Board game apparatus

• US 6,446,969 B1
• Filed: 02/05/2001
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Denoual, Thierry
• Original Assignee: Denoual, Thierry
• Inventors: Denoual, Thierry
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENDIRATTA, VISHU K
• Application Number:
  US09/775,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20020149151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 273/242, 273/260, 273/256, 273/261, 273/262, 273/288, 273/291
• US Class Current: 273/261
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/007 Design of classical playing pieces, e.g. classical chess, draughts or go
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/02 Chess; Similar board games

Abstract

A game board has a central playing field, called the territories, surrounded by a peripheral or perimeter playing field called the sacrifice zone. The board comprises 90 squares arranged in ten columns and nine rows. The squares form an ordered array of cells or positions for playing pieces, through which rectangular array vertical, horizontal and diagonal moves are possible. The thirty-four perimeter squares comprise a sacrifice zone that is one square wide, namely, the first and last columns and the top and bottom rows. The remaining fifty-six inner squares comprise the territories. Two sets of fourteen playing pieces of three types are assigned to the two players, each type of piece being allowed moves and captures according to individual rules. Special rules apply to pieces entering and occupying the sacrifice zone squares. Each piece is reversible—that is, one side of the piece bears on its top side indicia of the first player'"'"'s set and on the obverse side indicia of the second player'"'"'s set. Upon capture, an opponent'"'"'s piece is physically reversed. The obverse side is turned up, which displays the primary indicia of the capturing player.

Claims

1. A board game apparatus, including:

a playing board;

said playing board forming a territories playing field of squares formed into a grid of rows and columns;

said playing board forming a sacrifice zone playing field of squares surrounding said territories playing field;

a plurality of playing pieces divisible into a first and a second set of equal number;

said first and second sets each comprising

at least one emperor piece,

a plurality of ambassador pieces, and

a plurality of governor pieces;

said emperor pieces each having two emperor sides, one emperor side bearing distinguishing emperor'"'"'s first-set indicia and the other emperor side bearing distinguishing emperor'"'"'s second-set indicia;

said ambassador pieces each having two ambassador sides, one ambassador side bearing distinguishing ambassador'"'"'s first-set indicia and the other ambassador side bearing distinguishing ambassador'"'"'s second-set indicia; and

said governor pieces each having two governor sides, one governor side bearing distinguishing governor'"'"'s first-set indicia and the other governor side bearing distinguishing governor'"'"'s second-set indicia,

wherein

said playing pieces may be arranged into said first and second sets by turning one half of said playing pieces first-set indicia side up and by turning the other half of said playing pieces second-set indicia side up,

said playing board has ninety squares,

said territories playing field has fifty-six squares,

said sacrifice zone playing field has thirty-four squares, wherein said sacrifice zone playing field is visually distinguishable from said territories playing field,

said territories playing field comprises squares of alternating first light and first dark colors, and

said sacrifice zone playing field comprises squares of alternating second light and second dark colors.

2. A board game apparatus, including:

a playing board;

said playing board forming a territories playing field of squares formed into a grid of rows and columns;

said playing board forming a sacrifice zone playing field of squares surrounding said territories playing field;

a plurality of playing pieces divisible into a first and a second set of equal number;

said first and second sets each comprising

two emperor pieces,

twelve ambassador pieces, and

fourteen governor pieces;

said emperor pieces each having two emperor sides, one emperor side bearing distinguishing emperor'"'"'s first-set indicia and the other emperor side bearing distinguishing emperor'"'"'s second-set indicia;

said ambassador pieces each having two ambassador sides, one ambassador side bearing distinguishing ambassador'"'"'s first-set indicia and the other ambassador side bearing distinguishing ambassador'"'"'s second-set indicia; and

said governor pieces each having two governor sides, one governor side bearing distinguishing governor'"'"'s first-set indicia and the other governor side bearing distinguishing governor'"'"'s second-set indicia,

