New Indoor Game.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 23rd July, 1892-Accepted 27th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New Indoor Game.
I, THOMAS STURGEON, of 15 Alexandra Crescent Ilkley in the County of York,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
This game is played on a board by two players, and somewhat resembles the
game of draughts, but with different values attached to the pieces, which may be
denoted by figures or otherwise distinguished.
Instead of squares as in draughts I mark the board with a number of circles
joined to each other by diagonal lines indicating the direction of the moves, which
must be diagonally as in draughts.
I find that the most convenient number of pieces is fifteen on each side each set
of fifteen being distinguished by a different colour. The board for fifteen pieces
contains fifty circles in ten rows of five in each row.
The rules of the game are as follows,―
1. The pieces are placed as in draughts, but the pieces of highest value must be
placed on the last or rear row of each set. The remaining pieces may be placed as
each player thinks best.
2. The pieces must be moved diagonally and in a forward direction only and only
one circle at a time (except as provided in rules and 4) until reaching a circle on
the last row on the opposite side when a piece is made a king or crowned (by placing
another underneath it) and can then move either forwards or backwards..
3. Any piece of higher value may take a piece of lower value on the opposing
side by leaping over it on to a vacant circle immediately behind it. This may be
continued over any number of pieces in a forward direction and backwards also in
the case of kings or crowned pieces.
4. A piece of higher value inay leap over one or more pieces of lower value ou
its own side to attain an advanced position or to take a piece or pieces of lower
value further on on the opposite side, provided always there is a vacant circle
immediately behind and this may be continued as far as such vacancies allow, until
reaching the last row when the "crowning" terminates the move-but crowned
pieces may continue the moving in either direction without restriction except as
in rule 5.
5. Whether crowned or not no piece can leap over or take a piece of equal or
higher value.
6. When one player neglects to take a piece on the opposite side which in a
position to be taken, he may be "huffed" as in draughts or the opposite player may
insist on the piece being taken or if he prefers it he may forego his right to huff.
7. The pieces marked "15" may be "huffed " but of course cannot be taken.
8. The game is won when either player succeeds in taking all his opponent's.
pieces but the "15" or in so blocking in his opponent that he cannot move a piece.
when it is his turn.
Or if the two "15s" alone are left on the board and one is so cornered that it
cannot move in its proper turn,-the game is won by the other.
If two crowned 15s alone or two uncrowned 15s alone are left where both can
move, the game is drawn.
The above rules may be varied, or the number of pieces and the arrangement:
of the board may be varied, or the game may be played on an ordinary chess or
draught board or on a "Halma" board,- -so long as the leading principle of this
game is followed,-riz. :-that of attaching different values to the pieces and

page_text: arranging the rules in accordance with such different values, giving the advantages
described above to the pieces of higher value over those of lower value.
Dated 11th April 1892
GEO.
DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Indoor Game.
1, THOMAS STURGEON, of 15 Alexandra Crescent, Ilkley in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 played on a board by two players, and somewhat resembles the
game of draughts, but with different values attached to the pieces or men, which
may be denoted by figures or otherwise distinguished.
Preferably I mark the board with a number of circles joined to each other by
diagonal lines indicating the direction of the moves which must be made diagonally
as in draughts.
.
I find that the most convenient number of pieces is 15 on each side but any
number (equal on each side) may be used. Each set is distinguished by a different
colour, thus one set may be black and the other set, white. The best way to
denote the relative value of the men in each set is to attach to each of the men one
of the numbers 1. 2. 3 and so on: I find that the most convenient board for a game
with fifteen pieces or men on each side, is one containing fifty circles or compart-
ments of other suitable shape to be played on these compartments being in ten rows
of five in each row.
The rules for playing the game, when fifteen pieces on each side are used, are
preferably as follows-
1. The pieces are placed as in draughts but the pieces of highest value must be
placed on the last or rear row of each set. The remaining pieces may be placed as
each player thinks best.
n
or
2. The pieces must be moved diagonally and in a forward direction only, and
only one circle at a time (except as provided in rules 3 and 4) until reaching
circle on the last row on the opposite side, when a piece is made a king
crowned (by placing another piece underneath it) and it can then move either
forwards or backwards, the method of moving and the method of taking opponent's
pieces being similar to that adopted in the game of draughts.
3. Any piece of higher value may take a piece of lower value on the opposing
side by leaping over it on to a vacant circle immediately behind it. This may be
continued over any number of pieces in a forward direction and backwards also if
the piece moving be a king.
4. A piece of higher value may leap over one or more pieces of lower value on
its own side to attain an advanced position or to take a piece or pieces of lower
value further on belonging to the opponent, provided always there is a vacant circle
immediately behind and this may be continued as far as such vacancies allow until
reaching the last row when the crowning terminates the move.
5. Whether crowned or not no piece can leap over or take a piece of equal or
higher value except as in rule 10 or 10*.
6. When one player neglects to take a piece on the opposite side which is in a
position to be taken he may be "huffed" (as in draughts) or the opposite player
may insist on the piece being taken, or if he prefer it, he may forego his right to
"huff."
7. When two methods of taking an opponents man or men are open to a player
at the same time, the player may adopt whichever method he prefers and need not

