A New Game, and Apparatus for Playing the same.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1899 -Accepted, 18th Nov., 1899
CUALI LINIE DEMOTIVATION.
A New Game, and Apparatus for Playing the same.
I, DAVID BALSILLIE, Literateur, of 42, Albert Street, Regent's Park, in the
County of London, 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 for a new game and apparatus for playing the same comprises a
game in which each player takes an equal number of pieces and moves in turn,
according to the rules of the game over or round a course on an appropriately
divided board, the winner being that player who first manoeuvres his pieces round
the course in one direction so as to cover the positions occupied at the commence-
ment of the game. It is not necessary that the board be of any particular design
so long as the arrangement of the course fulfils certain requisite conditions.
The accompanying drawing represents one design of table or board on which
the game is played and is a plan of a well known centre in London, but any other
suitable design may be substituted; and comprises a number of blocks of octagon
shape with intervening circles as shown.
The game is suitable for any number of players depending on the design of
the table or board. The pieces may conveniently be conceived to represent road
vehicles, attention being paid, in moving, to the ordinary rules of the road for
street traffic.
The tactics of the game are to force opponents to go in a wrong direction while
creating means and seizing chances of getting your own pieces round the board
as quickly as possible.
Supposing two players only to be engaged they may conveniently commence
with eight pieces each covering the spaces 1 2 3 4 and 13 14 15 16 respectively
in the blocks or streets A B C and D, that player who first gets his pieces round
the board travelling in a right-handed direction as shown by the arrows and
according to the rules of the game being the winner.
The rules of the game are as follows:-
1. The pieces must always keep to the left, in moving forward, and in a right-
handed direction.
2. There are three kinds of moves in this game which moves may for con-
venience be designated the "step," the "jump" and the "forcing jump" respec-
tively.
(1). By the "step" a piece is moved to the space (octagon or circle) immediately
in front of it, if vacant, as for instance, from 1 to 17 or 18 to 19.
(2). By the "jump" a piece is moved over any other piece, whether the
player's or an opponent's, to the space, if vacant, immediately in front of it. The
jump" can be repeated in the same move, at the player's option, as often as
there is an opportunity of doing so. For example supposing a piece to be standing
on circle 17 whether belonging to the player or opponent, and space 18 vacant,
then a piece on space 1 may be moved to space 18; and moreover if the next
space 19 is occupied and space 20 vacant the jump may be repeated from
18 to 20 and so on.
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(3). The "forcing jump." In the last of two or more jumps in one move a
piece can be landed on a space occupied by an opponent's piece provided the
adjacent plain space on the other side of the road is vacant, in which case the
го.
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opponent's piece is forced to such plain space on the other side of the road. The
piece thus forced must then follow the direction of the arrows along the plain
spaces and get back to the circle so as to get into the forward course again. As
an example of the "forcing jump move: suppose a piece on 1 is to be moved,
the circle 17 being occupied by any piece, space 18 vacant, space 19 occupied and
space 20 occupied by an opponent's piece; the player can jump the piece in
circle 17 landing on space 18, and again jump piece on space 19 landing on
space 20, and so forcing the opponent's piece on the same space on to the plain
space 21 provided such space is vacant at the time; such displaced piece then
having to be moved down the plain surfaces in a backward or lefthanded direction
until it can be moved back to the forward course through the circle 17.
3. A circle differs in function from an octagon in two respects:-
(1) A piece which is standing on a circle cannot be forced out of its course by
the forcing jump" (rule (3)).
(2) A circle is also a turning point, so that a piece in stepping from it or in
jumping over it may go in the direction of any of the arrows pointing from
the circle, and the "jump may be continued on the roadway if there is oppor-
tunity. In all other respects a circle has the same function as an octagon.
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4. The "forcing jump" may not be made twice in succession from the same
plain space. For example, supposing a piece standing on space 22 to jump
first to 17, then to 19, and so force an opponent's piece from 19 to 22, the opponent
cannot in his next turn to play move his piece from 22 so as to force the former
piece back again from 19 to 22.
5. A player must make either a step or a jump with some one of his pieces
when it is his turn to play. If he has to move a piece whose right course is
blocked at a circle, he must move it from or over the circle in the direction of
one of the plain arrows such for instance as 24, and so out of its course. The
piece must then follow the direction of the arrows till it reaches the circle again
so as to get into the right course.
6. A player must have moved all his pieces out of his street before he can
move any into it again. The pieces follow the plain spaces and arrows in re-
entering their street from the adjacent circle.
Three players may start with four pieces each from streets or blocks A D E or
any other three corners of the board.
Four players start with four pieces each from the streets or blocks A D E F.
Many variations of the game may be played by starting from different parts of
the board. For instance, a simpler game for two young persons will be for one to
start from streets or blocks A and B and the other from streets F and G. For a stiff
contest one may start from street A and the other from street B each filling his
street with other four pieces when he has moved out the first four, and towards
the end of the game removing the four pieces he has first got back to his street
to make room for his remaining four.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :--
1. A game of skill played, according to the rules, with pieces on a board as
herein before described.
2. A board or table for a new game arranged substantially as described and
shown.
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101
1
1000
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.