A New Game and Apparatus for Playing same.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Game and Apparatus for Playing same.
I FREDERIC BUTLER DENHAM of 24 Irving Place, in the City, County and State of
New York, United States of America, Publisher 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 :-
My invention relates to a novel and instructive game, to which I purpose giving
the name of "Brax," or other title of substantially the same phonetic character,
and adapted to be played by one, two, three, or four persons, who move pieces or
men along readily distinguishable borders or margin lines of adjacent outline figures
formed on a board somewhat like a chess-board, the object being to capture one
series of pieces by the other. The game affords opportunities for play in a simple
way by children or young people, and, also gives wide scope for the exercise of the
highest degree of skill and scientific playing by adults.
The invention will first be described, and then will be particularly pointed out in
the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the
several views.
Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved game board in its preferred form, and
with the pieces or men shown in the positions they occupy at the commencement
of a game.
Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 illustrate parts of boards of modified arrangement, or with
various forms of figures, on the borders or margin lines of which the game may be
played; and
Figure 6 is a detail diagram view, showing that the borders or margins of the
figures on the game board are not restricted to straight lines.
I will first particularly describe the invention with special reference to Figure 1,
of the drawing; and will then briefly refer to the other views in explanation of the
modified arrangements of the game board which they disclose.
The board A, which forms the basis of the game, is very simple in construction or
arrangement, and in the preferred form shown in Figure 1, of the drawing, is made
of one piece or plate of pasteboard, wood, metal or other material, and on its face
is laid out in a series of adjoining square figures or spaces a, the margins or borders
of which are shown in two series of readily distinguishable lines B, C, made heavy
and light respectively. In practice these margin or border lines to the adjacent
figures a, will preferably be produced on the board in two readily distinguishable
colors, the lines having the same thickness. These margins or borders of the square
figures are arranged to have three sides of each figure formed in one color or
style, and the fourth side in another color or style, and the halves of the game
board are arranged precisely alike or are constructed on a regular and uniform
plan; that is to say, each line or border of one color or style on one-half of the
board, is off-set by a line or border of the other color or style in a similar position
on the opposite side of the board, so that the chances of the players are exactly
even or balanced.
The game is played by moving opposing pieces or men from initial positions
shown in the drawing and along the outlines or borders of the square figures, one
set of men D, being of one color or form, and the other set of men E, having a
different color or form. Blue and Red, are the two preferred colors for the margins
or borders of the square figures and for the men or pieces to be moved on their
border lines. For convenience in playing the game in certain ways, I purpose
eaving one side or face of the pieces or men plain or smooth, and giving their

page_text: opposite sides or faces a readily distinguishable ornamentation or impression by dies
or otherwise. The opposite sides of the board from which the pieces or men are
to begin moving, are indicated by border lines d, e, of the same colors as the
respective men and extending around one-half of the board A, at or near its margin.
It will also be understood that the game board may be made to fold one or more
times for greater convenience in laying it away or carrying it in the pocket.
"
33
"
"
or a
The game is played by two persons, as follows. The opposing pieces D, E, are
placed at the intersections of the outside base or back margin lines or borders of the
respective sides of the board, as shown in Figure 1, of the drawing. The chief or
most important rule of the game is that the pieces D, E, may move in any direction
on the lines or borders B, C, having the same color as said pieces, for a distance equal
to the length of two sides of a square a, but may move a distance equaling the length
of but one side of a square on the lines of the opposite or other color. For instance,
the pieces D, may be moved on the lines B, of like color, for two "spaces
distance equaling the length of two sides of any one of the squares, but may move but
one space on the lines C, of the other color; while the pieces E, may be moved
two "spaces
on the lines C, of like color and but one "
"
space on the lines B, of the
other color; a "
space" being one side of one of the square figures of the board.
The object of the game is to capture all the opposing pieces or men. A piece is
captured when an opposing piece moves to a point occupied by it, and the captured
piece is removed from the board. Neither player is forced to take an opponent's
piece, this being optional. A piece is said to "threaten" another when it is in
position from which it could in one move capture it. A player who threatens an
opponent's piece may if he chooses call out "Brax," which will compel his opponent
to move the threatened piece at once, but a player can "Brax" his opponent's piece
only immediately after he has moved some one of his own pieces. A player thus
forced to move, can move in any direction on the lines bordering the squares and if
he chooses and it is within his reach he can capture the piece which "Braxed " him,
it being understood that no piece can pass over a point occupied by another piece.
When a player who calls "Brax" threatens two or more of his opponent's pieces, the
opponent can move whichever threatened piece he wishes, and the first player cannot
again call "Brax" until after he has moved one of his pieces or men.
A player who
threatens an opponent's piece may reserve his right to call "Brax" until it is to his
advantage to do so, when if the pieces are in the same positions, he may after moving
one of his pieces call "Brax" and compel his opponent to move the threatened piece.
A player may also move a piece to a point threatened by his opponent who, after he
has moved one of his pieces may if he chooses call "Brax and thus force the
threatened piece to move. A player may also move a piece to a point from which he
threatens another and is in turn threatened, and immediately call "Brax," or the
pieces can remain mutually threatening each other until one player or the other finds
it desirable to "Brax" his opponent and compel movement of his piece. If at any
time two pieces of one color and one piece of the opposing color are left on the board,
the single piece loses its power of "Braxing" its opponents. If it should happen that
only one piece of each side remains on the board, and if after five moves on each side
neither piece is taken, the game is a draw.
When it is considered that the pieces or men may move on the border lines of
the squares or figures a, in any direction, forward, backward or sidewise, for one or
two "
spaces" of their own color and for but one space" of the other or opponent's
color; and when the peculiar advantages of calling out "Brax" by either player to
compel movement of his opponent's piece are availed of, it will be seen that numerous
surprises are met by young players who must guard against them, thus cultivating
their faculties of foresight and judgment. Older players will find all their abilities
exercised because of the diversity of combinations that can be made for attack and
defence, and the great variety of situations the game affords, which necessitates
judicious changes in the players' plans, and they will discover that while there is no
point on the board where a single piece can remain in absolute safety from the attack
of two opposing pieces, there are some points which it will be to their advantage

