GB2239184A - Board game - Google Patents

Abstract

A board game comprising a board 1 marked with chequered spaces 2, 3 and four sets of differently identified pieces, the numbers of pieces in each set being the same. The board may be square and the chequered spaces square and of two different colours, for example white and yellow. Alternatively, the chequered spaces may be circular or the spaces identified by symbols rather than colour. In the preferred embodiment the pieces comprise 10 yellow showing a circle, 10 yellow showing a cross, 10 white showing a circle and 10 white showing a cross. The game is for two players and the winner is the first to create a diamond pattern from four pieces all marked with a circle or cross but not necessarily of the same colour. <IMAGE>

Description

BOARD GAME This invention relates to a board game for two players.

According to this invention the board game comprises a board marked with chequered spaces and four sets of differently identified pieces, the numbers of pieces in each set being the same, and the pieces being movable substantially in accordance with the hereinafter described rules of the game.

Usually the board will be square but it could be rectangular, circular or elliptical.

In the preferred embodiment the chequered spaces are diamond or square (depending from which angle they are viewed) and of two different colours, for example white and yellow.

However it is to be understood that the board could be marked out with a series of circular spaces in a chequered fashion. It is also to be understood that although the preferred way of identifying the spaces is by using different colours, all the spaces could be for example of the same colour, but alternate spaces being identified for example by a symbol such as a cross or a circle. Preferably the board is provided with at least 60 and especially at least 80 spaces.

The pieces can conveniently be square (or diamond shaped depending on the viewing angle) or circular, square pieces being preferred when the board is marked with squares in the conventional chequered fashion; and circular pieces being preferred when the board is marked with circles in a chequered fashion. However the pieces could be of different shapes, e.g. like certain chess men, provided there are four sets of differently identified pieces.

When the board is marked with two different coloured squares it is preferred that the pieces are substantially similarly coloured, half of one colour and the other half of the other colour. To obtain four differently identified pieces it is preferred that half of the pieces of one colour are identified by a circle or an ellipse and the other half of the pieces of that colour by a cross. Similar markings can be applied to the pieces of the different colour. However all the pieces could be of one colour, provided one quarter are marked or shaped in one way, another quarter marked or shaped in another way, and so on.

The total number of pieces is preferably at least equal to the total number of spaces forming the perimeter of the chequered spaces (i.e. the perimetric spaces). Preferably however the total number of pieces is greater than the total number of spaces forming the perimeter. This means that in this preferred case when the pieces are set out around the perimeter of the board at the start of play, each player will also have some pieces placed on spaces inwards of the perimetric spaces.

For the game to be effective it is preferred that there is a minimum of 5 pieces in each set. It is also preferred that the total number of pieces in the four sets is at least 30% of the total number of chequered spaces, about 40% being particularly preferred.

In the preferred embodiment of this game a square board is provided with chequered square (diamond) spaces the sides of which run at 450 to the sides of the square board.

Also in the preferred embodiment the perimeter of the chequered squares is not square but generally octagonal and in the preferred embodiment there are 97 chequered squares, 28 of them being perimetric squares.

Also in the preferred embodiment of this game the chequered squares are yellow and white and the pieces are square (diamond), half being white and half being yellow. In the preferred embodiment half of the white pieces are marked with a circle or ellipse and other half are marked with a cross. Likewise half of the yellow pieces are marked with a circle or ellipse and the other half being marked with a cross.

In the preferred embodiment there are ten pieces in each set. Also in the preferred embodiment two of the adjacent corners of the board not occupied by spaces are marked in one colour to indicate one player's playing position and the other two adjacent corners are marked in another colour for the other player's playing position. Since the game is called Diamond it is preferred that the word Diamond be used on the four corners, two adjacent corners in one colour and the other two adjacent colours in another colour.

The game may be made in different sizes, e.g. pocket or travel size, standard or deluxe sizes. It could be made in a 3D stand up version, the pieces being magnetically attracted to the board. Alternatively there can be computer or electronic versions.

The board game called "Diamond" and its rules are now described with reference to the drawings in which: Fig 1 is a plan view of the board; Fig 2 is a perspective view of two differently marked pieces.

The board 1 is shown in Fig 1 and it can be seen that there is an octagonal layout of spaces. Typically the board is 36cm x 36cm with the maximum length of opposite sides of the octagonal about 32cm. In the preferred embodiment, the hatched spaces, one of which is shown at 2, are yellow whilst the other spaces, one of which is shown at 3 are white. Within the continual thick line 4 is the playing area 5 whereas outside this line 4 are the spaces where the pieces are placed at the beginning of the game. Outside the octagonal layout is the word DIAtIOND in the four corners.

One player operates from the side of the board showing DIAMOND (twice) in double lined letters which in the preferred embodiment are in blue whereas the other player operates from the other side of the board showing DIAMOND (twice) in single lined letters which in the preferred embodiment are in green.

In Fig 2 are shown the two different markings for the pieces. In the preferred embodiment there are 10 yellow diamonds showing a circle, 10 yellow diamonds showing a cross, 10 white diamonds showing a circle and 10 white diamonds showing a cross. The positions in which these pieces outside the thick line 4 are shown in Fig 1, it being understood that yellow pieces are placed on yellow squares and white pieces are placed on white squares. Usually the pieces are the same size as the spaces on the board which typically are squares about 3cm x 3cm.

AIM OF GAME The game is for two players and the aim of the game is to move the pieces into the playing area to create before your opponent does a whole diamond. To make a diamond it is necessary to have 4 of your own pieces adjacent to one another with two sides of one piece touching the sides of two other pieces. At the same time one has to work out a strategy to block your opponent.

RULES (a) Movement of pieces (i) Each piece can only be moved in one column, the column being a "vertical" or "horizontal" column when viewed by the player. A column is constituted by adjacent square spaces joined together by their corners i.e. in the directions shown by arrows in Fig 1.

(ii) A piece can only be moved once in the playing area.

(iii) A piece can move through any number of spaces in its own column (b) The Play (iv) One player can play with all the pieces marked with a cross whilst the other player can play with all the pieces marked with a circle (v) Alternately each player moves one piece at a time (vi) If your opponent's piece is in your column you cannct pass it or move over it (vii) Likewise you cannot move over or pass one of your own pieces in the same column (viii) The winner is the player who creates a whole diamond first, the whole diamond constituting 4 pieces adjacent to one another to form the diamond, all four pieces being marked with either a cross or a circle. They need not however be of the same colour.

(ix) When playing more than one game, the final winner is the player with the larger total number of his pieces remaining outside the playing area at the end of each game.

Claims (7)

Claims

1. A board game comprising a board marked with chequered spaces and four sets of differently identified pieces, the numbers of pieces in each set being the same and the pieces being movable substantially in accordance with the hereinbefore described rules of the game.

2. A game according to claim 1 where the spaces are square.

3. A game according to either of claims 1 and 2 wherein the board is marked with squares, substantially half of one colour and the remainder of a different colour, and the pieces are substantially similarly coloured, half of one colour and the other half of the other colour.

4. A game according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the total number of pieces is at least equal to the total number of perimetric spaces.

5. A game according to any one of the preceding claims wherein there is a minimum of 5 pieces in each set.

6. A game according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the total number of pieces in the four sets is at least 30% of the total number of chequered spaces.

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