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(11) | EP 0 904 813 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Double chess enlightening game |
| (57) An enlightening double chess game presenting a board having a higher number of ranks
and the double number of files than the traditional chess, with a double number of
chessmen per player, two of which have been created anew. All this makes possible
a higher diversity in the game, creates a new space and increase moves. The two new
pieces are placed by the king and the queen, respectively, and their moves are a combination
of those of other traditional pieces. The enlaged board having thus been created will
allow, as well, to play checkers by incorporating a higher number of pieces. |
[0001] As stated in its headline, this present invention refers to a double chess or enlarged chess enlightening game formed of a new board having a higher number of rows than the original one anc with a double number of columns which duplicate the convencional chess board, thus affording room for a double number of pieces with a new space distribution and with the creation of two new pieces affording a higher dynamism and diversity to this game.
[0002] The state-of-art presents a tradicional table game set dating back over 2 thousand years, consiting in a deployment of 32 chessmen in two opponent sides of 16 pieces confronting each other, on a board having 64 squares in 8 rows having 8 columns each, with traditional rules that have remained unchanged from the known origins of this game,
[0003] Other games have been born, as well, derived from the previous one, by fundamentally adding a higher number of players, with a layout in triangle and with access on all four sides in order to enable 4 simultaneous players to take part, which makes it lose its character of a game with direct confrontation of two players.
[0004] There is, as well, the well known "checkers game" which, on an identical board to that of chess, allows two players to play with 12 pieces each.
[0005] That notwithstanding, given the old character of chess game with the limitations imposed by its space having 64 squares per side, it has given rise to a situation of stiffness in this game's evolution possibilities, which is conditioned by the opening theory highly developed during this century. Thus, starting from a given knowledge level, success possibilities are reduced or practically disappear unless a series of moves are made, specially at the beginning of the game, according with the moves made by the opponent's men.
[0006] Back in the Middle Ages, the Spaniard Ruy López developed a concrete opening move, which has reached our times under the denominaiton of "Spanish opening", and which has been fully perused up to farther than move 16th, without any other newly created eventual alternative. Such a situation stands other openings like those named French, Caro Kahn, Slavonian, accepted or rejected Queen gambit, etc.
[0007] This situation has enabled that compouting programs developed from these opening theories and half the game advantageously compete in front of the best specialists in this game's professional field.
[0008] During this year 1997 it has successfully been developed a computer software that has proved being capable to defeat the presert World champion in a six-round tournament, which ratifies the limitations of the traditional game as well as the progressive lack of alternatives and creativity in this game, which allows programming always the best possible move in every situation.
[0009] In order to cope with these limitations, this present irvention develops a new game which, while having been based on some characteristics of the traditional chess, creates a new space and a huge diversity of moves with the appearance of new men which make this game-sport more exciting and creative and allow balancing the confrontation between players, thus propitiating once more the ahcracteristics of intuition, mental nimbleness, shrewdness and analytic capacity which are supposedly linked with chess and which had lost their importance facing the study and memorization of renowned moves.
[0010] This present invention maintains the confrontation between only two players, duplication the number of chessmen and consequently enlarging the board's dimensions, multiplying the number of possible moves in every turn and considerably extending the game possibilities and the alternatives in every move.
[0011] For the sake of a better understanding of the subject matter of this present patent of invention, we are attaching some drawing sheets where have been represented, in a schematic manner, the elements integrating it.
[0020] In line with the above, the game board (1) presents a reclangular outlay, divided into a variable number of squares or chess (2) alternartively white (3) and black (4), in such a way that ths lower left corner square or chess is always black.
[0021] In the preferential game performance, the number of columns horizontally distributed is 16, the number of rows being preferentially 10, although they may vary between 8 and 12, but this increase excessively complicates the game and extends its lasting time, with the loss of the nimbleness required for a table game to be pleasant and contending.
[0022] 32 men are placed at every end of the board on each side, in two rows. the advanced one being omposed of 16 pawns, the white pawns (5) being placed on the 2nd row, while the black pawns (6) will be located on the row before last which, in the preferential performance, will be the 9th. On the first row are placed the 16 white men according with the layout reproduced on figures 2 or 3, and in the last row are placed the equivalent 16 black men in a symetrical and face to face distribution.
[0023] Thus, for every side are placed the 4 rooks (7), the 4 knights (8) and the 4 bishops (9), reserving the four center squares to place in their center the king (10) and the queen (11), according wih the traditional layout, and on their sides the new men called "chancellor" (12) by the king, and "secretary" (13) by the queen.