page_text: to hold if possible, and at the same time endeavor to prevent their opponents retaining
similar positions of strength. The players will also see how a judicious exchange
of pieces will often change the whole face of the game, by enabling them to break
into an opponent's stronghold or divide his strength. They will also see that by
judicious use of "Brax" they can often gain a move or save one of their own pieces
from capture, and obtain many other advantages. It will thus appear that however,
simple the method of playing this game may be, it furnishes scope for the exercise
of the highest degree of skill and of scientific playing.
The game may be played by four persons,, two on a side being allies, and each
player using three pieces disposed at one side of the board, all four sides of the board
thus being used as the players move in turn. In this case the three pieces held by
one person of a side will be Blue played with the ornamented or marked side up, and
his ally will play with three Blue pieces set plain side up; and the opponents will
play with Red pieces, three with the ornamented side up and three with the plain side -
uppermost. In a three-handed game, two persons will play as allies, each using
three pieces of the same color but played respectively with plain and ornamented
faces uppermost, and the third person will play against these two allies with five
pieces of the other color, and will make two moves with different pieces each time it
is his turn to play. An interesting game may also be conducted by one player who
endeavors with one piece of one color to capture all opposing pieces of the other
color which are to be moved in a predetermined manner.
It is quite unnecessary to go into further details of the manner of playing the
three and four-handed games, as the general rules are the same as regards ability of
the opposing pieces to move one or two "spaces," but modified rules as to "Braxing"
an opponent will probably be adopted to make the game still more interesting,
instructive, and helpful in the cultivation of the faculties of the players.
"
"
"
As an example of the application of "Brax," we will suppose that the second right
hand piece D, had been moved on the heavy line for two "spaces" or to the point
marked 1; and the third opposing piece E, had been moved one space on a heavy
line B to the point 2; the piece D, is then moved one space only on a light line C,
to the point 3, the piece E, is then moved two spaces on light lines C, to the point +,
the piece D is then moved two spaces on heavy lines B to the point 5, and the piece E,
is next shifted by preference but one space on a light line from 4 to 6; and as in
this position it could capture by the next move the opposing piece at 5, the player
moving the piece E, may if he wishes call "Brax" which will compel the shifting of
the piece D from the point 5, at least one space either to the right, left, or backward,
should the player shifting the piece E, find it to his advantage to compel this
movement.
I am not limited to a game board laid out in square figures a, bounded at three
sides by lines of one color or style and at the fourth side by a border of another color
or style; for example, I may lay out the board in figures a¹, of triangular form as
shown in Figure 2, of the drawings, said figures having tow sides bounded by a
border of like color or style and the third side by a different or readily distinguishable
border or margin. Figure 3, of the drawings, shows how the board may be laid out in four
sided diamond shaped figures a², three sides of which are of one color or style and the
fourth side or margin having a readily distinguishable border or margin. Figure 4,
illustrates how the board may be laid out in a series of six sided or hexagonal figures a³, four
sides of which have margins or borders of one color or style, the other two sides having
borders of a readily distinguishable color or style; and Figure 5, shows how the game
board may be laid out in a series of adjacent or adjoining octagonal figures a*, six sides of
which have margins or borders of one color or style while their other two sides have
borders of readily distinguishable color or style. It is thus manifest that various forms
of figures may be grouped in arranging a game board according to iny invention, and
I am not limited to a group of adjacent figures, baving one side formed by a border
or margin of one color or style and all the other sides having borders or margius of
another readily distinguishable color or style. It will be understood however, that

page_text: the game board arranged in a series of adjoining square figures a, as in Figure 1, is
preferred in practice.
Figure 6, of the drawings shows diagrammatically that it is not necessary that the
borders or marginal sides of the square or other shaped figures of the game board
should be formed as straight lines, as they may be curved or wavy or dotted or double,
the only requirement being that the borders or margins of the figures be made readily
distinguishable from each other at different sides of the figures or that the figures
have in part a border or margin line or lines of one color or style, and for the
remaining part have a border or margin line or lines of another readily distinguishable
color or style, as will readily be understood.
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,--
1. A game board made with a series of adjacent figures, one part of each figure
being formed by a line or lines of one color or style, and the remaining part of each
figure being formed by a line or lines of another color or style, said lines or colors
being severally adapted to indicate the direction and extent of movement of the pieces
or men used in playing the game, substantially as herein set forth.
2. A game board made with a series of adjacent figures, one part of each figure
being formed by a line or lines of one color or style, and the remaining part of each
figure being formed by a line or lines of another color or style, combined with two
or more series of readily distinguishable pieces or men adapted for movement on the
boundary lines of the figures of the board, substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 9th day of July 1009.
CLITS SUIT uay OI JULY LOOD.
F. B. DENHAM,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, W.C., Patent Agents.