GB2214828A - Board game - Google Patents

Abstract

The game comprises a playing board with a plurality of fields and also includes a plurality of playing pieces each of which permanently bears or is adapted to temporarily bear a single letter of the alphabet and nothing else. The game is played according to Rules which assign no specific scoring value to any fields or any playing piece. The scoring value is determined from a Scoring Table by the number of letters in one or more words created by the addition of one or two playing pieces to one or more playing pieces on the playing board. As shown, playing board resembles a chess board although with 11x11 squares - all the squares could be of same colour. The board is made of material attracted by magnet and the 91 square-shaped pieces each have a small magnet. The playing board is linked to a score board with score markers and a storage board. <IMAGE>

Description

BOARD GAME The invention relates to a board game comprising a playing board divided into a plurality of uniformly sized, e.g. square-shaped fields, and a plurality of playing pieces at least some of which carry each a letter of the alphabet.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows the bottom of a casing of the game; v gare 2(a) shows a plan view of a blank playing piece: and Figure 2(b) shows a side elevation of three playing pieces, one of which has been pressed down where indicated by the arrow.

The game comprises a flat rectangular casing having a bottom, four peripheral walls, two transverse partitions and a sliding lid.

In the described embodiment the bottom shown in Figure 1 is made of a material attracted by a magnet, eg. of a thin steel sheet bearing the representation of a playing board 1, a score board 2 and a storage board 3. The three boards are divided from each other by two transverse partitions. The two longer walls (side walls) are provided with longitudinal grooves for receiving and guiding the lid. When the lid is in place its underside is close to the top surface of the plaving pieces. As these pieces are packed closely together within the four peripheral walls of the storage area they are restrained from moving relative to one another when the lid is in place.

The illustrated playing board resembles a chess-board in that it is square-shaped and subdivided into a plurality of square-shaped fields of equal size (hereinafter called squares) that are alternately "light" (eg white or yellow) and "dark" (eg black). It differs from a chess board in that it has 11 x 11 (rather than 8 x 8) squares. '' will be appreciated that all the squares could be of the same colour because their colour has no bearing on scoring, and that the number of squares may differ from that shown, e.g. between 10 x 10 and 16 x 16.

The game has 1 square-shaped pieces of equal size, each being preferably slightly smaller than a square on the board. Preferably each of the square-shaped pieces has, as illustrated In Figure 2, a small magnet so that it magnetIcally adheres to the playing board 1 or storage board 7 when positioned thereon. he magnet projects below the bottom face of the square playing piece so that when one edge of the playing piece is-pressez downwards, as shown in Figure 2(b), the opposite edge lifts above the surface level oç adjacent playing pieces making it easier to remove it from among others that are closely packed together on the the storage board 3.In the described embodiment six of the playing pieces are blank and the remaining pieces bear each one letter of the alphabet except that one piece may bear a "u" In addition to a q". In a preferred example the following number of the individual letters is available: 9 a, 2 b, 2 c, 4 d, 11 e, 2 f, 2 g, 2 h, 5 i, 1 j, 1 k, 4 l, 2 m, 5 n, 5 O, 3 p, 1 q, 5 r, 4 5, 6 t, 2 u, 1 v, 2 w, 1 x, 2 y, 1 z. Naturally, the number of playing pieces and the number of individual letters may differ from those mentioned.

The game includes several score markers (not shown) which are preferably substantIally arrow shaped and differ from each other e.g. by colour.

The score is kept by each player positioning his or her score marker on the score board 2.

The game can be played according to several sets of rules which will now be described.

RULES The players will decide which player will be player No. 1 and which will be player o. 2.

This may be done in that one player picks up one ot the playing pieces and hides it in one of his hands and asks the other player to giess in which of them the piece is present. If his opponent guesses correctly which hand holds the letter the opponent becomes player No. 1, if not, the person holdIng the piece becomes player No. 1. Player No. 1 starts the game by placing any letter he chooses on one of the squares. Each player, in turn, then places one letter on the board next to any other.

2. A letter placed next to another need not complete a word.

Points are scored for ALL words that read across, down, or diagonally. See also Additional Rules".

4. Points are scored only for words (and words within words) completed by the last letter placed on the board at any particular time. Example: A player who adds the letter "F" to "ear" scores for "pear" and also for "pea". A claim for points must be made before the next letter has been played.

5. Allowed are only words that can be found in a dictionary agreed upon and available to the players. Excluded are only proper names (like John or England), words requiring a hyphen or apostrophe, and plurals ending with the letter "s". An abbreviation is not considered to be a word.

