A New Game of Skill, together with the Appliances for Playing it.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Oct., 1889-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New Game of Skill, together with the Appliances for Playing it.
I EMIL ALEXANDER WÜTERICH 24 South Molton Street Grosvenor Square W.
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Consists of two complete sets of the alphabet, which letters are during play, moved
from place to place on a surface marked out for that purpose with the object while
playing to form words coupled in such way that captures are made, according to my
rules.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Game of Skill, together with the Appliances for Playing it.
I EMIL ALEXANDER WÜTERICH of 24 South Molton Street, Grosvenor Square, W.,
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 statenient :—
My invention consists of a new game of skill together with the appliances for
playing it. These appliances consist of two complete sets of the alphabet in two
distinctive colors and of a special board or surface marked out in squares. During
play the letters are moved from square to square according to certain rules of the
game with the object of making words, and also of capturing the adversary's
letters or pieces. The game is in short played something like choss with the
additional feature of forming words with the pieces, and it may be appropriately
called alphabetical chess.
The board consists of 82 squares (though this precise number is not essential)
alternately black and white as shown in Figure 1 of the annexed sheet of diagrams,
where it will be seen that there are eight rows of nine squares, and in addition
two rows of five squares at the top and bottom next the two players. These two
rows of five squares and one of the side rows of eight squares are preferably
made either detachable from or binged to the rest of the board, so that by detaching
them or turning them under the board the rest of the board consisting of 64
squares can be used when required for playing chess or draughts. Figure 1. also
shows the two sets of alphabets in the form of men or pieces and in two distinctive
colors placed as it is intended they should be placed at the commencement of the
game, but the actual mode of placing them can be varied if thought fit. As already
stated the pieces are moved on the board very much according to the rules of chess,
and may more or less similarly be captured by the adversary. Capture, however,
is optional.
At the commencement of the game (see Figure 1) the five vowels (W and Y being
considered as consonants) occupy the five squares at the top and bottom of the board
and the consonants B, C, D, F &c. take rank in alphabetical order.
The vowels have more scope for their movements than the consonants, as they
correspond to the principal pieces on the chest board. For instance I represents in
its move the knight, A the queen, U the king, E the bishop and O the castle.
The game is won by either of the two following methods: (a) By forming on the
first row of five squares on the opponent's ground a word of five letters (mentally
determined upon before the game is begun or during the progress of the game). But
"Turks," "
this word must contain the letter U, as for example," study,"
lucky,
E
37
23 f.
gusty," pound,"
""quick" "equal" &c. &c. (b) By checkmating the letter U
of the adversary.

page_text: It may
The piece I being like the knight in chest has great freedom of action.
leap across any of the consonants or vowels, whether friends or foes to an unoccupied
square, unless it intends to effect a capture and settle itself down in the place of
the captured.
A which corresponds with the queen in chess is a piece which must be carefully
guarded, since it can command any number of vacant squares, moving backwards,
forwards or obliquely as occasion warrants. U like the king in chess is the only
piece which is exempt from the possibility of being taken, but it can be "checked."
It is moved only one square at a time in any direction except under a certain
contingency which will be explained further on. U must always move out of check, or
one of his own men, if in a position to do so, must rid him of his adversary; otherwise
it is a case of checkmate and the game is brought to a conclusion.
The chief object U has in view is to work himself to any vacant square in the row of
five squares in the enemy's camp for the formation of the mental word before alluded
to, and which concludes the game.
E like the bishop in chess, moves diagonally in any direction over any number of
vacant squares, and may capture any foe on its line of march.
O representing the castle in chess, moves in a straight line forwards, backwards or
sideways, right or left over any number of vacant squares, capturing any piece of the
adversary that intercepts its course.
The consonants B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z,
unlike the pawns in chess, are allowed to move one square at a time forwards or
sideways, right or left, though not backwards, and only to capture an enemy's man
directly ahead, not obliquely.
t
The main object of each player as he proceeds is the formation of words on his own
account and the hindrance of this operation on the part of the opponent.
