Abstract:
The Spacial Game Board is a contiguous, multi-level (variable quantity and variably locatable in some cases) game board of squares with the quantity of simultaneous players determined by the quantity of squares being played on (2 players˜64 squares, 4 players˜133, or 144 squares, multiple player pairs additional to 2 add 72 squares for each pair) used for playing Spacial Chess and Spacial Checkers (Two Kingdom, Four Kingdom, etc., where Kingdom quantity matches the number of simultaneous players) that has additional rules to the traditional rules of chess and checkers when four or more simultaneous players are conducting a match whether on hardware (real life playing surface) or via computer generated Spacial Game Board with Spacial Chess and Spacial Checkers software packages.

Description:
SPECIFICATION 
     DESCRIPTIVE TITLE OF INVENTION 
     Spacial Game Board, a contiguous, multilevel (variable quantity and variably locatable in some cases), playing board of squares used for Two (player) Kingdom (64 squares), Four (player) Kingdom (squares of 136 or, 144), and multiple Kingdom (beyond Four players, in groups of two (square quantity increased by 72 for each additional two players)) Spacial Chess and Checkers on real life hard ware or in computer generated Spacial Game Board with Spacial Chess and Spacial Checkers software packages. 
     CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Chessboard, checker board; the game of Chess, the game of Checkers 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FED SPONSORED R &amp; D 
     There is no Fed sponsored R &amp; D. 
     REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     There is no reference to the Microfiche appendix. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Having grown up playing chess, I recently wondered how to make the game more challenging. I thought about the flat game board, how to change it so that an additional challenge of spatiality could be incorporated. By adding various contiguous height variations, the game pieces would not lie on one flat plane. Rather, they would lie on contiguous squares of varying heights. A variation of the word spatial is the word spacial. I named my creation the SPACIAL GAME BOARD. 
     The seating arrangement in a sports arena, where each row of seats are in ascending, contiguous levels of height is an example of the spatial game board “stair step” height variation. 
     I also wanted to create a way that two couples, or four people could play chess at the same time. This would entail the use of two sets of chess pieces, or four kingdoms. The FOUR KINGDOM SPACIAL GAME BOARD would need to be larger than the consolidation of two standard (64 square) game boards. This will provide some space between adjacent kingdoms at the beginning of the game; at setup(standard layout of pawns and other pieces that form a total of two rows of pieces). Having more than four players playing at one time could be incorporated by adding more squares, 72 for each additional pairs of players. I can envision a large table with a game board of 352 squares (on various contiguous levels) and ten players enjoying a “long-play-time” game. I can also envision ten players playing the same game board but, each player is in their own home and are “modemed” to my Spacial Chess and Spacial Checkers Webpage and playing in cyberspace. 
     Being a wood worker, I felt that the spacial game board prototypes should be made of wood. By setting various lengths of “2 by 4, 2 by 6, &amp; 2 by 8” wood boards on their small side and, attaching them about a “2 by 4” cut to 3.5″ length (laid flat on the large side), I created an ascending “stair step”, or step of 1.5″. The result is a box like structure with stair steps descending toward the middle from each side. I marked each board with a line every 1.5″ down the length of the sides to form squares. This game board has a total of sixty-four squares, each (1.5″×1.5″). The exterior of the game board is (12″×12″). This was my first, although rough prototype. I used some scrap lumber, a circular hand saw for the cuts and, nailed the pieces together. No real wood finish work was done. The first prototype game board was so challenging that diagonal lines had to be drawn to aid in the discernment of the correct diagonal squares for a piece to move along. 
     The following spacial game board versions were made with clear Douglas Fir wood and with good woodworking shop tools to produce “furniture quality” pieces. All squares are formed by hand sawing (0.25″) deep cuts on the small side (1.5″) of each “2 by board in 1.5” intervals. 