wherein

said playing pieces may be arranged into said first and second sets by turning one half of said playing pieces first-set indicia side up and by turning the other half of said playing pieces second-set indicia side up,

said playing board has ninety squares,

said territories playing field has fifty-six squares,

said sacrifice zone playing field has thirty-four squares, wherein said sacrifice zone playing field is visually distinguishable from said territories playing field,

said playing pieces may be arranged into said first set having fourteen playing pieces and said second set having fourteen pieces

by turning one of said emperor pieces emperor'"'"'s first-set indicia side up and by turning the other one of said emperor pieces emperor'"'"'s second-set indicia side up,

by turning six of said ambassador pieces ambassador'"'"'s first-set indicia side up and by turning the other six of said ambassador pieces ambassador'"'"'s second-set indicia side up, and

by turning seven of said governor pieces governor'"'"'s first-set indicia side up and by turning the other seven of said governor pieces governor'"'"'s second-set indicia side up.

said emperor'"'"'s first-set indicia comprises a solid white circle inside a black ring that is inside a white ring and said emperor'"'"'s second-set indicia comprises a solid black circle inside a white ring that is inside a black ring,

said ambassador'"'"'s first-set indicia comprises a solid black circle inside a white ring and said ambassador'"'"'s second-set indicia comprises a solid white circle inside a black ring, and

said governor'"'"'s first-set indicia comprises a solid white circle and said governor'"'"'s second-set indicia comprises a solid black circle.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

said emperor pieces are larger than said ambassador pieces and said ambassador pieces are larger than said governor pieces.

4. A board game apparatus, including:

a playing board;

said playing board forming a territories playing field of fifty-six squares formed into a grid of rows and columns;

said playing board forming a sacrifice zone playing field of thirty-four squares forming a perimeter that is one square wide that surrounds said territories playing field;

a plurality of playing pieces divisible into a first and a second set of equal number;

said first and second sets each comprising

one emperor piece,

six ambassador pieces, and

seven governor pieces;

said emperor pieces each having two emperor sides, one emperor side bearing distinguishing emperor'"'"'s first-set indicia and the other emperor side bearing distinguishing emperor'"'"'s second-set indicia;

said ambassador pieces each having two ambassador sides, one ambassador side bearing distinguishing ambassador'"'"'s first-set indicia and the other ambassador side bearing distinguishing ambassador'"'"'s second-set indicia; and

said governor pieces each having two governor sides, one governor side bearing distinguishing governor'"'"'s first-set indicia and the other governor side bearing distinguishing governor'"'"'s second-set indicia,

wherein

said playing pieces may be arranged into said first set having fourteen playing pieces and said second set having fourteen pieces

by turning one of said emperor pieces emperor'"'"'s first-set indicia side up and by turning the other one of said emperor pieces emperor'"'"'s second-set indicia side up,

by turning six of said ambassador pieces ambassador'"'"'s first-set indicia side up and by turning the other six of said ambassador pieces ambassador'"'"'s second-set indicia side up, and

by turning seven of said governor pieces governor'"'"'s first-set indicia side up and by turning the other seven of said governor pieces governor'"'"'s second-set indicia side up,

said territories playing field comprises squares of alternating first light and first dark colors, and

said sacrifice zone playing field comprises squares of alternating second light and second dark colors.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein:

said emperor'"'"'s first-set indicia comprises a solid white circle inside a black ring that is inside a white ring and said emperor'"'"'s second-set indicia comprises a solid black circle inside a white ring that is inside a black ring,

said ambassador'"'"'s first-set indicia comprises a solid black circle inside a white ring and said ambassador'"'"'s second-set indicia comprises a solid white circle inside a black ring, and

said governor'"'"'s first-set indicia comprises a solid white circle and said governor'"'"'s second-set indicia comprises a solid black circle.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein:

said emperor pieces are larger than said ambassador pieces and said ambassador pieces are larger than said governor pieces.