Three-dimensional chess set, gameboard and storage tray

A three-dimensional chess set includes a three-dimensional chess gameboard having a multi-tiered playing surface, and a three-dimensional tray for storing chess playing pieces within the three-dimensional chess gameboard.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present general inventive concept relates generally to the game of chess and, more particularly, to a three-dimensional chess set, chess gameboard and chess playing pieces storage tray.

2. Description of the Related Art

Chess is traditionally played using two sets of 16 playing pieces, with each set in a different color (such as light and dark) from the other, for each of two players on a flat two-dimensional square checkered game board with 64 squares arranged in an 8×8 grid. The set of 16 playing pieces for each player includes: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. The pieces for each player are placed at predetermined positions on the two rows of squares along two opposing sides of the game board, leaving four rows of empty squares between them, at the start of a game.

Alternative two-dimensional designs of the standard checkered gameboard have been proposed from time to time to instill fresh enthusiasm for the game of chess. However, such alternative designs have failed to gain traction and so there still remains a need for a different approach to instill fresh enthusiasm for the game of chess.

Therefore, there is still a need for an alternative chess gameboard design having features that will overcome the shortcomings of the alternative approaches of prior art two-dimensional designs that failed to instill fresh enthusiasm for the game of chess.

SUMMARY

The present general inventive concept provides a three-dimensional chess set, a three-dimensional gameboard and a three-dimensional storage tray that provide a different entertaining option to traditional chessboards so as to instill fresh enthusiasm for the game of chess.

The foregoing and/or other features and utilities of the present general inventive concept may be achieved by providing a three-dimensional chess set, including a three-dimensional chess gameboard, and a three-dimensional tray for storing chess playing pieces within the three-dimensional chess gameboard.

The three-dimensional chess gameboard may include a multi-tiered structure having a chess playing surface thereon containing multiple squares having electronic portions that are activated by chess playing pieces also having electronic portions that illuminate the squares when placed thereon.

The three-dimensional chess gameboard may include an interior chamber being open at least at one end for slidably receiving and removing a three-dimensional storage tray for holding the chess playing pieces.

The three-dimensional storage tray may include a multi-tiered structure having two tiered rows of multiple pockets along each of a pair of opposite sides of the multi-tiered structure for holding the chess playing pieces.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now toFIG. 1of the drawings, a three-dimensional chess set10, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, is illustrated. The three-dimensional chess set10include a three-dimensional chess gameboard11, and a three-dimensional tray12for storing chess playing pieces (not shown) within the three-dimensional chess gameboard11.

The three-dimensional chess gameboard11may include a three-dimensional multi-tiered structure13that has a chess playing surface14thereon. The chess playing surface14contains an arrangement of multiple squares15that may have electronic portions16(only illustrated with a representative one of the squares) thereon that are connected to a conventional computer system (not illustrated) and activated by chess playing pieces which also may have electronic portions, causing illumination of the squares when placed thereon.

The three-dimensional multi-tiered structure13of the three-dimensional chess gameboard11may also include an interior chamber17that is open at least at one end18. The three-dimensional tray12has a three-dimensional multi-tiered structure19that is complementary in its three-dimensional shape to that of the three-dimensional multi-tiered structure13of the three-dimensional chess gameboard11. Thus, the three-dimensional tray12is slidably receivable in and removable from the three-dimensional chess gameboard11.

The three-dimensional multi-tiered structure19of the three-dimensional tray12may also have two tiered rows of multiple pockets20along each of a pair of opposite sides of the multi-tiered structure for holding the chess playing pieces.

From the foregoing description, it may be readily understood that the three-dimensional chess gameboard embodies two functions. The first function is to provide a three-dimensional multi-tiered chess playing surface with multiple squares that have electronic portions which are illuminated by contact with chess playing pieces also having electronic portions thereon that activate the electrical portions of the multiple squares. The second function is to provide a three-dimensional storage cover for the three-dimensional storage tray that provides the multi-tiered pockets for holding chess playing pieces. The three-dimensional storage tray is storable within and removable from the three-dimensional storage cover form of the three-dimensional chess gameboard.

The three-dimensional feature of the structures of the gameboard11and storage tray11refers to their having the aspects of length, width and height. The gameboard11may also include a computerized memory system that records moves from both players in order to allow post-game revision of tactics used, empowering the players to improve their skills by learning from mistakes and/or accomplishments made during each game.