Abstract:
A game of chess or checkers played on a gameboard having a checkerboard pattern formed by alternating light and dark colored squares; and having a fully extended form (five vertical rows and eight horizontal rows) and a modified form (five vertical rows and six horizontal rows), wherein a first hinged mechanism and a second hinged mechanism are integral parts of the gameboard, and wherein the first hinged mechanism is located between a first horizontal row and a second horizontal row, and the second hinged mechanism is located between an eighth horizontal row and a seventh horizontal row.

Description:
[0001]    The present application is based on previously filed provisional application Ser. No. 61/344,932. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a game of chess or checkers wherein the game includes the use of a modified gameboard. The modified gameboard demands the use of fewer playing pieces than is normally used. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The games of chess and checkers have been played for a long time. Learning the game of chess is time consuming and challenging. Over the years modifications to the games of chess and checkers have been attempted in order to introduce beginners into the sports and also to improve on the skills of more advanced players. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,787, issued to Miccio, discloses a gameboard and a plurality of playing pieces for playing a shortened form of the game of chess. The gameboard has a traditional checkerboard pattern and consists of five vertical rows and at least six horizontal rows. The playing pieces include a set of light colored pieces and a set of dark colored pieces. Each set includes one each of a king, queen, rook, bishop and knight, and five pawns. Each set of the same colored king, queen, rook, bishop and knight pieces is initially located in the squares along a horizontal end row of the gameboard; and the five pawns are initially located in the squares along the adjacent penultimate horizontal row. In a preferred embodiment, the initial location of the non-pawn playing pieces is in the order: rook-knight-bishop-queen-king. The game permits queen side casteling, The total number of playing piece locations (blank squares) on the gameboard for receiving a playing piece is equal to five times the number of horizontal rows. In another embodiment, the total number of playing piece locations (blank squares) on the gameboard for receiving a playing piece is equal to the product of the number of vertical and horizontal rows. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,146, issued to Goller, discloses a chess-like game employing ten pieces in total. Each player owns a king, queen, bishop, knight and rook. No pawns are employed in the game. 
         [0006]    US Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0116638 (Jacklin et al) discloses a game board comprising at least two parts connected at a connection region. The connection region comprises a hinge means to enable folding of one of the at least two parts relative to the other. Preferably, the game board comprises two generally equally sized parts, the connection region generally at a centre line of the game board when unfolded. The hinge means is disposed at the centre line to allow the game board to be folded in half. A board game is also disclosed. The board game comprises a game board comprising an upper surface member, a peripheral edge connected to the upper surface member; and at least one aperture in the peripheral edge for receiving a game piece; and at least one game piece for selective insertion within the at least one aperture. The board game further comprises at least two player tokens for movement across the upper surface member; at least one die for determining an amount of movement for each of the at least two player tokens across the upper surface member; a plurality of game cards for providing instructions during game play; and game currency for use during game play. 
