New or Improved Parlour Game and Game Apparatus.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 8th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 10th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Parlour Game and Game Apparatus.
I, MARTIN MIDDLETON WILSON, of "Eithinog," Llandudno, in the County
of Carnarvon, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a new or improved parlour game and game
apparatus.
The game is played on a board divided into squares, all of which are of one
colour with the exception of those forming the ramparts, which are coloured,
preferably, darker than the others.
There may be eleven squares each way, making 121 altogether, but I do not
confine myself to this number.
The ramparts may be formed partly diagonally and partly parallel. The eleven
white pieces are arranged on the first row of one side, and the dark pieces on
the first row of the opposite side.
The moves of the pieces, in the open field, are precisely the same as those of
pawns in chess, that is, they can move straight forward, one square at a time,
and can only take diagonally. In taking, the enemy's piece is removed, and the
capturing piece takes its square.
No piece can move backwards or directly sideways in any case whatever.
If a piece be moved from one square to another, the move may not be revoked
after the piece has been released from the fingers, so long as the move is a
permissible one; if the move be not permissible, the same piece must be moved
somewhere, if there be any possible move.
Each player can only make one move at each turn.
A piece may be moved two squares straight forward for its first move, just
as in chess, if the squares are vacant, and, so long as the intervening square
not commanded by a piece of the enemy.
This rule gives the two pieces situated at each end of the first rows the right
to leap the ramparts directly in front, but, in every other case, neither the home
ramparts nor the enemy's may be passed, for any purpose, without the piece
having first gained one of the dark squares of the ramparts. Within his own
ramparts, a piece may move either straight forward or diagonally, and take
either way.
When on his own ramparts, a piece may move straight forward from them, or
diagonally forward on them, and take either forward or diagonally from them.
While on his own ramparts, a piece cannot be taken.
After passing his own ramparts, a piece is on the open field, and must move
as before described. When on the enemy's ramparts, a piece cannot take but
may be taken. After passing the enemy's ramparts, a piece may move and take
as if behind his own ramparts, but, of course, all his moves must still be in a
forward direction.
The object is to get as many men to the enemy's back squares as possible,
where they must remain.
The right to the last move rests with the player who made the second move
at the commencement of the game.
The game is decided when no more moves can be made, by counting three for
all men got to the enemy's back squares, two for all past the enemy's ramparte,
and one for every other piece of the same side remaining on the board.

page_text: There is no compulsion to take, therefore no huff as there would be in draughts.
I have described one way and given rules in which my game may be played,
but it will be obvious that, once given the general idea, various alterations in
the formation of the board and in the rules may be made without departing
from the principle of my invention.
Dated this 7th day of April 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Parlour Game and Game Apparatus.
1, MARTIN MIDDLETON WILSON of "Eithinog," Llandudno in the County of
Carnarvon and Principality of Wales, do hereby declare the nature of this iuven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
1
This invention has for its object a parlour game and game apparatus. The game
is played on a board divided into squares, all of which are of one colour, with the
exception of those forming the ramparts, which are coloured, preferably, darker
than the others. The essential idea of the game is that of tactical manoeuvring,
along with a system of attack and defence, in which the advantage of position is
with the defence.
The method of moving the pieces, while in the space behind the ramparts, along
with the shape of that space, affords large opportunity for variety in the system of
arranging the pieces before coming to close quarters with the enemy.
In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated an embodiment of my game
apparatus. In the figure, the game board, A, is seen in plan. Its surface is laid
off in squares, of which there may be 121, as here shown, 11 on each side, but I do
not limit myself to this number and arrangement. The squares on the board are
of two tints or colours; the ordinary squares, A', will be, by preference, lighter in
colour or tint than the squares B, which form what I call "rainparts."
" The two
ramparts, one for each player, are composed each of a series of connected
squares B, extending preferably quite across the board in front of the respective
marginal rows of squares on which the " men or pieces, C, of the players are
placed at starting. The squares B, forming the ramparts, may touch at their
corners or sides, or part may be arranged in one way and part in another, as here
shown. This way is preferred. The players' men should be of different colours. or
shapes.
"
The moves of the pieces and the manner of playing the game are
follows:-
85
1. When on the open field, that is, the space between the opposing ramparts,
the moves of the pieces are precisely the same as those of pawns in chess; that is
to say, they can move straightforward, one square at a time, and can only take
diagonally, that is, cornerwise. In taking, the enemy's piece is removed and the
capturing piece takes its square. This is the method of capturing throughout this
form of the game.
2. Within his own ramparts, a piece may move either straightforward or
diagonally, and take either way.
3. When on his own ramparts, a piece may move or take diagonally on them,
and may take either straightforward or diagonally from them; but, when there
is no piece of the enemy's to take diagonally, he can only move off his ramparts
straightforward.
4. While on his own ramparts, a piece cannot be taken.
:

