Nisus

Abstract

This invention is a board game that is a chess variant played on the same board of sixty-four squares as a chess board and each player has sixteen moveable pieces. This is a nonconvention chess piece set, wherein the pieces of the nonconventional chess piece set perform nonstandard movements of the conventional chess pieces. This nonconventional chess game may also have special functions different from conventional chess pieces. A method of playing the chess variant is also disclosed.

Description

U.S. Patent Application No. 61/111,895. Dated Nov. 6, 2008. The Applicant is Edward Philip Fulco, Bullhead City, Ariz., USA. Applicant is a US citizen.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is called Nisus and relates to chess games and, more specifically, to a chess variant and method of play thereof.

2. Description of Related Art

The game of chess is well-known, dating back thousands of years. Conventional chess is a two-player game played on a chessboard of sixty-four alternating dark and light squares comprising eight horizontal rows, and eight vertical columns. Each player has sixteen moveable pieces: a king, a queen, two bishops, two knights, two rooks or castles, and eight pawns. The object of conventional chess is to “checkmate” the opposing player's king. Each player's pieces are initially positioned in a predetermined opposed, mirrored relation to his opponent's pieces. The rules of conventional chess are known and outlined in U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,523 to Fioriglio, U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,157 to King and U.S. Pat. No. 7,434,806 to Budden, which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference.

According to the rules of chess the king moves one square in any direction and can capture any opponent's piece, except the king, by moving into the square occupied by the other piece, except the king cannot move into a square where the king would be vulnerable to capture by an opponent's piece. The king is never captured during play. The queen moves in a straight line on the rank, the filed or diagonally in any direction and for any distance over unoccupied squares. The queen cannot jump over pieces. The queen captures an opponent's piece by moving into the square occupied by that piece. The rooks move in a straight line horizontally or vertically and capture an opponent's piece by moving into the square occupied by that piece. The bishops move diagonally over unoccupied squares for any distance. One bishop only moves on the dark squares and one only on the light squares. They capture an opponent's piece by moving into the square occupied by that piece. Bishops cannot jump over pieces. The knights move in a L-shaped pattern, two squares in a straight line along a row or file and then one square at right angle or one square in a straight line along a row or file and then two squares at a right angle. Knights may jump over other pieces and captures an opponent's piece by occupying the same space. The eight pawns move one square forward, toward the opponent, except the initial move may be either one or two squares forward. A pawn moves forward diagonally only to capture an opponent's piece. If a pawn advances to the eighth rank, the rank at the opposite side of the board, it may be exchanged for any more powerful piece. Pawns may capture an opponent's piece “en Passant.” An “en Passant” capture is a move executed by the pawn in which it attacks an opposing pawn, the opposing pawn having just been advanced two squares from its original square in one move. In such circumstances, the attacking pawn may move diagonally one square into the square passed over by the opposing pawn and capture the pawn. Each chess player can perform a move called a “castle” once in the game except when the king is in check, or if there are pieces between the king and rook or if the king or rook has previously moved. “Castling” transposes a player's king and one rook. The king is moved two squares to the right or left on one row toward the rook and that rook is moved over the king and placed on the square beside the king in the same row. The king is checked when he is vulnerable to capture by an opponent's piece on the opponent's next move. The player who is checking an opponent's king must say check. The threatened king must either move out of check, capture the attacking piece, or move another piece between the king and the attacking piece. If the king is unable to move out of or block the check he is checkmated and the game is over.

In addition to classical chess, many alternative versions have been developed throughout history. The U.S. patent's referenced above are all examples of variant chess games. However, some of these variants use nonstandard sized chess boards and additional pieces to the standard thirty-two. Thus, a player needs to buy and carry the nonstandard board to a place where he wishes to play. Chess boards integrated into game tables at places where chess players gather would be unusable. It is therefore desirable to provide a chess variant that utilizes the standard sixty-four square playing board and the standard thirty-two playing pieces.

Advanced chess players often know what their first eight or ten moves are going to be, leaving the middle game for strategy and the end game predictable. With the enhanced movement of the thirty-two playing pieces, the advanced players will have a challenge from their first move but still be on the same playing area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Patent Application No. 61/111,895—Dated Nov. 6, 2008. A game similar to Chess called Nisus. The Applicant is Edward Philip Fulco, Bullhead City, Ariz. This invention is a game for two players using the same game board and the same number of playing pieces as in chess. Each player moves one piece alternately as in traditional chess. The distinctive feature of this invention is that the sixteen pieces that each player has moves differently than tradition chess. There is no “castling” or “en Passant” moves and all sixteen pieces have different names and methods of movement from traditional chess and their only difference is that one set of sixteen pieces are white and one is black. There is no promotion for a piece that reaches the eighth row as in traditional chess. The game ends only when all of the opponents pieces are captured or he surrenders.

References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
6,116,602	September 2000	McLoy
6,336,632	January 2002	London
6,446,966	September 2002	Crozier
6,481,716	November 2002	Trice
6,550,770	April 2003	Rackliff
6,702,287	March 2004	Pendexter
7,434,806	October 2008	Budden

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is the N and symbols for the number 1-8. Notice the N is really a pyramid and a V. These are ancient signs that combing the phallic pyramid symbol for male and the V symbol for the female chalice. The symbols for 1 to 8 are from an alien race called Mirari from the science fiction novel The Cosmic Seed by Henry Edward Webster. The rights to the story are owned and controlled by FULCO Enterprises Inc. whose CEO is Edward P. Fulco. The symbols and rules of this game are in and a part of The Cosmic Seed story.

FIG. 2 are the bell-shaped Ns and their symbols.

