Chess game variant and method of playing the same

Abstract

A board game that includes a traditional chessboard and two sets of playing pieces, where the playing pieces correspond to that of Western chess, but where each playing piece (possibly save the king) has a top portion and a removable corresponding bottom portion. Each player also is given a second group of top portions that can be interchanged with the original top portions. While game set up and playing piece movement is similar to Western chess, a piece is not captured when an opponent lands on the same board square but converted. The opponent removes the top portion and replaces the piece with a different tone top portion to provide visual indication that the playing piece has been converted to the other side. That converted piece stays on the board instead of being removed with few exceptions. The game ends when one player checkmates the other player's king.

Claims

1. A method of playing a two-dimensional board game, the game having a single tier playing space and multiple playing pieces positioned on the single tier playing space, the playing pieces having roles defined by advancing, capturing, and converting capabilities, the method comprising: providing a plurality of playing pieces for two players, each of the playing pieces being capable of advancing, capturing, and conversion; one of each player's playing pieces being an ultimate piece; the remaining playing pieces for both players being role-altering playing pieces; each said role-altering playing piece being configured with a base portion that confronts the playing space, and a removable and convertible top member having a universal post configured to be seated into an upper portion of the base portion of each playing piece; wherein all of the playing pieces are further defined by two distinct visual characteristics with one half of the playing pieces having one visual characteristic denoting ownership to a first of the two players and other half having a second visual characteristic denoting ownership to a second of the two players; and further wherein each role-altering playing piece has its base portion and convertible top member of the same visual characteristic in a first role and the convertible top member is configured to be replaced with another convertible top member of the other visual characteristic in a second role to form a hybrid characteristic and denote a change of ownership from one player to the other yet still having the same advancing, capturing, and converting capabilities as the playing piece had prior to conversion; and altering between the first and second roles whenever the role-altering playing pieces participate in capture and conversion and wherein role altering takes place when one player's playing piece captures and converts the other player's playing piece; wherein the playing space further comprises a board arranged with 64 bi-tonal squares arranged into one large square having eight rows and eight columns with one tone adjacent another tone forming a uniformly arranged bi-tonal grid, and wherein advancement, capturing, and conversion takes place on the squares of the playing space; and wherein each player is given 16 playing pieces and each player's playing pieces occupy only one original square on an original column and an original row prior to advancement and advancement takes place when a playing piece is moved to another square; and wherein capturing and converting takes place where an advancing playing piece advances to a square that is already occupied with the other player's playing piece.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein converted playing pieces are placed on their respective original playing square if unoccupied.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein converted pieces leave the board if their respective original squares are occupied and wait to return when the original square positions open.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein converted pieces leave the board if their respective original column is all filled and wait to return said converted pieces to the board when a square on the original column opens.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein converted playing pieces are placed on an unoccupied square of their respective original row.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the two distinct visual characteristics are two distinct colors.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein a playing piece of one of the two players is captured and converted with its replaced convertible top member with the other visual characteristic and returned to the same position on the playing space.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Like reference numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the several views of the drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a prior art perspective view of a traditional Western chess 64 bi-tonal chessboard for two players with each side having 16 playing pieces including a king, a queen, two bishops, two knights, two castles, and eight pawns and wherein each player's playing pieces are a different color;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a chess layout of the present invention including the game board and two sets of playing pieces similar to Western chess, except that each set includes playing pieces having top and corresponding removable bottom portions and an additional set of top portions corresponding to the bottom portions of the bishops, knights, castles, and pawns, but of a different color than the original set of playing pieces;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a piece (pawn at B4) about to be captured (pre conversion);

(5) FIG. 4 is a front view of a representative pawn of the present invention having a top portion and a bottom portion;

(6) FIG. 5 is a view like that of FIG. 4 except that pawn is now in its converted state in which the original top portion is replaced with the new, different colored, top portion that visibly indicates the playing piece's converted status;

(7) FIG. 6 is a front view of the top portion of the representative pawn, as removed from its corresponding bottom portion, and better illustrating a lower surface of the top portion and a protuberance that extends outwardly from the lower surface;

(8) FIG. 7 is a top view of the bottom portion of the representative pawn with the top portion removed with the bottom portion including an upper surface that defines a slot of a size and shape to engage the protuberance of the top portion of FIG. 6;

(9) FIG. 8 is front view of a representative castle of the present invention illustrated with its original top portion removed;

(10) FIG. 9 is a view like FIG. 8 except that the original top portion has been replaced with a new top portion of a different color;

(11) FIG. 10 is a front view of an assembled new top portion and original bottom portion as a converted representative castle might appear during play;