     The second prototype was the Four Kingdom Spacial Game Board. This game board was made with eight wood boards of various heights when laid on their small side. All boards (25.5″ in length) were ripcut from “2 by 4” wood, except the 4″ height, which was cut from a “2 by 6”. Four height variations (1.25″, 2.25″, 3.25″, &amp; 4″) for eight boards were created (two of each height). I cut (0.25″) deep lines into each top side of the boards with a hand saw. Seventeen “squares” were formed on each board as a result of the lines. This game board has a total of 136 squares (1.5″×1.5″) formed by eight rows (of various height) of seventeen columns. If one were to make a letter association for each height (A˜1.25″, B˜2.25″, C˜3.25″, &amp; D˜4″) and one were to look along the short side of the spacial game board table, one would see (as one example) the following height variation: DCBAABCD. Each of the eight boards can be placed in any row location so one can change the location of the various heights. For example; DBACCABD. I had named some of the variations in the disclosure document for this type of game board as Four Kingdom 4 Level Spacial Game Board with Valley elevation layout and with Multiple Hill elevation layout. I now call this game board the FOUR KINGDOM OPEN PLAIN SPACIAL GAME BOARD. 
     The SPACIAL GAME BOARD TABLE is a four legged table whose top is a box-like structure that holds the boards that form the spacial game board and provides shelf space for captured pieces. The table is 17.5″ tall with a top that is 22″ deep and 28.5″ wide. There are two shelves that lie within the top box-like structure that are 25.5″ long and 3.5″ wide. The wood boards that form the Spacial Game Board sit between the two shelves and are held up by additional wood pieces that form the lower structure of the game board table. All versions of the Four Kingdom Spacial Game Board can be placed in the Spacial Game Board Table. 
     The third prototype was made with made with seventeen boards, each with eight “squares”. Twelve inch long boards were ripcut to form height variations of (1.5″, 2.5″, 3.5″, &amp; 4″). The 136 squares (1.5″×1.5″) are formed from eight rows with seventeen columns (various height), The result is four levels where there are two highest levels, five second highest, six third highest, and four the fourth highest. The boards can be placed anywhere on the game table so as to change the location of a certain level. The standard layout is to have three hills formed by the various levels so that two high hills are on either side of a smaller hill. If one were to assign a letter to each height variation (1.5″˜a, 2.5″˜b, 3.5″˜c, 4″˜d) and to view the height variation along the long side of the spacial game board table; you would see: abcdcbabcbabcdcba. This game board lies on the spacial game board table. I called this version in the disclosure statement the Four Kingdom 4 Level 3 Mountain Transverse elevation layout. I now call this version the FOUR KINGDOM THREE HILL SPACIAL GAME BOARD. 
     The fourth prototype game board incorporated “2 by 4” wood boards. The center piece (2 by 4) cut to 3.5″ in length is similar to the first prototype. The steps ascending from the center (arena configuration) were made with only one size of wood, the “2 by 4”. The first step is 2″ tall. Each following step is 1.5″ tall. This prototype also created, when turned upside down (mountain configuration), a top center with descending steps. 
     Squares were formed by sawing lines every 1.5″ along the step&#39;s top side. No diagonal lines were drawn. A total of sixty-four squares (1.5″×1.5″) were formed. This piece is 12″ wide by 12″ deep with a height of 8″. A sleeve made of “2 by 4” wood holds the game board in place. The sleeve is (9″×9″×3.5″). In the Arena configuration the center slides through the sleeve and the “stair step” rests on it&#39;s top. The total height of the game board as mounted on the sleeve in the arena configuration is 8.5″. In the mountain configuration, the game board rests on the sleeve. The resultant total height (mountain configuration) is 10″. I call this version the TWO KINGDOM ARENA/MOUNTAIN SPACIAL GAME BOARD. 
