METHOD OF GAME PLAY

Abstract

A method of game play, including the steps of providing a plurality of cards (20a), each including at least one symbol (26) of a piece of a chess game, disposing by a player, at least two (20a, 20b) of the cards one adjacent to the other, for disposing the symbols (26) one adjacent to the other, and in case the disposition of the symbols (26) one adjacent to the other forms an event according to rules of the chess game, allowing the player to state the at least two (20a, 20b) cards as a group.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/412,547 filed Oct. 3, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to the field of games. More particularly, the invention relates to card games.

BACKGROUND

Standard playing card deck includes cards of ranks, including index labels 2 to 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace, etc. Thus, the card deck is useful for forming series/groups, e.g., cards of 2, 3, 4, 5 may form a series.

In contrast, a graphic playing card deck includes cards of shapes. Graphic playing cards as well are useful for games of series, but by attaching a first shape of a first card to a second shape of a second card to form together a third shape, e.g., two opposite triangles form a square by being disposed one aside the other.

However, these two types of series are relatively simple, and there is a long felt need to form a more complicated series.

There is a long felt need to provide a solution to the above-mentioned and other problems of the prior art.

SUMMARY

A method of game play, including the steps of:

• • providing a plurality of cards, each including at least one symbol of a piece of a chess game;
  • disposing by a player, at least two of the cards one adjacent to the other, for disposing the symbols one adjacent to the other; and
  • in case the disposition of the symbols one adjacent to the other forms an event according to rules of the chess game, allowing the player to state the at least two (20a, 20b) cards as a group.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention are described herein in conjunction with the following drawings:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the structure of a Variable Chessboard card on the front, and may include Slices, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the structure of a Variable Chessboard card on the front, and may include Opponent Pieces in Rotated Slices, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the structure of a Variable Chessboard card on the back, and may include Hidden Slices, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates Variable Chessboard cards, and may include Opponent Pieces only in King cards.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates Variable Chessboard cards, and may include Opponent Pieces in all Rotated Slices, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a number of Variable Chessboard cards held in the hand of a player before they are assembled into a Shortened Chessboard, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 schematically illustrates the player's hand (three of the five; a knight, a queen and a king) assembled to a Shortened Chessboard, while the other two cards (two bishops) are separately held and do not form part of the Shortened Chessboard, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 schematically illustrates an example of two Shortened Chessboard configurations assembled on a table including a Checkmate Group and a Stalemate Group, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 schematically illustrates an example of a Chessboard Logic Challenge (15a) including a Hidden Slice (2b), according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 schematically illustrates an example of the solution for the Chessboard Logic Challenge shown in FIG. 7 by exposing all Slices, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention will be understood from the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, which are meant to be descriptive and not limiting. For the sake of brevity, some well-known features are not described in detail.

The reference numbers have been used to point out elements in the embodiments described and illustrated herein, in order to facilitate the understanding of the invention. They are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. Also, the foregoing embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in conjunction with systems and methods thereof, which are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting.

The present invention relates to a device and a method, referred to hereinafter as a Variable Chessboard. The Variable Chessboard allows the assembly of limited chessboard configurations (referred hereinafter as Shortened Chessboards) and Chess Logic Challenges (referred hereinafter as Chessboard Logic Challenges), for the purpose of playing a card game as a chess based game and practice certain concepts and ways of thinking taken from the game of chess.

Chess lacks elements of information hiding and randomness. Applicant solves this problem by means of an innovative game component (set of cards) and a method with the above characteristics. The present invention, according to exemplary embodiments, enables elements of hidden information and randomness using an innovative method and cards structure that allows a user to simulate a limited situations of a chess game.

By partially placing cards on top of each other, a graphic representation of a limited uncheckered (a pattern of squares with no alternating colors) chessboard with chess pieces on it is simulated (groups 12a as shown in FIGS. 7 and 13a, 14a as shown in FIG. 8).

