackable and interlocking mechanism is disclosed herein. Specifically, in some embodiments, multi-layered stacking and control of consumer articles is achieved by forming couplings (e.g., male-female couplings) among the consumer articles such that they are subsequently placed in a stacking fashion. Such stacking can be employed in a symmetric, asymmetric and/or combination manner in order to form an interlocking mechanism between two or more of the stackable consumer articles, thus ensuring that the storage apparatus is stable and the consumer articles protected. In some embodiments, the consumer articles can be related to household articles, commercial articles, board games or any other suitable article.

A board game roughly similar to chess, but having unconventional game elements, is shown and described. The identities of all playing pieces except a king are initially concealed, and revealed after making an initial move. The initial move is predetermined, and changes if the revealed identity differs from a corresponding pre-assigned identity. Move characteristics of the playing pieces are varied in most cases from their counterparts in conventional chess. The king may not leave a certain area of the board, and is not permitted to face an opposed king without presence of an intervening playing piece. A new playing piece with unique move requirements is introduced.

A game apparatus is disclosed that comprises a plurality of tokens including first tokens and second tokens, a frame arranged to define multiple pathways along which the tokens can move under force of gravity, and a retainer arranged to controllably retain the tokens relative to the pathways. The retainer is movable between a first position wherein the retainer retains the tokens relative to the pathways, and a second position wherein the tokens can move under force of gravity. The game apparatus also includes a separating mechanism arranged to direct the first tokens towards a first collection zone and to direct the second tokens towards a second collection zone. The separating mechanism comprises a first separating component associated with each first token and at least one second separating component associated with the frame.

Apparatus and method of a variation of the game of chess are shown and described. The playing board is conventional. Playing pieces have two exposable faces including an initial face concealing identity of that playing piece, and a subsequently exposed face identifying identity of that playing piece. Initially, all playing pieces occupy conventional starting positions on the board, but with the face concealing identity visible to the players. The king is an exception, and is identified and placed in the conventional position for a king. Initial moves by each playing piece have move characteristics of that playing piece which conventionally occupies its space on the board. Upon completion of a first move, the face identifying identity of the playing piece is exposed. Moves subsequent to the initial moves have move characteristics of playing pieces identified by exposing the identity. The game may then be played according to conventional rules.

Systems and methods are disclosed for playing a game by providing a board with tactile and/or sound annotations uniquely referencing play positions on the board; and providing tactile and/or audible pieces to be used with the tactile and sound-annotated board.

Board game (1) with a board (2) having at least one playing surface (3) comprising multiple playing fields (4) and with playing pieces (5) and at least one holding device (6) for holding a playing piece (5) releasably attached to the playing field (4), with the board (2) being arranged such that the orientation of the playing surface (3) deviates from a horizontal orientation, wherein a rotating device (7) is provided for holding the playing piece (5) in a same vertical orientation for any rotation of the board (2) about an imaginary axis (A) substantially orthogonally to the playing surface (3).

A chess set includes two or more chess pieces that have radial symmetry around a vertical axis and having rank-identifying shapes similar to those found in common Staunton style chess pieces. The chess pieces are designed such that at least two of the pieces can intermesh or combine with one another to result in a meshed pair that can be stored in less than 65% of the space that would be required to store the two pieces if stored separately.

A chess variant includes (a) one of an 8 by 8 board, a 8 by 10 board, or a 10 by 10 board; (b) a conventional chess piece set; and (c) a novel non-conventional chess piece set, wherein the pieces of the non-conventional chess piece set perform non-standard movements with rules associated therewith to govern how the pieces move and capture upon the board. Additionally, the set of rules governing how the rules of movement for the piece can undergo a change when a non-conventional chess piece reaches the furthest rank, akin to the process of promotion in standard chess.