Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to a game of strategy
and more particularly to a game played in three
dimensions~ Preferably the game can be played using a
game board that displays the interrelationship of the
various playing pieces in a three dimensional field,
however, the game can be played on a two dimensional board
displaying the various planes as different regions on the
two dimenisional board.
The game is played by two or more players each of whom
have a predetermined number of playing pieces. The pieces
have distinct positional movements, however, it should be
noted that each player can have more than one piece having
the ability to make the same positional movement.
The game begins with an empty three dimensional
field. One player places one of his playing pieces at a
position within the field. Each other player does the
same in turn. The Eirst player then has the choice of
introducing a new player into the fieLd or moving his
first playing piece. The game proceeds in this manner.
The object of the game is to capture an opponents playing
piece in such a manner that in the next move the opponent
cannot capture a playing pieceO If both players can make
consecutive captures, the captured playing pieces are
exchanged for future use and the game carries on. The
main feature of the game is that in order to capture a
particular playing piece, the playing piece which does the
capturing must, for that move only) assume the distinct
positional movement of the playing piece that is being
captured.
The present game possesses a number of features which
set it apart from other games of strategy and enhance its
-- 1 --
interest as a game of strategy.
As mentioned above, when capturing, and only when
capturing, the playing pieces momentarily adopt the move
patterns of the opposing pieces instead of their own,
thereby adding another degree of interest and complexity
to the game.
During the game, the players have the freedom to place
their pieces in any vacant position in the game field
thereby greatly increasing the number of possible opening
combinations of plays over, for example, "Chess" where the
pieces all must begin in fixed positions. This feature
significantly reduces the probability of predicting the
outcome of a game and reduces the tendency to establish
set patterns of play as is the case in other games of
strategy as, for example, "Chess" or 'ICheckers".
Games such as "Go" and "Score-Four" (trade mark) have
this feature, but in these games the playing pieces for
each player are the same and are merely "markers" used to
secure a position on the board fGr the player and are not
capable of distinct movement thereafter.
Captured pieces are exchanged and can be used again
thereby perpetuating the game.
The game contemplated can be played using any number
of game pieces each having different distinct movements in
any number of planes within the playing field with each
plane having any number of playing positions thereon.
However, a particular embodiment of the game employs six
playing pieces for each player. Five playing pieces have
distinct movements with one piece duplicating the movement
of one of the five. The game further contemplates a total
of 27 possible playing positions defined in three planes.
-- 2 --
Each plane has nine playing positions oriented in 3
columns and 3 rows.
In accordance with one aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a game of strategy, for use
by two or more players comprising a game board providing a
field of play having N planes of play, each plane having M
possible positions of play thereby providing M x N
possible positions of play, where N is an integer greater
than 1 and M is an integer greater than 3; and a
predeterined number of playing pieces, with each said
pieces normally making a distinct positional change within
said field, each player initially being provided with the
same predetermined number of pieces wherein, in order to
capture one of said pieces of one of said players the
other of said players must move one of his said pieces to
the same position of the captured piec:e making the
distinct positional change of that captured piece, the
game ending for one player when one player cannot capture
a piece of the other player immediately after said other
player captures a piece of said one player.
The present invention will be described hereinbelow
with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective schematic representation of
a particular game board of the present invention;
Figures 2 to 6 are schematic diagrams showing the
various distinctive movements of the various players; and
Figures 7 to 11 are various views o~ a game board
illustrating an example of a typical game between two
persons.
Figure 1 illustrates a game board 20. Nine upstanding
posts 21 through 29 are located on board 20 in 3 rows and
3 columns~ Each post has a bottom, middle and top
position 30, 31 and 32 respectively, illustrated on post
23. This array thereby presents 27 possible playing
positions. For the sake of describing the example game,
the 3 rows on the game board are identified as 1, 2 and 3;
the 3 columns are identified as X, Y and Z and the 3
planes are identified as ~, ~, and ~. As a result, each
of the 27 positions on the board can be uniquely
identified, for example, position 30 can be identified as
1~ ~X3.
For providing a definition of the movement of the
various players within the game field, the 27 positions
defined on the nine upstanding posts can be described as
defining the corners o eight cubes, one such cube would
have the following eight corners: ~Xl, ~X2, ~Y2, ~Yl,
~Xl, ~X2, ~Y2, and ~Y1.
Figure 2 illustrates the positional move of one
playing piece. For the sake of identification, this piece
can be coloured yellow (Y) and named "Artist". ~he
opponent(s)' "Artist(s)" would be coloured yellow with one
or more black stripes so as to distinguish it from the
first mentioned piece. The "Artist" can move one position
along the edge of a cube, then one position along the edge
of a cube in a direction perpendicular to the first part
of its move and then two positions along the edges of two
cubes in a direction which is perpendicular to the first
and second parts of its move. As a result, if an "Artist"
were initially placed at position ~Y2, one move could
bring it to position y~3.