6. A word claimed by one player may be challenged by his opponent. The challenge is decided by reference to the dictionary. If the challenge IS correct, the challenged player scores no points for the word.

7. 4 letter, once played, may not be removed.

8. The blank pieces, which may be used in place of any letter, should be divided up equally between players before starting. The letter may be pencilled on the blank piece and rubbed out at th end of the game.

9. The letter piece "qu" counts as two letters for scoring points.

10. A letter placed on the outermost square of any row or column of squares must complete a word for which the player scores points. If it does not, the letter must be removed and the player who put it there looses his turn.

ADDITIONAL RUES (a) For 2 players: Player No. 1 scores points ONt)t for words completed by,either player across (w-E, E-W) and down (N-S, S-N). Player No. 2 scores points ONlY for words completed by either player along a diagonal (TW-SE, SE-NW, NE-SW, SW-NE).

(b) For 3 or 4 players: Player No. 1 scores points ONLY for words completed by any player "vertically", ie up and down (N-S, S-N), player No. 2 for words completed along a 5W-NE, NE-SW diagonal, player o. 3 for words completed "horizontally", ie across (W-E, -W), and player o. d for words completed along a EW-S7, Sr- NW diagonal.

(c) As a variation from the rule permitting each player to play only a single playing piece when it is his turn he may play two playing pieces provided both pieces are played in fields that lie in the same line (W-E, E-W, N-S, S-N, NW-SE, SE-NW, DTE-SW, SW-NE) along which the player scores points for any word formed.

SCORING TABLE Letters in word 2 3 4 5 6 7 Points for juniors 5 10 20 30 40 50 50 Points for adults - 5 10 20 30 40 50 Unless agreed otherwise before starting the game, the winning score is 200 points.

Claims (7)

1. A board game comprising a lain boara divided chess-board fashion into a p'uralit5y of identically sized and shaped fields, and including a plurality of playing pieces each of which either permanently bears or is adapted to temporarlly bear a single letter of the alphabet and nothing else, the size of a said playing pIece not exceeding the size of a said field, the game being played according to Rules which assign no specific scoring value to any said field or any said playing piece, the scoring value being determined from a Scoring marble by the number of letters 'In one or more words created by the addition of a single playing piece selected from any of the pieces stored face upwards to one or more playing pieces on the playing board.

2. A board game according to Claim 1 in which the player may, when it is his turn, rlay a maximum of two playing pieces in accordance with a variation in the rules of the game.

3. A board game according to Claim 1 or 2 in which the playing board is physically linked to a score board and/or a storage board.

4. A board game according to any one of the preceding claims including score markers in which the playing pieces and the score markers are magnetic.

5. A board game according to any one of the preceding claims in which each plaving piece varies in thickness so that when at least one of its edges is pressed down the opposite edge lifts up.

6. A board game as in Claim 5 in which a circular magnet, having a diameter smaller than the distance between opposite edges of the playing piece, protrudes below the bottom face of the square section of the playing piece.

7. A board game according to claim 1 substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A board game according to Claim 1 substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A board game comprising a playing board divided chess-board fashion into at least 100 square shaped field and including a plurality of playing pieces each of which either permanently bears or is adapted temporarily to bear a single leer of the alphabet and nothing else, except the letters "q" and "" which may both be on the same playing piece, the size of said playing piece nor exceeding the size of said Field, the game being played according to Rules that permit words to be formed diagonally at 45 degrees to the edge of the board as well as across and down and which assign no specific scoring value to any said field or any said playing piece, the scoring value being determined from a Scoring Table by the number of letters in one or more words created by the addition of a single playing piece selected from any one ot the unused playing pieces stored face upwards to one or more of the playing pieces on the playing board 2, A board game according to Claim 1 in which the player may, when it is his turn, play a maximum of two playing pieces in accordance with a variation in the rules of the game.

3. A board game according to Claims 1 or in which the playing board is physically linked t a score board and/or - storage board tor the playing pieces.

4. A board game according to any one of the preceding claims including score maters in which the playing pieces and the score markers are magnetic.

5. A board game according to any one of the preceding claims in which each playing piece varies in thickness so that when at least one of its edges is pressed down the opposite edge lifts up.

6. A board game as in Claim 5 in which a circular magnet having a diameter smaller than the distance between opposite edges of the square playing piece protrudes below the bottom face of the square section of the playing piece.