     The fifth prototype took the idea of the Two Kingdom Arena/Mountain Spacial Game Board and made a Four Kingdom version. Rather than a center with three steps, this game board has five steps, each 1.5″ tall. The resultant game board has 144 squares (1.5″×1.5″). This piece is 18″ wide by 18″ deep and is 9.5″ tall. The sleeve that holds this game board is made of (2 by 6) board. The sleeve is (12″×12″×5.5″). The game board, in the arena configuration mounted on the sleeve is 12″ tall. The game board can be turned upside down to form the mountain configuration. In this configuration, mounted on the sleeve, the total height is 12″. This game board in the arena configuration, or the mountain configuration can also be placed in the Spacial Game Board Table 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The Spacial Game Board is a contiguous multi-level (variably locatable) game board of squares used for playing Two Kingdom (two player), Four Kingdom (four player), or Multiple Kingdom (player quantity greater than four in additions of two) Spacial Chess and Spacial Checkers. 
     The Spacial Game Board creates a more challenging game board by incorporating spatiality to that which was traditionally a flat (two-dimensional) game board. The multiple levels are contiguous in that if one were to view the game board in a vertical axis centered on the game board, he would only see a number of squares, as though they were on a flat game board. It is when a person views the spacial game board from a player&#39;s view that the spatiality becomes apparent since he sees various levels of squares. 
     Two Kingdom Spacial Chess, Two Kingdom Spacial Checkers, and Four Kingdom Spacial Checkers, currently, do not have any special rules in addition to the rules for the common chess and checkers games. Four Kingdom Chess has additional rules to common chess one of which allows a kingdom in checkmate to remain “alive” for one round (every player taking one turn) in hope that another player will capture the piece that put this player in checkmate. 
     The Spacial Game Board can be real-life hardware and it can be a computer generated game board in cyberspace. The bitboard (Boolean representation) will be of a size sufficient to represent the various quantities of squares. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     a. FIG.  1 . The first spacial game board prototype. 
     b. FIG.  2 . The Spacial Game Board Family. (A picture of the four furniture grade prototypes.) 
     c. FIG.  3 . The Spacial Game Board Logo. 
     d. FIG.  4 . The Four Kingdom Spacial Chess Logo. 
     e. FIG.  5 . The Four Kingdom Spacial Checkers Logo. 
     f. FIG.  6 . The Two Kingdom Spacial Chess Logo. 
     g. FIG.  7 . The Two Kingdom Spacial Checkers Logo. 
     h. FIG.  8 . The Four Kingdom Open Plain Spacial Game Board. 
     i. FIG.  9 . The Four Kingdom Open Plain Spacial Game Board with setup variations. 
     j. FIG.  10 . The Spacial Game Board Table. 
     k. FIG.  11 . The Four Kingdom Three Hill Spacial Game Board. 
     l. FIG.  12 . The Four Kingdom Arena-Mountain Spacial Game Board, Arena Configuration, on the Spacial Game Board Table. 
     m. FIG.  13 . The Four Kingdom Arena-Mountain Spacial Game Board, Mountain Configuration, on the Spacial Game Board Table. 
     n. FIG.  14 . The Four Kingdom Arena-Mountain Spacial Game Board, Arena Configuration on the Sleeve. 
     o. FIG.  15 . The Four Kingdom Arena-Mountain Spacial Game Board, Mountain Configuration, on the Sleeve. 
     p. FIG.  16 . The Two Kingdom Arena-Mountain Spacial Game Board, Arena Configuration, on the Sleeve. 
     q. FIG.  17 . The Two Kingdom Arena-Mountain Spacial Game Board, Mountain Configuration, on the Sleeve. 
     r. FIG.  18 . The All Terrain Spacial Game Board Square ID Number. 
     s. FIG.  19 . The All Terrain Spacial Game Board Square/Level Piece Layout. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The Spacial Game Board is a contiguous multi-level (variably locatable) game board of squares used for playing Two Kingdom (two player), Four Kingdom (four player), or Multiple Kingdom (player quantity greater than four in additions of two) Spacial Chess and Spacial Checkers. 
     The Spacial Game Board creates a more challenging game board by incorporating spatiality to that which was traditionally a flat (two-dimensional) game board. The multiple levels are contiguous in that if one were to view the game board in a vertical axis centered on the game board, he would only see a number of squares, as though they were on a flat game board. It is when a person views the spacial game board from a player&#39;s view that the spatiality becomes apparent since he sees various levels of squares. 
