New or Improved Game.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1896
Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th Sept., 1880-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Game.
I, OTTO STERKEL, of 28, Scestrasse, Ravensburg, Würtemberg, Germany,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
"
According to my invention, I employ a playing board on which are marked a
number of concentric strips of circular, triangular, or bexagonal form. Upon this
board there are arranged three groups of enclosed spaces which I will refer to as
"squares," although their farm may be other than square, for example circular.
These groups of "squares converge towards the centre of the board, and are
separated laterally from one another by spaces. In the examples shown in
Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings, these spaces are unprovided with
"squares".and are of triangular form like the three parts of the hexagon provided
with "squares." With a board such as described there are used a number of
"pieces
or "men" (hereinafter called "men") which are placed in the starting-
positions at the commencement of the game. In this game, there are four players
three of whom operate from outwards and play against the fourth, who operates at
or from the centre. The game is thus a sort of besieging-game in which the three
outer players besiege the fourth or centre player, that is to say, operate in common
or as allies against the centre player according to definite rules.
The accompanying drawings illustrate a number of arrangements for playing this
game.
"
"
Fig. 1 represents a playing-board of triangular shape whose three groups of
squares" are connected together by means of curved portions. In this figure,
the "men are indicated by hatched "squares" and are shown in their starting
positions; whilst in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the "men are not shown, but only the board
with its "squares" arranged in different ways-viz. in Fig..2 they are shown in
concentric circular strips, in Fig. 3 in concentric hexagonal strips, and in Fig. 4 in
concentric hexagonal strips with their corners rounded off.
39
Fig. 5 illustrates a modification of the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, fewer
"squares" being shown, by way of example; the "men are shown in position in
this figure.
"
"
The playing-board a (Fig. 1) has, in the arrangement shown, six concentric
strips a, a, a, a, a, a and a centre aº. On each of the three sides a, a,
and a at which the three allied players place themselves, there are provided
23 "squares".23" squares" 6, and 23" squares". Each of the allied players
places his "men , y, and respectively, upon the " squares ,,.b of the
two outer strips a' and a, and has therefore ten "men" at the beginning of the
game, whilst the centre player occupies the positions from the centre outwards
towards his three opponents, by placing three "men" o in the centre "square" aº,
and 5 "men" opposite each of his three opponents, two in the strip a' and three in
the strip a. Thus the besieged or centre player has, in all, .18 "men 0, whilst
the allied players have together 30 "men." The "men' must of course be
distinguished or differentiated by a difference in appearance, which may be
effected most simply, by means of different colours-for instance there may
be 18 red "men' at the centre, and 10 yellow "men," 10 green
10 blue "men" in the three outer groups respectively. The object in this game
is for the besieging players to bring one of their "men" to the centre, whereby
"
"
"men
and

page_text: the game is ended in favour of the outer players. The centre-player wins when
he succeeds in beating that is to say taking all the outer "men."
The rules of the game are such that the outer "men" may move from strip to
strip on the "squares" forwards towards the centre, or from square to square
laterally, the "men standing on lateral "squares" being allowed to move also
laterally along the same strip on to a vacant "square" of the adjacent group.
Thus, for instance, a "mane may move from a lateral "square" of the
strip as to the adjacent square and thence move and operate in the same manner
as if it were on one of its own squares that is to say on a square belonging to its
own player. The men of the centre-player may move in a similar manner, and in
addition, also backwards. The mode of executing the various moves is indicated
in the drawing by dot and dash lines. On commencing the game, each of the outer
players in succession makes a move with two men, and then the inner or centre
player nakes one move with each of his six men that are respectively situated
opposite the "men" that have been moved by the outer players as aforesaid. The
order in which three outer players move or play must always be strictly maintained.
It is not allowable to move the same "man" twice. This rule applies both to the
outer players and to the inner player, who must make bis moves with three different
"men."
Each player must try to prevent the opponent from moving a "man" on to a
square in front of one of his "men," whilst there is a vacant square behind the
first mentioned "men," because when this is the case, the opponent can, when his
turn comes to play, make his man jump over the unsupported man and thus beat
the latter, which is then taken and removed, and is lost during the continuance of
the game.
