A New Game of Skill and Appliances for Playing the same.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Game of Skill and Appliances for Playing the same.
I, LEWIS WATERMAN, of Brigstocke Road, Bristol, Manufacturer 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:-
This invention relates to a game of skill and to appliances used in playing the
same; the game is called "Primrose Dames," and consists in employing the elementary
moves and properties of some of the pieces used in playing chess, and combining
there with certain new and interesting features hereinafter described, which constitutes
it a game requiring a considerable amount of skill and science.
The game is played on a board prepared for the purpose. having a space or spaces
(preferably) in the centre called "The House ;" and Members, Dames, and Knights,
represented on the board by pieces of various shapes or colours, combine to obtain the
admission of the Members to the House; the pieces being divided equally between
each player, whose object it is to get his own Members into the House and to prevent
the entrance of those of his opponent, as the one that gets the whole or any agreed
number of Members into the House first, wins the game.
The principle on which the game is founded is that the Members cannot effect an
entrance into the House or make any advance in that direction unless with the
assistance of their supporters, the Dames and Knights above-mentioned, and that it is
the duty of these Dames and Knights to render all possible help to the Members;
therefore as the Members proceed slowly towards their entrance to the House, they can
move only to such squares as have been previously protected for them by their
supporters; these supporters take more extensive moves and occupy such squares as
shall best serve the interest of their Members, whether by mere support, or by defence
or attack. The Dames and Knights attack and capture the Dames or Knights of their
opponents, as is done in chess, the captured pieces being removed from the play; the
Members do not take any of the opponents' pieces, nor are they liable to capture, but
they may be threatened by the opposing Dames or Knights, and if left in danger may
be arrested; the arrest consists of placing the attacking piece on the square where the
Member was situated, and placing the Member back on the square from which he
started, to recommence his course to the House: considerable skill may therefore be
exercised in marshalling the Dames and Knights into such positions as to enable them
to render the most effective service to the Members on their way to the House, and at
the same time to move the pieces concurrently, so that they may have full advantage
of the protecting escort.
The accompanying drawing will illustrate a board of a convenient form and con-
figuration, on which the game may be played, and a suitable number of Members,
Dames, and Knights are shown on the board placed in position to commence the
game, the rectangular space near the centre of the board marked H is the House, the
entrances to the House being marked E e, the Members, Dames, and Knights are
respectively marked M m, D d, and Kk; the board being placed with the walls of
the House towards the players, the entrance to the house for each player will be the
one at his right hand. As before mentioned, the Members move slowly, viz., one
square at a time towards the entrance, but only into such squares as have been
previously protected by their supporters: the Danes, like Bishops in chess move any
distance in an oblique direction, and as in chess, they will always remain on the square
of the same colour as that from which they started, their range of move is, however,
limited by the walls and entrances of the House, so that if desired to get to the
opposite side of the board, it must be done by a series of moves the Knights moves
exactly as they do in chess: the Dames and Knights in capturing or arresting an
opposing piece, occupy the square from which the piece was either removed from the
board or sent back to its original position as already described.

page_text: The board and pieces being placed in position as shown in the drawing, the game is
commenced by one of the players moving either of his pieces, care being taken that a
Member is not moved into any square unprotected by a Dame or Knight, and also
that the Dames or Knights are not moved so far away as to be unable to render the
necessary help to the Members, unless it be to block the entrance to the House of the
opponent's Members; while the players first object is to place his Members, he will
see that it is desirable to capture the pieces of his opponent, when it can be done with
impunity, and also to have some outlying pieces so placed as to hinder the Members
of his opponent from advancing. As the game proceeds, Members may frequently be
arrested and sent back to their starting square, but as this usually involves the
sacrifice of the attacking piece, it is necessary to consider whether such a move is
prudent.
The game is won when either player has placed all or any stipulated number of his
Members in the House, or when his opponent has so few supporters left that it is
obviously impossible for him to obtain the requisite escort for his Members.
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. The arrangement and construction of a game in which the various pieces herein
described have certain properties allotted to them and are combined to produce a
desired result substantially as set forth and described.
2. The construction and employment of a board and pieces for playing the game
herein set forth and illustrated, as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 27th day of December 1880
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicant's Agent.