Each card has columns of squares close to the edges of the card, referred hereinafter as Slices (6a, 7a, 8a, 9a as shown in FIG. 1). Slices may have graphic symbols representing chess pieces (referred hereinafter as Graphic Chess Pieces 2a, 3a, 4a, 5a as shown in FIG. 1) in them. The placement of several cards on top of each other, a Slice next to a Slice, creates a display of a limited simulated Chessboard configuration in which each card forms a section of the chessboard (referred to hereinafter as Shortened Chessboard, 12a as shown in FIG. 7. 13a, 14a in FIG. 8).

The cards may include Rotated Slices (7a, 9a as shown in FIG. 1) that allow cards in opposite directions to fit each other for the purpose of assembling a Shortened Chessboard. The cards may include Graphic Chess Pieces of an opponent (referred hereinafter as Opponent Pieces 10a, 11a as shown in FIG. 2).

In some embodiments, the back of each card may include Slices with no Graphic Chess Pieces, referred to here as Hidden Slices (1b as shown in FIG. 3). This to allow assembling of a Shortened Chessboard composition in which one or more of the Graphic Chess Pieces are concealed (See FIG. 9).

Due to the unique features of the Variable Chessboard, the traditional chess game situations such as checkmate and stalemate, can be applied as groups of cards, like melds in standard playing cards games. However, unlike standard playing cards' melds, which form a series, the Variable Chessboard cards form a two-dimensional map of a chessboard with game pieces on it in an event composition according to rules of the chess game.

The Variable Chessboard would provide an opportunity for a wide variety of new chess based games that are not possible with the traditional chess components or with any other game components. The Variable Chessboard would also provide unique properties and strategies to existing well known card games that are not possible with the use of the traditional deck of cards.

The present invention, according to exemplary embodiments, relates to a device and method for playing a card game as a chess based game.

The Variable Chessboard is designed to allow the user to assemble it into a limited chessboard composition, referred hereinafter as Shortened Chessboard, and to allow the user to conceal specific Graphic Chess Pieces in the Shortened Chessboard.

The Variable Chessboard includes a plurality of cards. Each card have columns of squares close to the edges of the card, referred to hereinafter as Slices (6a, 7a, 8a, 9a as shown in FIG. 1). In some embodiments, each Slice may include three squares, although more squares may be used. The squares are adjacent to each other and to the edge of the card. Slices may have graphic symbols representing chess pieces (referred hereinafter as Graphic Chess Pieces. 2a, 3a, 4a, 5a as shown in FIG. 1) in them. A Graphic Chess Piece may represent a Queen, a Rook, a Knight, a Bishop, a Pawn or a King. The preferred embodiment may include one Graphic Chess Piece in each Slice, although more than one Graphic Chess Pieces may be used in other embodiments.

A Variable Chessboard card may include one or more Slices whose order of squares and Graphic Chess Pieces is the reversal of the order of the squares and the graphic chess pieces of other Slices in the same card, as if the Slice had been rotated (referred to hereinafter as Rotated Slice 7a, 9a as shown in FIG. 1). Rotated Slices allow cards in opposite directions to fit each other for the purpose of assembling a Shortened Chessboard.

The Variable Chessboard cards may include Graphic Chess Pieces that has graphic characteristics which define them as enemy pieces (referred to hereinafter as Opponent Pieces 10a, 11a as shown in FIG. 2). For example, in some embodiments the Opponent Pieces may be black Graphic Chess Pieces while the other Graphic Chess Pieces may be white.

In some embodiments only Rotated Slices may include Opponent Pieces (See FIG. 2). This way, the user can change the Graphic Chess Piece's color by rotating the card upside down.

In some embodiments, the cards may be adapted to two modes of use. A first mode in which the players assemble the cards in their hands (referred to hereinafter as Private Slices 6a, 7a as shown in FIG. 1), and a second mode in which the players assemble the cards on a table or other playing surface (referred to hereinafter as Tabletop Slices. 8a, 9a as shown in FIG. 1). Private Slices have small squares. Private Slices are optimal for assembling a Shortened Chessboards while holding the cards in hands (12a as shown in FIG. 7). Tabletop Slices have large squares. Tabletop Slices are optimal for assembling Shortened Chessboards on a table or on other playing surface (13a, 14a as shown in FIG. 8).