(12) FIG. 11 is a front view of a representative knight having an original top and bottom portion;

(13) FIG. 12 is a view like that of FIG. 11 except where the top portion is removed from the bottom portion and the original top portion is replaced by a new top portion;

(14) FIG. 13 is a front view of an assembled representative knight upon conversion;

(15) FIG. 14 is a front view of a representative bishop having original top and bottom portions;

(16) FIG. 15 is a front view like that of FIG. 14 except that the top portion has been removed from the bottom portion and further that the top portion has been replaced by the new top portion;

(17) FIG. 16 is a front view of a fully converted representative bishop;

(18) FIG. 17 is a front view of a representative queen having original top and bottom portions;

(19) FIG. 18 is a front view like that of FIG. 17 except that the top portion is removed from the bottom portion;

(20) FIG. 19 is a front view of a fully converted representative queen with its new top portion;

(21) FIG. 20 is a schematic view illustrating the game being played where a representative playing piece (e.g., white pawn at D4) may be captured by another playing piece (e.g., black pawn at E5);

(22) FIG. 21 is a schematic view like that of FIG. 20 and showing the captured playing piece (e.g., pawn of D4), now converted, and returned to its original space (e.g., D2);

(23) FIG. 22 is a schematic view like that of FIG. 21 and showing an alternative method of play where the captured pawn at D4 may be replaced on any available square of its original column (column D) or, alternatively, original row 2; and

(24) FIG. 23 is a schematic view like that of FIG. 21 where a converted playing piece stays off the board until such time that the original square opens up.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(25) Referring to FIGS. 2-19, the present invention is directed to a board game and method of playing a board game between two players that is an improvement on traditional Western chess and Shoji. A game 100 includes a 64-square bi-tonal chessboard 102 having eight rows 104 and eight columns 106, and two sets of playing pieces 108, where each set is of a different color or tone to indicate which pieces belong to a particular player.

(26) Each set 18 is similar to Western chess in that each includes a king 110, a queen 112, two bishops 114, two knights 116, two castles 118 (also called rooks), and eight pawns 120. Each playing piece is ranked where the king is of the highest rank. Next highest is the queen, then the bishops, the knights, the castles, and then the pawns, which are of the lowest rank. Each playing piece has a top portion 122 and a bottom portion 124. Each playing piece is visually identifiable by its rank. While many different sizes and shapes may be envisioned, the traditional Staunton style chess pieces are illustrated as representative pieces.

(27) Unlike Western chess, however, each top portion 122 for at least the queen, bishop, knight, castle, and pawn playing pieces, is removable from its corresponding bottom portion 124 in the present invention. Each player also has a second set of top portions 126 that are interchangeable with the original top portions 122 and are configured to engage with the original bottom portions 124. These second set (or new) top portions are of a different color or tone than the original top portion. As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, a playing piece (FIG. 4) may have its top portion 122 replaced with a new, but different-colored, top portion 126 to create a visually distinct playing piece when converted such as the converted pawn 128 illustrated in FIG. 5.

(28) Referring particularly to FIG. 6, each original top portion 112 and new top portion 126 includes a lower surface 130 and a protuberance 132 that extends outwardly and downwardly from the lower surface 130. The protuberance may be peg-like in shape.

(29) Referring also to FIG. 7, each bottom portion includes an upper surface 134 that defines a slot 136 or opening of a size and shape to receive the protuberance 132 of the top portion. The original or new top portions are configured to be received into the corresponding bottom portion such that the assembled overall shape is one complete playing piece (e.g., FIG. 4 with the original top portion 122 or FIG. 5 with the new (or second set) top portion 126).

(30) Alternatively, and not illustrated, the invention may encompass where a bottom portion of a playing piece includes a protuberance that extends upwardly and the top portion includes a slot or opening of a size and shape to receive the protuberance from the bottom portion. Other common mechanical joining of the top and bottom portions may be configured (e.g., twist screw top, tongue and groove, hook and latch, hook and loop fasteners) and still be encompassed in the claims of the present invention.

(31) FIGS. 8-10 illustrate a castle 118 with both the original top portion 122 and new 126 top portions. FIG. 10 illustrates a representative converted castle 138. Likewise, FIGS. 11-13 illustrate an original (or first set) knight 116 and a representative converted knight 140. FIGS. 14-16 illustrate original bishop 114 and representative converted bishop 142. And FIGS. 17-19 illustrate original (unconverted) queen 112 and representative converted queen 144. As discussed below, the object of the game is to checkmate the other player's king and as such there is no need for a converted king. However, the king may or may not have the removable top and bottom portions if manufacturing the set in a similar style is desired for uniformity or ease in manufacturing.