Beating, or taking, can only take place along the same strip that is to say,
sideways-or over an intermediate strip-that is to say, in a direction from or
towards the centre. The path of a taking-move need not be straight; it may be
made along an arc of a circle in the same strip-that is to say, round a corner-or
along an obtuse angle, by skipping an intermediate strip, as for instance, from the
middle square of the second strip a' (Fig. 1) to the middle square of the
strip a'.
When all the men of one of the outer players are beaten, then the inner or centre
player is only allowed to make two sets of moves, because he has now to deal with
only two opponents. These two sets of moves must be so played that each set is
made in two of the three directions of attack. When the men of two players have
been taken, the inner or centre player has only one set of moves to make. When
the squares of one side or direction of attack are abandoned by an outer player,
whilst this player has still men on other sides or directions of attack, which, of
course, can be played according to the usual rules, the inner player is free to make
his three sets of moves towards two or three sides of attack. But so long as there
are men of the three outer players on all three sides of attack, the inner player
must make a set of moves on each side of attack but each set of moves need not
absolutely be directed against a man of the player on the corresponding side of
attack. It may be made towards the adjacent side of attack. When one of the
outer players is shut in in such a manner as not to be able to make any further
move, he is considered to be beaten-that is to say, his men can be taken. This
case will, however, only take place when the player has only one or very
few men.
The game can be played by four, three, or two persons, the three outer sets of
"men being played by three persons, two persons, or a single person
respectively.
Fig. 5 illustrates a board intended to be used with a less number of men than
1h boards shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. In the arrangement represented in
Fig. 5 the inner or centre player has 3 x 5 = 15 men, whilst each of the outer
players has 8 meu. Each group consequently comprises fewer squares.
As will be obvious, the game can generally be arranged equally well for a

page_text: greater or smaller number of concentric strips without departing from the
principle or altering the rules.
Dated this 4th day of January 1896.
A
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
I, OTTO STERKEL, of 28 Seestrasse, Ravensburg, Würtemberg, Germany,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be peformed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
According to my invention, I employ a playing-board on which are marked a
number of concentric strips of circular, triangular, or hexagonal form. Upon this
board there are arranged three groups of enclosed spaces or compartments. These
groups of compartments converge towards the centre of the board and are separated
laterally from one another by spaces. In the examples shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of
the drawings filed with my Provisional Specification these spaces are unprovided
with compartments and are of triangular form like the three parts of the hexagon
provided with compartments. With a board such as described there are used a
number of pieces or men (hereinafter called men) which are placed in the starting-
positions at the commencement of the game. In this game, there are four players
three of whom operate from outwards and play against the fourth, who operates
at or from the centre. The game is thus a sort of besieging game in which the
three outer players besiege the fourth or centre-player-that is to say, operate in
common or as allies against the central-player according to definite rules.
The drawings filed with my Provisional Specification illustrate a number of
arrangements for playing this game.
Fig. 1 represents a playing-board of triangular shape whose three groups of
compartments are connected together by means of curved portions. In this figure,
the men are indicated by hatched compartments and are shown in their starting-
positions; whilst in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the men are not shown, but only the board
with its compartments arranged in different ways-viz., in Fig. 2 they are shown
in concentric circular strips, in Fig. 3 in concentric hexagonal strips, and in Fig. 4
in concentric hexagonal strips with their corners rounded off.
Fig. 5 illustrates a modification of the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, fewer
compartments being shown, by way of example; the men are shown in position
in this figure.
The playing-board a (Fig. 1) has, in the arrangement shown, six concentric
strips a, a, a, a, a, a, and a centre aº. On each of the three sides a*, a and a*,
at which the three allied players place themselves, there are provided 23 com-
partiments, 23 compartments, and 23 compartments . Each of the allied
players places bis men, r, y, and respectively, in the compartments 1, 1, 1 of
the two outer strips a' and a, and has therefore ten men at the beginning of the
game, whilst the centre-player occupies the positions from the centre outwards
towards his three opponents, by placing three men o in the centre compartiment aº,
and five men opposite each of his three opponents two in the strip a and three in
the strip a. Thus the besieged or centre player has, in all, 18 men o, whilst the
allied players have together 30 men. The men must of course be distinguished or
differentiated by a difference in appearance, which may be effected most simply,
by means of different colours-for instance there may be 18 red men at the centre,

page_text: and 10 yellow men, 10 green men, and 10 blue men externally in the three groups
respectively. The object in this game is for the besieging players to bring one of
their men to the centre, whereby the game is ended in favour of the outer players.