The Graphic Chess Pieces represent the physical chess pieces of the traditional chess game in terms of the relationships between the pieces on the board. For Example, the rook threatens opponent pieces in vertical and horizontal directions, the bishop threatens opponent pieces in a diagonal directions, etc. Due to the unique features of the Variable Chessboard, the traditional chess game situations such as checkmate and stalemate, can be converted to types of groups that may be used as melds in card games. In some embodiments, the game may include succeeding in assembling given cards into Shortened Chessboard in which the king is in a state of checkmate or stalemate.

When Graphic Chess Pieces in a Shortened Chessboard are positioned where an Opponent Piece of a king (11a as shown in FIG. 7) is trapped in a state of checkmate, the Shortened Chessboard is defined as a Checkmate Group (referred to hereinafter as Checkmate Group 12a as shown in FIG. 7. 13a as shown in FIG. 8).

When Graphic Chess Pieces in a Shortened Chessboard are positioned where an Opponent Piece of a king is trapped in a state of stalemate, the Shortened Chessboard is defined a Stalemate Group (referred to hereinafter as Stalemate Group, 14a as shown in FIG. 8).

FIG. 6 shows cards held in hand, separated from each other.

FIG. 7 shows three of these cards disposed one on the other and adjacent thereto (herein “assembled”) as a Checkmate Group while held in the hand.

In some embodiments, the back of the card may include Hidden Slices (1b as shown in FIG. 3). A Hidden Slice is a Slice on the back of a card that have no Graphic Chess Pieces on it. This allows an assembling of a Chessboard configuration lacking some of the Graphic Chess Pieces thus being concealed (see FIG. 9). This feature of the Variable Chessboard makes it possible to include Chessboard Logic Challenges within a card game. A Chessboard Logic Challenge is a group which at least one of its cards is face down so that its Graphic Chess Pieces are invisible, while the rest of the group's cards are face up with their Graphic Chess Pieces visible.

FIG. 9 provides an example of a Chessboard logic challenge of a Checkmate Group. From this configuration, it may be possible to conclude that the face down card (2b as shown in FIG. 9) has a Graphic Chess Piece of a knight in the top square of the Slice. FIG. 10 shows the same Checkmate Group but with all its cards face up.

Thin playing cards is the preferred embodiment for the Variable Chessboard. However, the skilled person in the art may appreciate that rigid tiles or other flat objects suitable to graphically display the Variable Chessboard, optionally suitable to be held in hand, can be substituted for conventional playing cards. The Variable Chessboard can also be implemented in a digital environments such as virtual reality or other.

A plethora of games can be defined using the present invention. The Variable Chessboard would provide the opportunity for a wide variety of new and unique chess based games that are not possible with the traditional chess components or with any other game component.

This example presented here relies on the Variable Chessboard. In some embodiments, an exemplary game may include any combination of the following actions.

All cards are shuffled and placed in the center of the table as a draw pile. Each player gets 5 cards. In some embodiments, a player may in turn do one of the following:

• • a. Discard a card to the discard pile and draw a card from the stock.
  • b. Lay a Checkmate Group on the table.
  • c. Lay a Stalemate Group on the table.
  • d. Take the uppermost card from another player's group and add it to be the uppermost card in his own group.
  • e. Take from the draw pile the number of cards he lacks to have a hand of five cards.

The first player to complete 6 groups (Checkmate groups or Stalemate groups) is the winner of the game.

FIG. 7 depicts the player holding at the left, being black king 11a of card 20A of FIG. 4; holding right to card 20A, a card 20b of FIG. 4 including white queen 22a; and holding right to card 20b, a card 20c of FIG. 4 including white knight 22c.

Cards 20a, 20b and 20c may be regarded as a group 12a, since according to chess rules, the dispositions on the board of white queen 22A and of white knight 22c and of black king 11a, make an event of checkmate.

Examples of events according to rules of the chess game may be checkmate, stalemate, etc.

Thus, the player will state cards 20a, 20b and 20c as group 12a, for awarding the player a positive score. The stating may be applied by separating cards 20a, 20b and 20c, from cards 20d and 20e.

Card 20a further includes squares 28 indicating the location of white queen 22A on the portion of the board of the chess.

