New Game.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL DI MUITICATION.
A New Game.
We, WORDSWORTH DONISTHORPE, of Willows, Kintbury, in the County of
Berkshire, Barister-at-Law, and FREDERICK STARTIN PILLEAU, of Torridon,
Reigate, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
all.
The game is played on a rectangular and preferably square board ruled with
squares of which these may conveniently be nine on each side or eighty-one in
The men, which are preferably discs of wood or other suitable material,
may be fifty four in number twenty seven for each player. Twenty-six are
marked with the letters of the alphabet. The remaining one, which is marked
with any suitable device, is called a "Djinn," and has this peculiarity, that
the player who is making a move has the right to call his own or his adversary's
The men
Djinn any letter which he desires it for the time being to represent.
are moved forwards by each player alternately and the object of the game
(which we propose to call "Verbex ") is so to move them as to spell words.. For-
each word formed the player scores; the score made depending on the length
of each word formed.
Dated this 18th day of November 1899.
W. DONISTHORPE,
FREDK. S. PILLEAU.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Game.
We, WORDSWORTH DONISTHORPE, of Willows, Kintbury, in the County of
Berkshire, Barrister-at-Law, and FREDERICK STARTIN PILLEAU, of Torridon,
Reigate, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, 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:-
The game (which we call "Verbex") is played on a board with a suitable
number of squares, with men marked with the letters of the alphabet, or with
some of them, and with additional pieces called "Djinns." The Djinns have
this peculiarity that the player whose turn it is to move can use them to repre-
sent any letters he may wish. The object of the game is to so move the letters
as to spell words, the player's score depending on the number of words he
makes and the length of such words. Such being a general description of the
nature of the game will now describe the form in which we prefer to make it
and play it.

page_text: The board which is square, is made from cardboard or other material and
is divided into 81 squares, nine on each side.
The men are round dises of wood or the like and are fifty-four in number,
twenty-seven for each player. The letters of the alphabet are printed or stamped
on 26 of the 27 belonging to one player. The 27th, which forms the Djinn,
is marked with any suitable device. The men of one player are distinguished
from those of the other by the colouring of the letters and devices or of the
ground on which these appear..
Each player at the commencement of the game places his letters on the three
rows of squares nearest to him, the three centre rows being left vacant. The
letters are placed in their natural order with the Djinn in the centre, i.e. between
M and N. The pieces are moved forward, a distance of one square at a time,
either straight or diagonally. When a player so moves a man that it forms
with other men on the board a word or words he scores for such words provided
each of them contains at least one of the opponent's men. The player making
the move may reckon his own or his opponent's Djinn as representing any letter
he pleases, but each Djinn can only have one letter assigned to it for the
purposes of one move.
The game may be continued until the player has scored a predetermined
number of points or until neither player can move further, his men either
having crossed the board or having become blocked by the opponent's men.
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:-
.
1. A game played on a board with pieces moved so as to form words, certain
of such pieces being marked with the letters of the alphabet, or with some of
them, while other pieces are not so marked but are used to represent any letters
the player may for the time being desire, substantially as described.
2. The combination of a board, having 81 squares marked thereon, with
54 men, 27 of one colour and 27 of another, 26 out of each 27 being marked
with the letters of the alphabet and the remaining one being marked with a
distinctive device substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 18th day of August 1900.
FREDK. S. PILLEAU.
WORDSWORTH DONISTHORPE.