(32) Referring again to FIG. 2, the present invention also includes a method of playing a game that includes the playing pieces described above. The game pieces are set up like Western chess where the first player sets its king on game square E1, the queen on D1, the two bishops on squares C1 and F1, the two knights on squares B1 and G1, and the two castles on A1 and H1. The first player's pawns are set up across row 2. The second player sets up its pieces likewise with the king in position E8, the queen in D8, the bishops in C8 and F8, the knights in B8 and G8, and the castles in A8 and H8. The second player's pawns are set across row 7.

(33) Referring now to FIGS. 20-23, the playing pieces also move like Western chess pieces. Pawns advance in one forward direction, one space at a time, except the first time the pawn is moved it may optionally move two squares or that it may move diagonally one square to convert the other player's piece that happens to be in such a square diagonal and forward of the other player's pawn. Castles move horizontally or vertically. Knights move in an L shape either two squares up or down and one square sideways or vice-versa. Bishops move diagonally. Queens can move vertically, horizontally, and diagonally. Kings can move in all directions, but only one move at a time.

(34) Similar to Western chess, players take turns moving one piece at a time. Each player strategizes how to move its pieces such that it attacks (put into check) the other player's king.

(35) Also similar to Western chess, the object of the game is to checkmate the king and that person is declared the winner. Checkmate is the state in which the king is otherwise in a captured state (placed into check by the other player through at least one playing piece) but where the king cannot move into another square or otherwise move one of its playing pieces to otherwise block being in check. This is the final state where the king is fully captured and the game ends.

(36) In play, if a player moves its playing piece to one occupied by the opponent's piece it would be captured under Western chess rules. The piece would be removed from the board and the player whose playing piece was captured and removed must play with one less playing piece. But in the present invention, the playing piece is converted, not captured. The playing piece's original top portion 122 is removed and replaced with the new top portion 126. The new top portion provides visual indication that it is a converted piece. Here, conversion means that the playing piece stays on the board and remains a playing piece of the same rank, but is now a playing piece for the player that converted it.

(37) If a pawn starts the game at D2, and subsequently makes various moves and later converted, and given a differently colored top portion, it should be returned to square D2 (or alternatively any other available square space in column 2, any available space D1 through D8). If square D2 or the other square spaces in column D are already occupied, then the converted piece should be kept off to one side of the board until a space opens for it to safely occupy, as in Shogi. (See for example, FIG. 23). Converted pieces return to their starting positions at the beginning of the game or to an unoccupied square in the column from which they started. So a converted rook (or castle) would ideally be returned to A1 or H1 (or any open square in column A if A1 or AH are occupied); a converted knight returned to B1 or G1 (or any available square in column 1); a converted bishop returned to C1 or F1 (or any available square in column 1); and a converted queen to D1 (or any available square in column D). If those squares are occupied or would put the converted piece in danger of being captured/converted again, the player has the option of leaving it to the side of the board until a safer space opens. If its original square at the start of the game is occupied, the converted piece can be place on another unoccupied square in that column.

(38) Alternatively, the game can be played where a converted piece is replaced anywhere there is a space from the original row (as opposed to column). FIG. 22 attempts to illustrate the two alternative paths (columns or rows).

(39) As illustrated in FIG. 23, captured pieces do not leave the board unless a space on the original square is occupied (or in the alternate method of play in the occupied column or row, not illustrated in FIG. 23). Once the original square is opened again (here, D2 in the illustration), converted playing piece 128 is replaced at D2. The tactics for moving one's playing pieces will vary since playing pieces do not leave the board as they would when captured under Western chess. Thus the game is more challenging and potentially quicker.

(40) According to one aspect of the game, the new top portions correspond to two colors (or tones) of the playing piece sets. The player that converts an opponent's playing piece removes the top portion of the converted piece and replaces it with a new top portion having the same color (or tone) as the player's pieces. In such manner, the top portion is the same color as the rest of the original top and bottom portions so as to quickly make a converted piece identifiable.

(41) The present invention game of conversion as opposed to capture provides a distinct change in game philosophy. Conversion is not based on annihilation, but can be characterized as persuasion and be a metaphor for more peaceful coexistence and a philosophy that is based on communication, rather than domination.

(42) The illustrated embodiments are only examples of the present invention and, therefore, are non-limitive. It is to be understood that many changes in the particular structure, materials, and features of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is the Applicant's intention that his patent rights not be limited by the particular embodiments illustrated and described herein, but rather by the following claims interpreted according to accepted doctrines of claim interpretation, including the Doctrine of Equivalents and Reversal of Parts.