[0024] Pawns (5) and (6) opening movement allows them, at the start of the game, to advance one, two or three squares or chess providing such squares are free, keeping the possibility to "take in passing" or en passant, like in the traditional chess, in the two first starting squares being threatened by the adversary pawn. The remaining moves during the game are the traditional ones, vertically advancing one square at a time, taking the adversary men in diagonal and reaching the final square to be replaced by any piece having a higher strength, or queening. The rooks (7), bishops (8), knights (9), as well as the dame or queen (11) and the king (10) maintain their movements and characteristics like in the tradicional chess game, with the exception of the "castling", which in the traditional chess may be done in the two variations of "short castling" or "long castling" so called because it is done with the rook placed in the nearest end or with the one in the farthest one respectively. In the now registered double chess game, this catling may be made in the preferred solution shown on figure 2 by moving the king up to the square being contiguous to the first or second rook on either side moving the corresponding rook to the opposite side of the king, even if the squares through which the king will pass in its movement are threatened. In the alternative solution shown on figure 3, castling may be done twice on each side of every rook being on the same side in two independent moves and although the squares through which the king will pass in its movement are treatened, but in no case when the king (10) and the rook with which is castles has been moved in previous movements.
[0025] This possibility of doing castlings on both sides, even if the intermediate squares are threatened, introduces a higher richness of movements and alternatives in the game development and is due to the higher vulnerability of the chess or squares in the relevant first rank in every side.
[0026] Main novelty as regards men is, as stated above, the incorporation of a "chancellor" and a "secretary" per side.
[0027] The "Chancellor" (12) is initially placed at the right hand side of the king, facing the opposite side "chancellor" and may move and take other men in all directions, like the traditional chess dame or queen, or may move and take pieces like the knight does in the historical game, in this way carrying out simultaneously the movements of all remanining men in the game, thus becoming the most powerful man in this new double chess game, only surpassed as regards importance by the king (10) itself since its loss implies losing the game.
[0028] The "Secretary" is initially placed at the left hand side of the dame or queen (11), facing the "secretary" of the opposite side and may move and take opposite men in all directions, but only one square at a time like the king in the traditional chess game, or may move and take opposite men the way the knight does in the traditional chess game. The new so conceived game adopts the form of a double chess game with modifications in the playing characteristics and with men having more power, which give shape to a new set of wider variations which will make creativity easier and improve the possibility to improvise movements in full liberty, potentiating and prizing the players' analitical and strategic capacities on the basis of the multiple possibilities offered by the high number of men that allow placing up to four rooks, queen and chancellor in the very same file or rank, bishop, queen and chancellor in a crisscross line of the same color, etc., and the new deployment layout for pawns with which the opening variations developed up to now are increased in a geometrical progression.
[0029] As regards men's visual representation and in order to avoid any confusion the traditionally adopted one has been maintained, while the new pieces have preferentially been given a symbol which for the "chancellor" (12) consists of a similar shape to that of the king (10) with a small triangle protruding from the crown's radial center, as represented on figure 4. The "secretary" will be represented in a preferred way having a similar shape to that of the dame or queen (11) in the traditional chess, with no crown, as may be seen on figure 6.
[0030] The usual board (1) with identical white and black squares (2) and (3) layout allows playing the traditional "checkers game", initially placing the pieces in parallel to the board's narrower sides, making a display of 5 pieces per row thus playing with a longer depth since the board has available a total of 16 rows, corresponding to the files provided for the double chess game.
[0031] The board's obverse allows having available a traditional chess board, with 64 squares in 8 ranks having 8 files each, which allows alternatively playing both game's modalities, since the traditional chessmen are included among the pieces incorporated to the new double chess game.
[0032] Subject-matter of this patent now being applied for is easy to industrialize starting from duly die-casted tridimensional models forming an integral game set composed of board, men and game rules, entering it into the didactical and table games field.
[0033] It is expressly stated that any modification in the denomination or representation of pieces, shapes, dimensions, colors, textures or presentations not affecting to the characteristic essentiality of this game will be considered as included in this model, whichever the circumstances concurring.
1. A double chess enlightening game characterized by the fact that it is played on an
enlarged board having 16 files and a variable number of ranks between 8 and 12, every
player having available a total of 32 men, out of which 16 are pawns, four are rooks,
four are bishops, four are knights, one queen, one king, one chancellor and one secretary.
2. A double chess enlightening game, as per the previous claim, characterized by the
fact that a new piece is introduced, preferentially denominated chancellor, which
being always placed at the right hand side of the king may move and take opposing
men in all directions or at any distance, same as the queen in the traditional chess
game, or either move and take pieces jumping as the knight does in the traditional
chess game.
3. A double chess enlightening game, as per the previous claims, characterized by the
fact that another new piece is introduced, preferentially denominated secretary, which
being always placed at the left hand side of the queen may move and take opposing
men in all directions but advancing only one square at a time, same as the king in
the traditional chess game, or either move and take pieces jumping as the knight does
in the traditional chess game.
4. A double chess enlightening game, as per the previous claims,characterized by the
fact that it follows the conventional chess gamerules, except for the initial move
of the pawns that may initially advance one, two or three squares ahead, and that
the castling is made with the first or second rook on each side, in one only move
or in two not necessarily simultaneous, and even if the intermediate squares are being
threatened by men from the opposite side.
5. A double chess enlightening game, as per claim 1st, characterized by the fact that
on its board may also be developed the checkers game with 24 or 32 pieces per side,
or in transversal sense with 15 or 20 pieces per side, in both cases layed out in
3 or 4 succesive ranks.