     Multiples of greater than four players can be played on larger game boards than those of the prototypes. These gameboards could be constructed using multiples of the prototype game boards. 
     Two Kingdom Spacial Chess, Two Kingdom Spacial Checkers, and Four Kingdom Spacial Checkers, currently, do not have any special rules in addition to the rules for the common chess and checkers games. Four Kingdom, and Multiple Kingdom Chess have additional rules relative to common chess, one of which allows a kingdom in checkmate to remain “alive” for one round (every player taking one turn) in hope that another player will capture the piece that put this player in checkmate. 
     The Spacial Game Board is real-life hardware and it can also be a computer generated game board in cyberspace. The bitboard (Boolean representation) will be of a size sufficient to represent the various quantities of squares. I will create a webpage, where the Spacial Game Board(s) can be accessed and users play against the computer or other users Two Kingdom, Four Kingdom, or Multiple Kingdom Spacial Chess or Spacial Checkers. 
     The computer software for the Spacial Chess and Spacial Checkers will require various bitboard sizes. The bitboard size required for each type of two, four, or multiple kingdom games matches the quantity of squares of the game board. This bitboard is a Boolean representation of the game board. A two kingdom bit board would be a 64 bit word. A four kingdom bit board, depending on the type of game board would be a 136 bit word, or a 144 bit word. A multiple kingdom bit board for six players would be a 208 (136+72) bit word, or a 216 (144+72) bit word. A ten player multiple kingdom bit board would be a 352[136+(3)72] bit word, or a 360[144+(3)72] bit word. 
     There are many kinds of bitboards, one to represent the initial position of all the pieces at the beginning of the game, one of the initial position of each kingdoms pieces, one of each type of piece(rook, knight, queen, etc.), and many more including rotated bit boards(or attack boards). Operations performed on bitboards include and (both bits set), or (one or both bits set), and or (only one bit set, not both). 
     My computer chess and checkers software will follow a tree search methodology. By creating search functions the computer can choose the “best” move in a given situation. This will allow users to play against the computer. 
     I have included the previous description of the computer software version of the Spacial Game Board for Spacial Chess and Spacial Checkers because I want the patent to cover the Spacial Game Board, Two Kingdom Spacial Chess, Two Kingdom Spacial Checkers, Four Kingdom Spacial Chess, Four Kingdom Spacial Checkers, Multiple Kingdom Spacial Chess, and Multiple Kingdom Spacial Checkers in a computerized version. 
     The spacial game board prototypes are made of wood. Other materials could be used, I like the look and feel of wood. The following description of the prototypes includes reference to seventeen figures, or pictures (most of which are copies of photos of the prototypes) by including the figure number in the description. 
     The first prototype (FIG. 1) was made by setting various lengths of “2 by 4, 2 by 6, &amp; 2 by 8” wood boards on their small side and, attaching them about a “2 by 4” cut to 3.5″ length (laid flat on the large side), I created an ascending “stair step”, or step of 1.5″. The result is a box like structure with stair steps descending toward the middle from each side. I marked each board with a line every 1.5″ down the length of the sides to form squares. This game board has a total of sixty-four squares, each (1.5″×1.5″). The exterior of the game board is (12″×12″). This was my first, although rough prototype. I used some scrap lumber, a circular hand saw for the cuts and, nailed the pieces together. No real wood finish work was done. The first prototype game board was so challenging that diagonal lines had to be drawn to aid in the discernment of the correct diagonal squares for a piece to move along. 
     The following spacial game board versions were made with clear Douglas Fir wood and with good woodworking shop tools to produce “furniture quality” pieces. All squares are formed by hand sawing (0.25″) deep cuts on the small side (1.5″) of each “2 by board” in 1.5″ intervals. There are no diagonal lines to aid in the discernment of the correct diagonal squares to move along; the more challenging game board has been found. 