page_text: necessarily adopt that method by which he gets the greatest number of pieces or
the pieces of highest value, but having taken one piece, if there are others in a
position to be taken by the man he is moving, he must not stop short but must take
all the men capable of being taken in the move, otherwise he may be huffed.
8. When two pieces are open to be huffed at the same time only the piece of
lower value may be huffed.
9. The piece on each side of highest value may be huffed but as there is no
superior number it can only be taken under rule 10 or 10".
10. When a crowned piece succeeds in getting back again on to the rear row on
his own side, he is double crowned (by having an additional piece placed underneath
him) and has then the power of taking a piece equal to himself, thus a double
crowned 15 can take the other 15 whether double crowned or otherwise.
The following rule may be substituted for rule 10 10º. When either player is
so reduced that he has not more than two pieces left, that is to say when he is left.
with his 15 and one other piece or with his 15 alone, then a 15 has the power of
taking the other 15 and the game is lost by the player whose 15 is taken, but this
rule does not come into force until there are not more than two men of one side
actually left on the board. Thus suppose white has only three men say 15, 4 and 3
and that the black 15 is in a position to take the white 4. The black 15 takes
the white 4 but cannot follow on and take the white 15 even through that piece
may be in a position to be taken, but as soon as the white 4 is taken the white 15
may take the black 15 if the black 15 is then in a position to be taken. This rule
gives hope to the weaker player even to the end of the game as, although he may
have lost nearly all his pieces he will often find that by judiciously playing the few
that remain to him, he can capture his opponents 15.
11. The game is won by the player who captures his opponent's piece marked
❝ 15."
In Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings I shew a plan of a board, such as I
prefer to use for 15 men on each side with the men arranged thereon in the positions
which they occupy before commencing a game. In arranging the men I find it
best to keep the men of lower value to the front but this may be left to the discre-
tion of each player so long as the five men of highest value are placed on the rear
row in accordance with rule 1.
In order to make the explanation of the game more clear, in Fig. 2 I shew a
plan of a board upon which a game has been partially played. This game was
played under rule 10. Those men who are supposed to have been crowned
are shewn double. Now to go back two moves, the black 15 has been on circle a
and white 13 on circle marked band white 11 on circle marked c. It was white's
turn to move and he jumped his 13 over his 6 on to the circle marked d. This was
done with a view of tempting out the black 15 and black has fallen into the trap by
moving his 15 on to circle e thinking thereby to fork (as it is called) the white 13
and 14 and make sure of securing one or other of these. As it happens he captures
both these men but he loses the game for white's next move was the 11 from the
circle c to n. This brings the men into the position shewn on the board. Black
must now commence his move by taking either the white 13 or the white 14 and
must proceed with his move as long as there is anything he can take, but whichever
way he commences, his move will bring him back on to circle e from which he
started. Thus if black 15 commence his move by taking white 14 by jumping from
circle e to f he must go on from f to g from g to h from h to c from c to k from k to g
from to and from back to e taking white's 14-12-3-11-9 and 13 on the
way. Or if he commence by taking the white 13 by jumping from circle e to l he
must go on from 1 to g, from g to h, from h to c, from c to k, k to g, g to f and from f
back to e taking the same men but in either case coming back to circle e where the
white 15 is lying in wait for him on circle m, for white has now been reduced to
two men (the 6 and the 15) and the 15s can therefore now be taken. White 15
therefore takes black 15, the white thus winning the game.
The rules given above are suggested by experience in playing the game but

page_text: they may be varied, or the game may be played on an ordinary chess or draughts
board or on a "
Halma" board, so long as the leading principle of this game is
followed, viz. :—that of attaching different values to the pieces or men and
arranging the rules in accordance with such different values giving the advantages
described above to the pieces of higher value over those of lower value.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
:―
A game to be played on a board the main feature in the game being that the men
or pieces have different values attached to them, and that, with the exception
mentioned in rules 10 or 10" any piece can only take those of lower value than
itself and that pieces of higher value can jump over pieces of lower value on their
own side, substantially as described.
Dated 22nd July 1809
GEO.
DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.