FIG. 3 is the PI triangle, NOX square, SI pentagon, HI circle, SPUN lazy eight, TI hexagon, BE seven sided figure, and the OS octagon.

It is to be understood that the variant chess game Nisus discussed herein may be implemented in computer software and that said software may operate on a personal computer, or any suitable computing device. It is further envisioned that the game may be operated in the context of a network, such as the internet.

The above invention has been described with reference to the preferred and alternative embodiments. Obvious modifications, combinations, and alterations will occur to others upon reading the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the invention will be construed as including all such modifications, combinations, and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.

Although specific terms have been employed in describing the invention, they have been used in a descriptive and generic sense only and not for the purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being determined by the appended claims when considered with this specification and the applicable prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The game of Nisus is played by two players on a conventional chess board of sixty-four alternating black and white squares. Either white or black may move first by toss of a coin or any other method agreed upon. A player keeps his color for seven games or three if there is not enough time for seven, but never just one. The object of the game is for each player to move their pieces strategically to both defend their pieces while trying to capture the opposing player's pieces. A player may move any piece when it is his turn. When a player's piece is captured, it is removed from the board. The players take alternating turns moving their pieces until one player's pieces are all captured or the opposing player surrenders. The game board is number starting with the home players right-hand column. The home player is the player who has the white pieces. The first column is called N1 thru to N8. Ns are the pieces that correspond to the pawns in chess. The numbering sequence is N1-1 to N1-8 for the first column through N8-8 for the eighth's column's eight square. The game pieces and their movement and placement on the board is as follows:

(1) Ns—The traditional shape of an N is bell shaped with an N and a number or symbol designating a number. The white pieces are placed on the second row and the black on the seventh. Row one is on the right of the white player and row eight on his left. The white N1 starts in row one space two and goes to N8 starting in row eight. The black N1 starts in row eight space two and goes to N8 starting in row one.

(a) N1 moves one space at a time forward and can only captures diagonally to the left the first time then must move diagonally and can only captures forward but continues to move diagonally.

(b) N2 moves one space forward and captures diagonally left or right, but must continue forward on its next move.

(c) N3 moves the same as N2.

(d) N4 can move forward or backward one space and captures forward and left or right diagonally but not backward.

(e) N5 moves the same as N4.

(f) N6 moves the same as N2

(g) N7 moves the same as N2

(h) N8 moves the same as N1 except it captures diagonally to the right.

(2) the major eight pieces start on the first and eighth row respectively and the white line across from N-1 to N-8 and the black N-8 to N-1. All of these pieces are on a base with their shape on top with its name on the shape.

(a) PI is a triangle-shaped piece. It moves and captures vertically and horizontally and can jump over all its own color pieces but must stop one space beyond the piece jumped.

(b) NOX is a square shaped piece. It moves two spaces in a straight line then left or right for three spaces or three spaces in a straight line and two spaces left or right. The NOX may jump over all pieces and captures the opponent's piece at the space it lands as a knight in chess does.

(c) SI is a pentagon-shaped piece. It moves and captures diagonally and can move one square over and change from white spaces to black and back again.

(d) HI is shaped like a circle. It moves exactly like the queen in chess: vertically and horizontally and diagonally on black or white squares.

(e) SPUN is a lazy-eight figure. The SPUN is the most powerful piece and moves and captures as all of the back row pieces.

(f) TI is a hexagon-shaped piece. The TI moves and captures like the SI but also can jump over its own pieces diagonally, vertically, and horizontally.

(g) BE is a seven-sided shaped piece. The BE moves exactly like the NOX.

(h) OS is an octagon-shaped piece. The OS moves like the PI but can't jump over its own pieces but it can jump over the opponent's piece.

It is to be understood that the variant chess game Nisus discussed herein may be implemented in computer software and that said software may operate on a personal computer, or any suitable computing device. It is further envisioned that the game may be operated in the context of a network, such as the internet.

The above invention has been described with reference to the preferred and alternative embodiments. Obvious modifications, combinations, and alterations will occur to others upon reading the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the invention will be construed as including all such modifications, combinations, and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.

Although specific terms have been employed in describing the invention, they have been used in a descriptive and generic sense only and not for the purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being determined by the appended claims when considered with this specification and the applicable prior art.

Claims

1. A method of two players to play a variant chess game, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a chess board with sixty-four alternately colored white and black squares,

(b) providing sixteen game pieces for each player,

(i) the game pieces of player being distinguishable by the game pieces of the other player by color, one being black, the other white.

(ii) the sixteen game pieces for each player comprising eight traditional pieces called Ns each having a symbol or numeral designating the number's 1,2,3,4,5,6,7, and 8. The other eight traditional pieces are a triangle called PI, a square called NOX, a pentagon called SI, a circle called HI, a lazy eight infinity sign called SPUN, a hexagon called TI, a seven-sided figure called BE, and an octagon called OS. Non-traditional pieces can be represented by animals or plants and various other alien or human species.

(c) providing rules governing the movement for each piece:

(i) the rules for movement of some pieces are the same or similar as the chess rules for movement of some of the game pieces in the game of chess and

(ii) the rules of movement of other pieces are different from the chess rules form movement of any of the game pieces in the game of chess;

(d) placing the pieces of each player on the board so that the pieces for one player occupy the first two rows on one side of the board and the pieces for the other player occupy the first two rows on the opposite side of the board;

(e) the players move in alternate turns one game piece according to said rules governing the movement of the game pieces; and

(f) continuing to move the pieces in alternate turns until one player has no pieces or surrenders or both players declare a draw.