     The second prototype was the Four Kingdom Spacial Game Board. I now call this game board the FOUR KINGDOM OPEN PLAIN SPACIAL GAME BOARD (FIG.  8 ). This game board was made with eight wood boards of various heights when laid on their small side. All boards (25.5″ in length) were ripcut from “2 by 4” wood, except the 4″ height, which was cut from a “2 by 6”. Four height variations (1.25″, 2.25″, 3.25″, &amp; 4″) for eight boards were created (two of each height). I cut (0.25″) deep lines into each top side of the boards with a hand saw. Seventeen “squares” were formed on each board as a result of the lines. This gameboard has a total of 136 squares (1.5″×1.5″) formed by eight rows(of various height) of seventeen columns. If one were to make a letter association for each height (A˜1.25″, B˜2.25″, C˜3.25″, &amp; D˜4″) and one were to look along the short side of the spacial game board table, one would see (as one example) the following height variation: DCBAABCD. Each of the eight boards can be placed in any row location so one can change the location of the various heights. For example; DBACCABD. I had named some of the variations in the disclosure document for this type of game board as Four Kingdom 4 Level Spacial Game Board with Valley elevation layout and with Multiple Hill elevation layout. Level location variation can be seen in FIG. 9, where you will note that the pieces advance down toward the center in the top photo but, advance upward toward the center in the bottom photo. 
     The SPACIAL GAME BOARD TABLE (FIG. 10) is a four legged table whose top is a box-like structure that holds the boards that form the spacial game board and provides shelf space for captured pieces. The table, is 17.5″ tall with a top that is 22″ deep and 28.5″ wide. There are two shelves that lie within the top box-like structure that are 25.5″ long and 3.5″ wide. The wood boards that form the Spacial Game Board sit between the two shelves and are held up by additional wood pieces that form the lower structure of the game board table. All versions of the Four Kingdom Spacial Game Board can be placed in the Spacial Game Board Table. 
     The third prototype was made with made with seventeen boards, each with eight “squares”. I now call this version the FOUR KINGDOM THREE HILL SPACIAL GAME BOARD (FIG.  11 ). Twelve inch long boards were ripcut to form height variations of (1.5″, 2.5″, 3.5″, &amp; 4″). The 136 squares (1.5″×1.5″) are formed from eight rows with seventeen columns (various height), The result is four levels where there are two highest levels, five second highest, six third highest, and four the fourth highest. The boards can be placed anywhere on the game table so as to change the location of a certain level. The standard layout is to have three hills formed by the various levels so that two high hills are on either side of a smaller hill. If one were to assign a letter to each height variation (1.5″˜a, 2.5″˜b, 3.5″˜c, 4″˜d) and to view the height variation along the long side of the spacial game board table; you would see: abcdcbab babcdcba. This game board lies on the spacial game board table. I called this version in the disclosure statement the Four Kingdom 4 Level 3 Mountain Transverse elevation layout. 
     The fourth prototype game board incorporated “2 by 4” wood boards. I call this version the TWO KINGDOM ARENA/MOUNTAIN SPACIAL GAME BOARD (FIG.  12 ). The center piece (2 by 4) cut to 3.5″ in length is similar to the first prototype. The steps ascending from the center (arena configuration) were made with only one size of wood, the “2 by 4”. The first step is 2″ tall. Each following step is 1.5″ tall. This prototype also created, when turned upside down (mountain configuration), a top center with descending steps. Squares were formed by sawing lines every 1.5″ along the step&#39;s top side. No diagonal lines were drawn. A total of sixty-four squares (1.5″×1.5″) were formed. This piece is 12″ wide by 12″ deep with a height of 8″. A sleeve made of “2 by 4” wood holds the game board in place (FIG.  2 ). The sleeve is (9″×9″×3.5″). In the Arena configuration the center slides through the sleeve and the “stair step” rests on it&#39;s top. The total height of the game board as mounted on the sleeve in the arena configuration is 8.5″ (FIG.  16 ). In the mountain configuration, the game board rests on the sleeve. The resultant total height (mountain configuration) is 10″ (FIG.  17 ). 
