Game, and Pieces for Playing the same.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 1st Feb., 1997-4ccepted, 20th Mar.. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Game, and Pieces for Playing the same.
We, JOSEPH EDWARD GRIFFITHS, of 121, Rushmore Road, Clapton, London,
in the County of Middlesex, Goldsmith, and HENRY JAMES GRIFFITHS, of
29 Haberdasher Street, London, in the County of Middlesex, Clerk, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This game is arranged to be played on an ordinary chess board by two players.
The object of the game is to get on any one piece eight consecutive numbers,
or the letters forming a given word or words.
It is played with 32 men or pieces, 16 of these pieces being of one color & 16 of
another color, the colors being preferably black & white. Two distinct colors being
required to distinguish the pieces belonging to each player.
Each piece is constructed so as to carry 8 detachable pieces.
The detachable pieces, of which there are also 32, each bear a number, or both a
letter or letters & a number, and 16 of them being of one color & 16 of another
color, the colors being preferably red & blue. These pieces are hereinafter called
numbers to distinguish them from the carrying pieces first described which we shall
continue to call pieces.
The pieces are discs of wood, or other suitable material, having a groove round
the top into which fit eight parts of a ring, these parts being the above-mentioned
detachable numbers.
The game when played with numbers only is played according to the following
rules:-
Each player arranges his 16 pieces on the first & second rows of his side of a
chess board, each being surmounted by one of the numbers of which there are 16
for each player, viz., 8 blue numbered 1 to 8 and 8 red numbered 1 to 8.
The players to move alternately.
The number or combined numbers on each piece shew the number of squares
that it may move, a shorter move being optional. The color shews the direction,
red qualifying the piece to move in a diagonal direction (forward or backwards)
and blue in a straight direction (forward, backward or sideways) or if carrying
both colors the piece can move in either direction, but not both in one move.
Any piece carrying the number 8 is privileged to make a turn at a right angle
to the direction taken at the commencement of the move. The turn inay be made
at any distance from the starting point but the total distance moved must not
exceed 8 squares, no matter how many numbers the piece may be carrying.
No other piece may make a turn.
No piece may pass over another piece.
Any piece that by its number or numbers & color or colors is qualified to reach
a square occupied by an opponent's piece may take from that piece as many
numbers (being numbers not already possessed by the capturing piece) as it may
require to make up its complement. The complement being the numbers 1 to 8
of either or both colors mixed.
If the player when taking some, does not take all the numbers he is qualified to
take, it is optional on the part of his opponent to compel him to do so.
If all the numbers are taken from a piece, that piece is removed from the board &
the capturing piece is placed on the square the other was removed from.

page_text: If all the numbers are not taken, the capturing piece stops one square in front
of the other.
The piece that loses a number or numbers cannot take any number from the
capturing piece until one move in the game has been taken by each player.
When one of the players has succeeded in getting the numbers 1 to 8 on any
single piece he has won the game, or failing this when one of the players has only
one piece left, if he cannot succeed within twenty moves on each side in securing
the eight numbers, the game is won by his opponent.
When the game is played with the addition of letters, the object being to
complete the word or words on any single piece, the following alteration is made
in the rules :-
As the numbers now only regulate the distance of the moves, the player in
taking from another piece, takes the letters he requires towards completing the
word or words.
It will be seen that now two or more corresponding numbers may be taken by the
same piece when the letters they bear are required..
Dated this Ninth day of May 1806
J. E. GRIFFITHS.
H. J. GRIFFITHS.
A Game, and Pieces for Playing the same.
We, JOSEPH EDWARD GRIFFITHS 121 Rushmore Road, Clapton, in the County of
Middlesex, Goldsmith, and HENRY JAMES GRIFFITHS, 29 Haberdasher Street, East
Road, London, in the County of Middlesex, 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 game is arranged to be played on an ordinary chess board by two players.
The object of the game is to get on any one piece eight consecutive numbers.
It is played with thirty-two men or pieces, sixteen of these pieces being of one color
& sixteen of another color, the colors being preferably black & white. Two distinct
colors being required to distinguish the pieces belonging to each player.
Each piece is constructed so as to carry eight detachable pieces.
The detachable pieces, of which there are also thirty-two, each bear a number, and
sixteen of them being of one color & sixteen of another color, the colors being
preferably red & blue. These pieces are hereinafter called numbers to distinguish
them from the carrying pieces first mentioned which we shall continue to call
pieces.
The pieces are discs of wood, or other suitable material, having a groove round
the top into which fit eight parts of a ring, these parts being the above-mentioned
detachable numbers.
The drawing Fig. 2 shews one of the pieces with one of the numbers in the groove.
Fig. 3 shews section of the same.
The game is played according to the following rules :-
Each player arranges his sixteen pieces on the first and second rows of his side
of a chess board, each being surmounted by one of the numbers of which there
are sixteen for each player viz., eight blue numbered 1 to 8 and eight red
numbered 1 to 8.
The order of arrangement is shewn by the drawing Fig. 1.
The players to move alternately.
The pieces move according to the number and color of the numbers (small pieces)
they are carrying.