White queen 22A, white knight 22c and black king 11a, including their locations explained above, are examples of symbols 26 of chess game.

Symbols 26 are located at an edge of the card, thus disposing the edges of cards one adjacent to the other reveals symbols 26. This allows the hand of the player to hold many cards together, and to view the chess pieces and squares altogether, while hiding them from the other player.

According to other embodiments, cards 20a, 20b and 20c may include symbols (pieces and positions thereof) of another grid-based movement board game, e.g., Janggi, Sittuyin, Ko shogi, and accordingly cards 20a, 20b and 20c may form group 12a by the rules of the grid-based movement board game, rather than chess rules.

Thus, in contrast to groups of standard playing card deck e.g., cards of 2, 3, 4, 5, and in contrast to groups of graphic playing card deck including cards of shapes, group 12a is defined be a group by rules of chess or of another grid-based movement board game.

The symbols don't actually move across the “board”, but as part of the rules, borrowed from chess, they have the same pieces, such as Queen. The queen “can” eat the king, the king “can” eat the pawn. The group is defined by the available movement of the pieces on the board, being different from a normal puzzle game, for example. The symbols of the pieces are put together using cards when held in the hand.

Thus, in one aspect, the invention is directed to a method of game play, including the steps of:

• • providing a plurality of cards (20a), each including at least one symbol (26) of a piece of chess;
  • disposing by a player, at least two (20a, 20b) of the cards one on and adjacent to the other, for disposing the symbols (26) one adjacent to the other; and
  • in case the disposition of the symbols (26) one adjacent to the other form an event according to rules of chess, stating by the player the at least two (20a, 20b) cards to form a group.

The symbol (26) included in each card, is located at an edge of the card, thereby the step of disposing the at least two (20a, 20b) of the cards one adjacent to the other, includes disposing the edges of the at least two (20a, 20b) of the cards one adjacent to the other, thereby allowing the hand of the player to hold many cards together, and to view the chess pieces and squares altogether, while hiding them from the other player.

The at least one symbol (26) further includes at least two squares of a board, indicating a location of the piece on the board of the chess, thereby the event is formed by the dispositions of the symbols (26) one adjacent to the other and further by the locations of the pieces on the board.

The method may further include the steps of:

• • providing at least one card (20a), lacking the at least one symbol (26), thereby opening options to symbols; and
  • in case the disposition of the symbols (26) and the disposition of the options of the symbols (26) one adjacent to the other form an event according to rules of the chess game, stating by the player the cards as a group.

The foregoing description and illustrations of the embodiments of the invention have been presented for the purpose of illustration, and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the above description in any form.

Any term that has been defined above and used in the claims, should be interpreted according to this definition.

The reference numbers in the claims are not a part of the claims, but rather used for facilitating the reading thereof. These reference numbers should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any form.

Claims

1. A method of game play, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of cards (20a), each comprising at least one symbol (26) of a piece of chess;

disposing by a player, at least two (20a, 20b) of said cards one on and adjacent to the other, for disposing said symbols (26) one adjacent to the other; and

in case said disposition of said symbols (26) one adjacent to the other form an event according to rules of chess, stating by the player said at least two (20a, 20b) cards to form a group.

2. The method of said game play according to claim 1, wherein said at least one symbol (26) comprised in each card, comprises said at least one symbol (26) located at an edge (6a) of said card,

thereby said step of disposing said at least two (20a, 20b) of said cards one adjacent to the other, comprises disposing said edges (6a) of said at least two (20a, 20b) of said cards one adjacent to the other.

3. The method of said game play according to claim 1, wherein said at least one symbol (26) further comprises at least two squares of a board, indicating a location of said piece on a chess board,

thereby said event is formed by said dispositions of said symbols (26) one adjacent to the other and further by said locations of the pieces on the board.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing at least one card (20a), lacking said at least one symbol (26), thereby providing by the player, options to said at least one symbol (26); and

in case said disposition of said symbols (26) and disposition of said options of said symbols (26) one adjacent to the other form an event according to rules of said chess game, stating by the player said at least two (20a, 20b) cards as a group.