         [0007]    US Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0108737 (Strum) discloses a folding game board for use with game pieces. A flat game board includes four panels. Each panel comprises a playing surface and a compartment opposite the playing surface. Certain panels are hinged together to permit each of two pairs of compartments to fold and close independently to form two storage areas within which playing pieces may be stored. Other panels are hinged together to permit the two storage areas to be folded together, thereby stacking the four panels of the game board. The depth of the storage areas is based on the size necessary to accommodate playing pieces and accessories to be stored within the game board. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,568,702, issued to Holden et al, relates to a collapsible chess set containing a generally square chess board having a playing surface with an eight by eight playing grid formed by alternate colored squares on the grid surface to form a chess board playing surface. The chess board has a central transverse dividing the chess board into two rectangular halves forming a first half and an essentially identical second half. A first peripheral wall is connected to the first rectangular half of the chess board and extending beneath and away from the playing surface of the first half of said chess board. A second peripheral wall is connected to the second rectangular half of the chess board and extends beneath and away from the playing surface of the second half of the chess board. A hinge is connected to a first long edge of the first peripheral wall of the first rectangular half of the chess board and also connected to a first long edge of the second peripheral wall of the second rectangular half of the chess board such that the first half and the second half of the chess board can be pivoted from a closed rectangular box configuration to an open generally square playing surface configuration. Various other limitations are also disclosed and claimed. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,341,252, issued to Jacklin et al, discloses a game board comprising at least two parts connected at a connection region. The connection region comprises a hinge means to enable folding of one of the at least two parts relative to the other. Preferably, the game board comprises two generally equally sized parts, the connection region generally at a centre line of the game board when unfolded. The hinge means is disposed at the centre line to allow the game board to be folded in half. A board game is also disclosed. The board game comprises a game board comprising an upper surface member, a peripheral edge connected to the upper surface member; and at least one aperture in the peripheral edge for receiving a game piece; and at least one game piece for selective insertion within the at least one aperture. The board game further comprises at least two player tokens for movement across the upper surface member; at least one die for determining an amount of movement for each of the at least two player tokens across the upper surface member; a plurality of game cards for providing instructions during game play; and game currency for use during game play. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,991,232, issued to Yufa, discloses a portable board multi-game set for playing chess, checker or backgammon games. An improved portable board multi-game set includes the set of chess and checker/backgammon pieces each including the piece opening, inclosure and director, a game board comprising two foldable half-boards coupled to each other by the hinges, chess/checker field layer, a backgammon field layer, and the apertures located on the side of the board intended for chess/checker games and providing the prevention of the piece&#39;s misplacement off the center of the squares on the chess/checker game field by passage of the piece&#39;s director into aperture. The portable board game set also comprises a compartment for storage of the pieces. 
         [0011]    None of the above-cited references, taken either alone or in combination, serves to anticipate the present invention as disclosed and claimed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The present invention relates to a game including a gameboard and a plurality of playing pieces. The gameboard includes a uniform checkerboard playing field consisting of alternate light and dark colored squares. The squares are arranged in adjacent horizontal and vertical rows. Each of the rows includes alternate light and dark colored squares, and each square is offset with respect to the similarly colored square of the adjacent row. A checkerboard pattern is formed by the alternating light and dark colored squares. The gameboard, when fully extended, includes of five vertical rows and eight horizontal rows. A first hinged mechanism and a second hinged mechanism are integral parts of the gameboard. The first hinged mechanism is located between a first horizontal row and a second horizontal row. The second hinged mechanism is located between an eighth horizontal row and a seventh horizontal row. The first and second hinged mechanisms allow for a player to fold the first horizontal row underneath the second horizontal row. The player can also fold the eighth horizontal row underneath the seventh horizontal row. After the player folds the last horizontal rows at each end of the gameboard under the respective penultimate horizontal rows, the gameboard is reduced to five vertical rows and six horizontal rows. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  relates to the gameboard of the present invention in an extended position. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  relates to the gameboard of the present invention in a closed position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    The present invention relates to a shortened form of the game of chess. For even more aggressive action, and a much quicker game, the gameboard of the present invention can be shortened even further, to give a playing field of greatly reduced size. This can be viewed as an ultra-shortened form of the game of chess. Action can be fast and furious, while at the same time providing a learning experience for the uninitiated. In both the shortened form and the ultra-shortened form, the game includes a plurality of playing pieces including a first set of light colored pieces and a second set of dark colored pieces. Each set of colored pieces contains five pawns and five royalty pieces. The royalty pieces include one king, one queen, one rook, one bishop and one knight. Each set of similarly colored royalty pieces are set up to be initially located in the squares along a horizontal end row of the gameboard, and each set of similarly colored pawns are set up to be initially located along the adjacent penultimate horizontal row. The royalty pieces can be set up in any agreed upon order. In a preferred embodiment, the royalty pieces are arranged in the order of queen, king, bishop, knight and rook. This order can be employed from left to right or from right to left. Preferably, if a first player sets up his royalty pieces from left to right, then a second player sets up his royalty pieces in the same order, but from right to left. In an alternative embodiment, the five royalty pieces are initially arranged in the order of king, queen, bishop, rook, knight; and the corresponding five royalty pieces are initially arranged in the same vertical row, but at the opposite horizontal end of the gameboard. 