A "word" is a combination of consecutive letters which can be spelt out in a
straight or an oblique line on any part of the board, notwithstanding that some of
them belong to the opponent. The securing and claiming of a word entitles the player
to get back from the enemy any one of his captured pieces and place it on one of the
squares in the upper row of five squares. Very often among the captured letters may
be found one which is indispensable to the formation of the mental word. Thus the
working out of the words during the progress of the game is advantageous.
Should none of the letters captured be suitable for the manufacture of this montal
word the player who has secured his word is privileged to take any one of his own
letters from the board and to replace it by one of those captured. Diagram Figure 2
is an illustration of the formation of a word during play, the word "fish."
In order to attain this result certain pieces have been moved, as an examination of
the diagram will show. At the commencement of the game each player is allowed
to make two moves. Let us suppose that black has selected "funds for his mental
word and that white has selected" study." Black has begun by moving Q first to
the square in front of it and next to that on the left hand side, thus leaving a vacant
space in front of F. White then makes his two moves by bringing his Q and his N
to the square immediately ahead of them. Black, who let us suppose, has calculated
upon the formation of the word "fish," and therefore at the commencement has
cleared out his Qin order to bring his enemy's S exactly in front of his own F now
takes his I and with its "knight's" nove puts it down in the empty square between
the F and the S H, so securing the word he wants. As no lotter, however, has as yet
been captured from Black, Black has no consonant to place in position on his
opponent's ground. He will do so at the first opportunity, that is to say when one
of his pieces has been taken from the board by the enemy and space is made on
the opposite side by the clearing out of one of the opponent's vowels. It is to the
advantage of the players to clear away the vowels as soon as possible to enable them
to form words. No word of less than four four letters counts.
The contriver of a word upon the board,-"fish" for example, is then as we
have seen, entitled to fill one square out of the five squares on his adversary's ground.
To fill three more squares he must make three more words upon the board. Supposing,.

page_text: however, a consonant has worked its way up to the line in question; its success
is equivalent to a word, and should it not be one of the lotters required to form the
mental word the player may exchange it for one that is. As soon as four squares
on the top row are occupied by the opponent's pieces he must declare his mental word
and arrange four letters in the order he desires.
And now I must speak of the fifth letter, that is the U, and the peculiar move
and capture to which it is now entitled. It is no longer restricted in its motion
to one square at a time but has all the freedom of A, provided it steers clear of
check. (The U's cannot check each other.) The point of advantage is now quickly
attained, the mental word is completed and the game onded.
It is obvious that the manner of playing the game can be varied in many ways;
the moves allowed to the different pieces can be modified, the rules for replacing
captured pieces on the board can be different, and so on. For example a variation
in the game can be effected by forming words on the board during play, the letters
composing them not necessarily following in rotation. No letters, however, foreign
to that word may intervene. Diagram Figure 3 furnishes examples. The two
players are supposed in this to conclude the game, White with the mental word
"Stump" and black with "Dusky." This accounts for the respective consonants
being on the opponent's side. It will be seen that on the squares running
diagonally from the left hand square of the top row containing the letter O are the
letters O, H, R, E, A, which embrace the words "hear."
"hoar" and
"hare."
hero,"
Again the perpendicular row, starting with the letter S in the top row
contains the letters S, H, T, A, N and D. In this group we got the word
"than;" then by moving the T sideways "hand"
we have "sand ;" and if T is replaced "stand."
appears; next by removing H
The letters composing these
words with the exception of "than " happen to follow in rotation. By working
the white A two squares to the right we form the word "faith."
To vary the construction of words the consonants may be placed in different
positions according to the player's fancy, that is, Diagram Figure 1 need not
arbitrarily be followed.
The positions of the vowels may also be changed, for example I for U; O for I ;
E for A; or O for U; I for E; U for A &c.
The foregoing will be sufficient to make the nature of the game and the manner
of playing it clear. There are of course various minor rules which need not be
given here and which can be more or less modified as thought fit or as experience
may show to be desirable.
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 I
claim is,
The new game of skill herein before described together with the appliances for
laying it, these appliances consisting of a special board or surface marked out
n squares, in combination with two sets of inen or pieces in the form of sets of
he alphabet in two distinctive colors, as set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of Ontober 1880.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.