A New or Improved Game.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Jan., 1899-Accepted, 11th Mar., 1899
A New or Improved Game.
I, ARTHUR ROBERT PATON, of Fremont, Chelmsford Road, South Woodford,
in the County of Essex, Commercial Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to that kind of game which is played on a board or
surface divided into compartments or squares, with pieces which are moved accord-
ing to certain rules from one compartment or square to another, and it consists
in certain arrangements of a board and pieces, and method of moving the latter
on the board, whereby a game can be played involving the exercise of a con-
siderable amount of skill. And in order that the invention may be fully under-
stood I will now proceed to describe the same with the aid of the accompanying
drawings which illustrate a board for surface upon which the game is played.
The game is played by two persons, each of whom is provided with a scoring or
recording counter, piece, or man, coloured or marked in some distinctive manner.
For example one may be coloured green and marked "zil" and the other
coloured red and marked "zal" and the game itself may be appropriately called
"Zil-zal." Each player is also furnished with eight playing counters, pieces,
or men, coloured to correspond with the scoring or recording counters, pieces, or
men and marked with the numerals 2 to 9 respectively. These counters, pieces,
or men are represented in the drawing by the circles at the top of the sheet,
and they are also represented on the board in the "goals" or top row of numbered
compartments or squares in the position they occupy at the commencement of the
game. The object of each player is to move his scoring or recording counter,
piece, or man from the position it occupies in the drawing across the field (that
is, the whole of the space between the two "goals" and "bases") in a straight
line according to the rules hereinafter set forth until it reaches the compartment
or square marked with its corresponding name at the lower part of the field, the
player first in being the winner. The playing counters 2-8 are moved by each
player alternately one compartment or square at each move, and only in straight
lines, either forwards or backwards, to the right or to the left, as he desires, on
any square in the field. It will be seen that the compartments or squares for
the playing counters, which form each "base" at the bottom of the board, are
characterised similarly to those which form each "goal" at the top of the board
being numbered with the numerals 2-9 as shown. The compartments or squares
on the extreme right hand side of the field are also marked with numerals, as.
shewn, in the colour corresponding to that of the counters, pieces, or men in the
compartments or squares of the left hand "goal" and "base"; and the compart-
ments or squares on the extreme left hand side of the field are correspondingly
marked with numerals in the colour corresponding to that of the counters, pieces,
or men in the compartments or squares of the right hand "goal" and "base."
In the drawing one colour (green for example) is represented on the counters,
pieces, or men, and the numbered compartments or squares by horizontal cross-

page_text: hatching, and the other colour (red for example) by perpendicular cross-hatching.
There are also certain other squares on the field with plain uncoloured numerals
as shewn.
"
"
When a green counter, for example, is moved into a correspondingly coloured
compartment or square in the field of such a number as that the number on the
counter added to the number on the square makes a total of 9, the player moves
his scoring or recording counter zil one square forward, and when the green
counter marked 9 is moved on to a correspondingly. numbered green square the
player is entitled to move his scoring or recording counter. "zil" two squares
forward; and after so moving his scoring or recording counter he moves his
playing counter back again to the correspondingly numbered square in his "goal"
from which position he may start afresh if he so desires at any succeeding turn.
The same applies mutatis mutandis to the red or "zal" counters. The playing
counters are not allowed to remain on squares diagonally or otherwise adjacent
to those occupied by other playing counters in any part of the field except as
hereinafter provided, but they may remain on squares adjacent to the scoring or
recording counters "zil" and "zal." No playing counter is allowed under any
circumstances to pass over another playing counter on any square in the field,
and if a playing counter occupies a square which is required for occupation by
one of the scoring counters "zil or "zal” then such playing counter is to be
removed and placed back into its correspondingly numbered square in its "goal"
as at the commencement of the game. When a player moves a playing counter
on to any square of corresponding number (coloured or plain) in any position in
the field he is entitled to move that counter in straight lines in the same turn
to any other similarly numbered square (either coloured or plain) to which the
way may be clear, and in this move he may pass his playing counter through
squares which are diagonally or otherwise adjacent to those occupied by other
playing counters. If such square of corresponding number to the playing counter
be occupied by his opponent's counter, he may remove the latter and substitute
his own but in that case he may move his counter no further in that turn. The
counter which he has thus removed is said to be taken prisoner and is placed by
the player in the square of corresponding number in his "base," and that counter
can only be released by the other player moving one of his counters into the
square immediately above that occupied by the captive counter, and the two
counters are then removed to their correspondingly numbered squares in their
"goal," from which they can then be moved as at the beginning of the game at
any succeeding turn. When a player blocks all of his opponent's counters in
any position so as to prevent him from continuing the game, such blockade is to
be raised by the said player moving his recording counter two squares forward,
and all the playing counters are then placed back in their goals as at the com-
mencement of the game, the said player having the additional advantage of the
next succeeding move.
It will be found that in this game the progress of each of the two scoring or
recording counters, if played with a reasonable amount of skill, may be closely
contested by the opposing players, that there is scope in the game for the exercise
of considerable skill, and that the interest and contention of the game is closely
maintained until the end.
It is obvious that the design of the board or surface and of the counters, pieces,
or men, may be varied considerably without departing from the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
First. The new or improved game which consists of a board or surface having
specially characterised compartments, divisions, or positions, indicated thereon,
and a number of specially characterised counters, pieces or men, applicable to
the said board, substantially as hereinbefore described.

page_text: Second. The new or improved game which consists of a board or surface having
specially characterised compartments, divisions, or positions indicated thereon and
counters, pieces, or men severally characterised and adapted to be used in relation
to each other, substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the
drawings.
.AAנית
D1
1000
A. R. PATON.
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.