         [0016]    The same gameboard can be employed for both the shortened form and the ultra-shortened form of the game of chess. The gameboard for the shortened form includes five vertical rows and eight horizontal rows. Once the opposing sides, represented by a set of light colored pieces and a set of dark colored pieces, are positioned for the start of the game, the gameboard (playing field) contains four horizontal rows of empty spaces. These empty spaces are available for future movement of the pieces as by the rules of advance in the game of chess. If the game of checkers is being played, then the spaces are available for movement of the pieces according to the rules of advance in the game of checkers. 
         [0017]    The gameboard includes a first hinged mechanism and a second hinged mechanism. The first hinged mechanism is located between a first horizontal row and a second horizontal row, wherein the first horizontal row is an end row and the second horizontal row is a penultimate row. The second hinged mechanism is located between an eighth horizontal row and a seventh horizontal row, wherein the eighth horizontal row is an end row and the seventh horizontal row is a penultimate row. Hinged mechanisms employed in the present invention are mechanisms which are known to one of ordinary skill in the art, and, as such, form no specific part of the present invention. When the ultra-shortened form is played, the gameboard is simply folded at the hinges to provide an ultra-short playing field. Both the first and second hinged mechanisms allow a player to fold the first horizontal row underneath the second horizontal row, and the eighth horizontal row underneath the seventh horizontal row. After the player folds the gameboard, its size is reduced to five vertical rows and six horizontal rows. Once the opposing sides, represented by a set of light colored pieces and a set of dark colored pieces, are positioned for the start of the game, the gameboard (playing field) contains only two horizontal rows of empty spaces. These empty spaces are available for future movement of the pieces as by the rules of advance in the game of chess. If the game of checkers is being played, then the spaces are available for movement of the pieces according to the rules of advance in the game of checkers. If the game of chess is being played, the initial pawn movement is limited to one square when the size of the gameboard includes five vertical rows and six horizontal rows. Preferably, pawn en passant movement is not allowed. 
         [0018]    If the game of checkers is being played, the plurality of playing pieces includes a first set of red colored pieces and a second set of black colored pieces. Each of the pieces is circular in shape to resemble a checker, and each set of colored pieces includes five checkers. 
         [0019]    The present invention relates to a game including a gameboard. The gameboard includes a uniform checkerboard playing field consisting of alternate light and dark colored squares. The squares are arranged in adjacent horizontal and vertical rows. Each of the rows includes alternate light and dark colored squares. Each square is offset with respect to the similarly colored square of the adjacent row. A checkerboard pattern is formed by the alternating light and dark colored squares. The gameboard includes five vertical rows and eight horizontal rows. The gameboard further includes a first hinged mechanism and a second hinged mechanism. The first hinged mechanism is located between a first horizontal row and a second horizontal row of the gameboard. The second hinged mechanism is located between an eighth horizontal row and a seventh horizontal row of the gameboard. The first hinged mechanism provides for folding of the first horizontal row underneath the second horizontal row. The second hinged mechanism provides for folding of the eighth horizontal row underneath the seventh horizontal row. After the folding procedure, the gameboard is reduced to five vertical rows and six horizontal rows. 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a gameboard  1  is represented, the gameboard  1  including endpieces  30  and middle piece  20 . The endpieces  30  are connected to the middle piece  20  by means of two hinges  10 . The gameboard  1  further includes alternating dark squares  2  and light squares  3 . The endpieces  30  can be folded underneath the middle piece  20  as by folding the pieces  30  by hand. 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , a gameboard  1  is represented, the gameboard including endpieces  30  and middle piece  20 , wherein the endpieces  30  are folded underneath middle piece  20  by means of two hinges  10 . The gameboard  1  further includes alternating dark squares  2  and light squares  3 . The endpieces  30  can be folded underneath the middle piece  20  as by folding the pieces  30  by hand. When endpieces  30  are folded underneath middle piece  20 , the playing field, represented now by middle piece  20  alone, has improved stability.