     The fifth prototype took the idea of the Two Kingdom Arena/Mountain Spacial Game Board and made a Four Kingdom version. I call this version the FOUR KINGDOM ARENA-MOUNTAIN SPACIAL GAME BOARD. Rather than a center with three steps, this game board has five steps, each 1.5″ tall. The resultant game board has 144 squares (1.5″×1.5″). This piece is 18″ wide by 18″ deep and is 9.5″ tall. The sleeve that holds this game board is made of (2 by 6) board. The sleeve is (12″×12″×5.5″); note FIG.  2 . The game board, in the arena configuration mounted on the sleeve is 12″ tall (FIG.  14 ). The game board can be turned upside down to form the mountain configuration. In this configuration, mounted on the sleeve, the total height is 12″ (FIG.  15 ). This game board in the arena configuration (FIG.  12 ), or the mountain configuration (FIG. 13) can also be placed in the Spacial Game Board Table. 
     The second through the fifth spacial game board prototype as well as the spacial game board table is shown in FIG.  2 . The title of FIG. 2 is: ‘The Spacial Game Board Family’. The first prototype could be included but, I wanted to show case the furniture quality prototypes. 
     Another type of Spacial Game Board is the ALL TERRAIN SPACIAL GAME BOARD (FIGS. 18,  19 ). I have not made the hard-copy of the prototype at the time of this document but, I intend on making it in the next couple of weeks. Construction of this prototype will consist of a piece of ¼″ plywood (12″ by 25½″) that will lie within the Spacial Game Board Table (FIG. 10) in the same location as the game board square/level pieces set (FIG. 9, FIG. 11; the light colored wood pieces). The square/level pieces will sit atop the plywood. 
     The square/level pieces for the All Terrain Spacial Game Board will be pieces made from (2″ by 2″) wood, which is actually (1.5″×1.5″). The pieces will all be the size of a square (1.5″×1.5″, as with all squares in the other prototypes), just the length (height level) will vary from piece to piece. In FIG. 18, you will note the Square ID Number, which indicates a number from 1 to 136 on each square. By this, the most upper left square is ID Number 1, the most lower right square ID Number is 136. The most upper right square ID Number is 17. One can locate any square by noting it&#39;s ID Number in FIG.  18 . 
     FIG. 19 indicates one example of the All Terrain Spacial Game Board Square/Level Piece Layout with Square/Level pieces 5 (7.5″ tall), 4 (6″ tall), 3 (4.5″ tall), 2 (3″ tall), and 1 (1.5″ tall). Each piece has a base of (1.5″×1.5″). Also, the top is a flat area of dimensions (1.5″×1.5″). This flat top area is the square (like the squares made from level pieces with grooves cut in them to form squares). 
     By locating square/level pieces ( 5 ,  4 ,  3 ,  2 , &amp;  1 ) at the corresponding location that indicates  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 , &amp;  5  on the grid in FIG. 19, one can lay out the game board. According to FIG. 19, the most upper left piece ( 1 ) resides in Square ID Number  1  (FIG.  18 ). Also, piece ( 5 ) resides in Square ID Number  60 . The result is a game board that could represent hilly terrain of land. 
     There could be more than 5 lengths of square/level pieces and the layout could vary by changing the location of the different pieces. This game board could be reduced in square quantity to 64 squares, or remain with 136 squares. By making a “ring” made of wood with a (1.5″×1.5″) cross-section and, at any perimeter so sized to match the quantity of pieces, one could make a Multiple Kingdom Spacial Game Boards for any number of players. This game board could also be computer generated and a larger number of players (10 or more) could play on a variable-rectangular shaped computer generated game board with many levels (in excess of 5). 
     In summary, the Spacial Game Board used for playing Spacial Chess and Spacial Checkers is any contiguous, multi-level, game board of squares made in hard copy or, in a computer game. Spacial Chess and Spacial Checkers in the Two Kingdom, Four Kingdom, and Multiple Kingdom applications are made specifically for the Spacial Game Board (FIGS. 3,  4 ,  5 ,  6 , &amp;  7 ).