Figure 3 illustrates the positional move of another
playing piece. This playing piece is identified by the
colour blue (B) and is named "Business Executive". Again,
the opponent(s)' "Business Executive(s)" would bear the
colour blue with one or more black stripes.
This playing piece has the ability to move along the
edge of a cube one or two spaces. As a result, if the
"Business Executive" were initially placed at position
~Zl, i~ could move either to position ~Yl or ~Xl depending
upon the choice of the player.
Figure 4 illustrates the positional move of yet
another playing piece. This playing piece has been named
"Model" and is coloured green (G). The opponent(s)'
"Model(s)" would be coloured green with one or more black
stripes.
This playing piece has a positional move which is
diagonal along the face of a cube one space. As a result,
if the "Model" were originally placed at position ~Yl, it
could be moved to position ~X2.
Figure 5 illustrates the positional move of another
playing piece. This playing piece has been named "Clerk"
and is orange (0) in colour. The opponent(s)' "Clerk(s)"
would be orange with one or more black stripes. The
"Clerk" has a positional movement along the edge of a cube
one space. As a result, if the "Clerk" were originally
posi~ioned at ~Zl, one possible move would bring it to
position ~Yl.
Figure 6 illustrates the positional move of another
playing piece. This playing piece has been named "Cabinet
Minister" and is red (R) in colour. The opponent(s)'
"Cabinet Minister(s)" would be red with one or more black
stripes. The "Cabinet Minister" has a positional move
which is diagonal in a cube one or two spaces. As a
-- 5 --
result, if a "Cabinet Minister" were originally positioned
at position yæl, it could move to position ~Y2 or ~X3
depending upon the choice of the playerO
The game contemplates each player having one "Artist"~
"Business Executive", "Model" and "Cabinet Ministerl' and
two "Clerks".
As was mentioned above, in order to capture an
opponent's piece, the playing piece during the capturing
move must momentarily take on the positional move of the
piece it is capturing. As a result, if an "Artist" were
at position ~Zl, it could capture an opponent's "Business
Executive" if the "Business Executive" were positioned at
position ~Xl.
Figures 7 through 11 illustrate the positions that the
various playing pieces could take on during a typical game
between two persons.
In order to place playing pieces at planes which are
above the game board plane, spacers are provided equal in
height to the playing pieces for elevating a playing piece
~o to the desired plane. These spacers are of the same
colour as the game board, preferably a neutral colour, so
as to be as unobtrusive as possible.
Figure 7 shows the first move of player A. Player A
places his "Model" (green, no stripe), at the center of
the bottom plane in position ~Y2.
Using a spacer, player B places his "Clerk" (orange,
with a black stripe), at position ~Yl. It should be noted
that the "Clerk" is in a position to capture the "Model",
but the "Model" cannot capture the "Clerk" (see Figure 8).
Player A moves the "Model" to position ~Y3. Now both
agents are safe.
-- 6 --
Player B now places his "Business Executive" (blue,
with black stripe) at position ~Y2. Again, he is in a
position where he can capture the "Model" of player A.
Player A places his "Cabinet Ministerl' (red with no
stripe) at position ~Y2. Thus, if the "Business
Executive" of player B captures the "Model" of player A,
the "Cabinet Minister" of player A can in turn capture the
"Business Executive" of player B and effect an exchange.
In addition, at its present position, the "Cabinet
Minister" can also capture the "Business Executive" or the
"Clerk" of player B~
Player B moves his clerk from ~Yl to ~Xl to evade the
"Cabinet Minister" of player ~ and also to protect his
"Business Executive" (see Figure 9).
Now player A places his "Clerk" at position ~X3.
Player B places his "Artist" (yellow, with black
stripe) at position ~X3, thereby attacking the "Cabinet
Minister", the "Model" and the "Clerk" of player A all at
the same time.
As a result, the "Cabinet Minister" of player A
captures the "Business Executive" of player B at position
~Y2. Player B must now capture one of player A's playing
pieces or lose the game (see Figure 10).
The "Artist" of player B captures the "Model" of
player A at ~Y3. The "Model" and the "Business Executive"
are then exchanged and are available for further play (see
Figure 11).
Player A now resigns. His "Cabinet Minister" and his
"Clerk" are under attack and he cannot avoid an uneven
sequence of captures.
If he moves his "Clerk" to ~X3 or yX3, the "Artist" of
player B will capture his "Cabinet Minister" at position
~Y2. If he moves his "Clerk" to ~X2, then the "Clerk" of
player B will capture it.
If, on the other hand, he moves his "Cabinet Minister"
to position ~Zl or ~Z3 to evade the "Clerk" of player B,
the "Artist" of player B will capture the "Clerk" of
player A at ~X3.
There is no other position in the playing field where
player A can place a new agent and avoid an uneven series
of captures. For example, suppose player A places his
"Model" at position ~Yl. Then the "Artist" of player B
- captures the "Clerk" of player A and the "Model" of player
A captures the "Artist" of player B and the two captured
pieces are exchanged. Then the "Clerk" of player B
captures the "Cabinet Minister" of player A and wins the
game.