page_text: 5. After passing his own ramparts, a piece is on the open field, and must move as
before described. (See Rule 1 of this game.)
6. When on the enemy's ramparts, a piece cannot take, but may be taken, and
can only get off these ramparts by a clear straightforward move, that is, he must
cross them in a straight line forward.
7. After passing the enemy's ramparts, a piece may move and take as if behind
his own ramparts, but all his moves must still be in a forward direction.
8. One object is to get as many pieces as possible, consistently with other
considerations, to the enemy's back squares, where they must remain.
9. Each piece may be moved two squares straightforward for his first move,
the same as a pawn in chess, if the squares are vacant, and so long as the
intervening square is not commanded by a piece of the enemy's; but, of course, he
may not take, in making this move.
If this move should be made while the intervening square is commanded by a
piece of the enemy's, the piece so moved may be captured in passing, as in chess,
and the capturing piece will take and occupy the said intervening square.
(It must be borne in mind that no square of the home ramparts can be com-
manded by any piece of the enemy's, as he could not take any piece standing on
such square. Likewise any piece of the enemy's standing on the said home
ramparts, is powerless to command any square inside the home ramparts, as he
cannot take at all.)
This rule gives the two pieces, situated at each end of the first rows, the right
to leap the ramparts directly in front; but, in every other case, neither the home
ramparts nor the enemy's may be passed, for any purpose, without the piece baving
first occupied one of the dark squares of the ramparts.
10. No piece can move in a backward direction, or directly sideways, in any case
whatsoever.
11. If a piece be moved from one square to another, the move may not be
revoked after the piece has been released from the fingers, so long as the move is a
permissible one; if the move be not permissible, the same piece must be moved
somewhere if there be any possible move; but, if there be none, the player must
make a move with any practicable piece that his opponent may select.
12. Each player can only make one move at each turn.
13. So long as any other move is possible, there is in this form of the game no
compulsion to take, therefore no "huff" as there would be in draughts.
14. When no more moves can be made, that is, when the player whose turn it
is cannot move, the game is decided by counting three each for all pieces got to
the enemy's back squares, two each for all others past the enemy's ramparts; and
one for every other piece of the same side remaining on the board, including any
on either of the ramparts.
I have described one way and given rules in which my game may be played, but
it will be obvious that, once the general idea is given, various alterations_in_the
rules and method of playing the game may be made and a different ending may be
arranged without departing from the principle of my invention. It is not necessary
for me to describe these alterations, as they are all based on a common sense
interpretation of the first principles of the game. The number of squares on the
board may also be altered. The drawing represents one arrangement of the
Tamparts on the board; it is obvious, however, that the ramparts can be arranged
Bomewhat differently, but I prefer them diagonal in the main, and have therefore
described the game on the basis of such an arrangement. There is nothing,
however, to prevent their being nearly or quite parallel with the side or in clumps,
except that it does not make so good a ganie. It is advisable that the rampart
shall be formed of connected squares B extending transversely preferably entirely
across the board. I do not, however, confine myself to unbroken ramparts, as the
5 ramparts may in some cases extend only partly across the board, or an opening
may be provided as a gateway.

page_text: 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 having a rectangular field of squares, in which a certain
number of squares joining at the corners or sides only, or some at the corners and
some at the sides-are of a different colour so as to form "ramparts," substantially
as and for the purposes described.
2. A game apparatus comprising a game board with its surface divided up into
squares, and having two series of squares B, differing in colour or tint from the
other squares A', each series of squares B being composed of connected squares
extending entirely or partly across the board, and pieces C substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
3. The improved game board substantially as herein set forth.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, and London,
Patent Agents.