The centre-player wins when he succeeds in beating-that is to say taking all the
outer men.
The rules of the game are such that the outer men may move from strip to strip
in the compartments forwards towards the centre, or from compartment to com-
partment laterally, a man standing in a lateral compartment being allowed to more
also laterally along the same strip into a vacant compartment of the adjacent
group. Thus, for instance, a man z may move from a lateral compartment 6 of
the strip A into the adjacent compartment & and thence move and operate in the
same manner as if it were in one of its own compartments that is to say in a
compartment belonging to its own player. The men of the centre-player may
move in a similar manner, and in addition, also hackwards. The mode of executing
the various moves is indicated in the drawing by dot and dash lines. On com-
mencing the game, each of the outer players in succession makes a move with two
men, and then the inner or centre player moves one man of each of his series of
six men, the men moved being respectively situated opposite the men that have
been moved by the outer players as aforesaid. The order in which the three outer
players move or play must always be strictly maintained. It is not allowable for
the inner player to move the same man twice in a single set of moves, that is to
say he must make his moves with three different men.
Each player must try to prevent the opponent from moving a man into a
compartment in front of one of his men, whilst there is a vacant compartment
behind the first-mentioned man, because when this is the case the opponent can,
when his turn comes to play, make his man jump over the unsupported mau and
thus beat the latter, which is then taken and removed,, and is lost during the
continuance of the game.
Beating, or taking by the inside player can take place along the same strip-that
is to say, sideways, or over an intermediate strip--that is to say, in a direction
from or towards the centre. Beating or taking by the outside player can only
take place along the same strip, that is to say sideways, or over an intermediate
strip in a direction toward the centre. The path of a taking-move need not be
straight; it may be made along an are of a circle in the same strip-that is to
say, round a corner,-or along an obtuse angle, by skipping an interinediate strig,
as, for instance, from the middle compartment of the second strip a³ (Fig. 1) to
the middle compartment & of the strip a'.
When all the men of one of the outer players are beaten, then the inner or
centre player is only allowed to make two moves because he has now to deal with
only two opponents. These two moves must be so played that they are made in
two of the three directions of attack. When the men of two players have been
taken, the inner or centre player has only one move to make. When the compart-
ments of one side or direction of attack are abandoned by an outer player, whilst
this player has still men on other sides or directions of attack, which, of course,
can be played according to the usual rules, the inner player is free to make his
three sets of moves towards two or three sides of attack. But so long as there
are men of the three outer players on all three sides of attack, the inner player
must make a move on each side of attack but these moves need not absolutely be
directed against a man of the player on the corresponding side of attack. It inay
be made towards the adjacent side of attack. When one of the outer players is
shut in by his partners and by the inner player, in such a manner as not to be
able for the time being to make any further move, he must wait until he gets
room to again move, during which time the inner player is permitted to play his
three moves on any two or all three sides of attack.
The game can be played by four, three, or two persons, the three outer sets of
men being played by three persons, two persons, or a single person respectively.
Fig. 5 illustrates a board intended to be used with a less number of men than

page_text: the boards shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. In the arrangement represented in
Fig. 5 the inner or centre player has 3 x 515 men, whilst each of the outer
players has 8 men. Each group consequently comprises fewer compartments.
As will be obvious, the game can generally be arranged equally well for a
greater or smaller number of concentric strips without departing from the principle
or altering the rules.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A game-board divided into a number of concentric strips, on which are
arranged groups of compartments which converge towards the centre of the board
and which are separated from one another laterally by interspaces, the width of
each group of compartments gradually becoming reduced towards the centre so
that the groups of compartments from outside to inside have the form of wedges
and the points of these wedges unite in the space surrounded by the innermost
strip, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A game-board of the kind referred to in Claim 1, which contains six
concentric strips and a compartment in the centre, and over which there are
arranged three groups of compartments converging towards the centre, each group
having in each of the outermost two strips (a and a²) five compartments, in the
third band (a) four compartments, in the fourth and fifth bands (a' and a) three
compartments each, in the sixth band (a) two compartiments, and in the centre (aº)
one compartment, substantially as herein described and shown.
Dated this 9th day of September 1896.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.