page_text: The number shews how many squares the piéce may move, a shorter move being
optional on the part of the player.
The color shews the direction.
Red qualifying the piece to move in a diagonal direction (forward or backward)
and blue in a straight direction (forward backward or sideways).
When a piece is carrying more than one number, the player is allowed to add
the numbers together and thus increase the length of his move up to seven squares
and if carrying both colors may move diagonally or straight as he pleases, but only
in one direction in one move.
Any piece carrying the number 8 is privileged to make a turn at right angles to
the direction taken at the commencement of the move. The turn may be made at any
distance from the starting point but the total distance moved must not exceed eight
squares no matter how many numbers the piece may be carrying.
No other piece may make a turn.
No piece may pass over another piece.
Any piece that by its number or numbers and color or colors is qualified to reach
a square occupied by an opponent's piece may take from that piece as many
numbers (being numbers not already possessed by the capturing piece) as it may
require to make up its complement. The complement being the numbers 1 to 8 of
either or both colors mixed.
If the player when taking same, does not take all the numbers he is qualified to
take, it is optional on the part of his opponent to compel him to do so, but this cannot
be done after the next move has been taken.
If all the numbers are taken from a piece, that piece is removed from the board
and the capturing piece is placed on the square the other was removed from.
If all the numbers are not taken the capturing piece stops one square in front of
the other.
The piece that loses a number or numbers cannot take any number from the
capturing piece until one move in the game has been taken by each player.
When one of the players has succeeded in getting the numbers 1 to 8 of either or
both colors mixed on any single piece he has won the game, or failing this
when one of the players has only one piece left, if he cannot succeed within
twenty moves on each side in securing the eight numbers, the game is won by his
opponent.
The game may be modified by marking each of the numbers with one or more
letters to form, when eight of the numbers are together, a word or words which must
be complete on each set of numbers. The object of using letters is that by means of
a word or words having duplicated or triplicated letters greater facilities are afforded
for capturing.
An example of a suitable word (reappear) is shewn in the drawing Fig. 4.
When the game is played with the addition of letters, the object being to
complete the word or words on any single piece, the following alteration is made in
the rules:-
As the numbers now only regulate the distance of the moves, the player in
taking from another piece, takes the letters he requires towards completing the word
or words.
It will be seen that now two or more corresponding numbers may be taken by the
same piece when the letters they bear are required.
The game may be made more difficult by not allowing any piece carrying the
number 8 to make a turn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
TL
.
.

page_text: 2. Any mere modification thereof.
3. The pieces as herein described and as shewn in the drawings.
Data: 11
JOSEPH EDWARD GRIFFITHS.
HENRY JAMES GRIFFITHS.