GB2218646A

GB2218646A - An apparatus for playing a board game

Info

Publication number: GB2218646A
Application number: GB8811742A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Charles Mathews
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-06-19
Filing date: 1988-05-18
Publication date: 1989-11-22
Also published as: GB8811742D0

Abstract

Board 10 has a multiplicity (e.g. 289) of demarcated square playing zones 12, the playing zones 12 providing a plurality of diagonal intersecting playing paths. Particular zones serve as starting zones 12.5, one centrally located zone serves as a target zone 12.4 to be reached by a player's token during play and a plurality of other zones are designated as blocking zones 12.3 which block the playing paths. The game to be played on the board 10 may simulate a war game, it being an object of the game for a particular one of the player's (six) tokens to reach the target zone 12.4 prior to the equivalent token of the other players, in accordance with the rules of the game. Rules relating to knocking-off opponents token or placing token in check may be similar to chess. <IMAGE>

Description

AN APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A BOARD GAME THIS INVENTION relates to a game. More particularly, the invention relates to a board and apparatus for playing a board game.

According to the invention there is provided a board for playing a board game, which board has a multiplicity of demarcated playing zones defined thereon, the playing zones being arranged so as to form a plurality of intersecting playing paths, a number of playing zones being demarcated to indicate that they are blocked zones and one zone, centrally located on the board, being demarcated to indicate that it is a target zone.

The board may particularly define a square matrix of square playing zones and, preferably, an uneven number of zones may be defined along each side of the board. A particular embodiment of the board of the invention may provide for two hundred and eighty nine playing zones with seventeen playing zones being defined along each side of the board.

For the above configuration of the board, the playing paths may be parallel straight paths defined along the length and width of the board and/or diagonally across the board.

At least two sets of playing zones, demarcated to indicate them as starting zones, may be demarcated centrally on two opposite sides of the board. Preferably, sets of starting zones may be demarcated centrally on all four sides of the board. More specifically, each set of starting zones may comprise six zones defined by two rows of three zones being located centrally in the outer two rows on the sides of the board.

The starting zones of the separate sets may be isolated from one another by blocked zones which "block" playing paths directly inter-connecting any two starting zones of the separate sets.

Further according to the invention, there is provided an apparatus for playing a board game comprising a board as above defined, and at least two and preferably four, sets of tokens, the tokens of one set being distinguishable from the tokens of the other sets.

The tokens of each set may themselves be differentiated from one another for indicating different movement capabilities and the playing status of the individual tokens.

Each set of tokens may particularly include six tokens that can be positioned in a predefined arrangement on a set of starting zones.

The invention is now described, by way of an example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, which shows a plan view of a board for playing a board game, in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawing, a board for playing a board game, in accordance with the invention, is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10. The board 10 may be of any suitable planar sheet material such as of cardboard, a synthetic plastics material, timber, or the like. The board 10 has a square matrix of square playing zones 12 demarcated thereon, seventeen playing zones being defined along each side of the board which provide for a total of two hundred and eighty nine playing zones.

The playing zones 12 provide for a plurality of intersecting playing paths, the playing paths being straight lines defined by adjacent zones 12, disposed along the length and width of the board 10, and diagonally adjacent zones 12, extending diagonally across the board. The diagonal paths are particularly defined by diagonally adjacent unshaded zones 12.1 and diagonally adjacent shaded zones 12.2.

The playing paths are interrupted by demarcated blocking zones 12.3 which may not be breached during play of the game, intended to be played on the board 10.

A demarcated target zone 12.4 is centrally defined on the board and serves as a target to be reached by a particular token of a player during play of a game.

Six demarcated playing zones 12.5, defined centrally on opposite sides of the board 10, serve as starting zones upon which the tokens of each player of the game can be positioned prior to starting the game. As will be clear from the drawing, playing paths inter-connecting the starting zones of the different sets are all blocked by suitably positioned blocking zones 12.3. It may just be added here that the target zone 12.4 may also serve as a blocking zone.

Additional apparatus for playing the game on the board 10 includes four sets of tokens, the tokens of one set being distinguishable from the tokens of the other sets. The tokens of each set may themselves be differentiated from one another, for indicating different movement capabilities and the playing status of the individual tokens.

It is anticipated by the Applicant that the movement of the individual tokens will be similar to the permitted movement of different playing pieces used to play the game of chess and, typically, the tokens may include one token that has a movement capability the same as that of the king used in chess, another token may have the movement capability of the queen, another two tokens may have the movement capability of the bishops and a further two tokens may have the movement capability of the rooks.

The game to be played on the board may simulate a war game and the individual tokens may therefore be provided with different names, which names in turn will be associated with their movement capability and their playing status.

In practice, the object of the game may be for a particular one of player's token to reach the target zone prior to the equivalent token of the other players. Rules relating to knocking-off opponent's tokens or placing a particular token in check may be similar to that utilized for playing the game chess.

The Applicant anticipates that the individual tokens may be provided as formed playing pieces which may represent different bodies or arms associated with war.

The game may be played by two, three or four players with the object of each player being defined above and the general rules being equivalent to the rules of the game of chess, except for the provision of the blocking zones which can inhibit the paths of displacement of the individual tokens.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A board for playing a board game, which board has a multiplicity of demarcated playing zones defined thereon, the playing zones being arranged so as to form a plurality of intersecting playing paths, a number of playing zones being demarcated to indicate that they are blocked zones and one zone, centrally located on the board, being demarcated to indicate that it as a target zone.

2. A board as claimed in Claim 1, upon which is defined a square matrix of square playing zones.

3. A board as claimed in Claim 2, in which an uneven number of zones may be defined along each side of the board.

4. A board as claimed in Claim 3, which provides for two hundred and eighty nine playing zones with seventeen playing zones being defined along each side of the board.

5. A board as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the playing paths are parallel straight paths defined along the length and width of the board and/or diagonally across the board.

6. A board as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, on which at least two sets of playing zones, demarcated to indicate them as starting zones, are demarcated centrally on two opposite sides of the board.

7. A board as claimed in Clain 6, in which sets of starting zones are demarcated centrally on all four sides of the board.

8. A board as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7, in which each set of starting zones comprises six zones defined by two rows of three zones being located centrally in the outer two rows on the sides of the board.

9. A board as claimed in any one of Claims 6 to 8, in which the starting zones of the separate sets are isolated from one another by blocked zones which "block" playing paths directly inter-connecting any two starting zones of the separate sets.

10. Apparatus for playing a board game which comprises a board as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9 and at least two sets of tokens, the tokens of the respective sets being distinguishable from one another.

11. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 10, which includes four sets of tokens, the tokens of all four sets being distinguishable from one another.

12. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, in which the tokens of each set are themselves differentiated from one another for indicating different movement capabilities and the playing status of the individual tokens.

13. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 10 to 12, in which each set of tokens includes six tokens that can be positioned in a predetermined arrangement on a set of starting zones defined on the board.

14. A board for playing a board game substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

15. Apparatus for playing a board game substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated in the drawing.