Amusement devices: games – Board games – pieces – or boards therefor – Word – sentence – or equation forming
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-19
2002-10-08
Layno, Benjamin H. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Board games, pieces, or boards therefor
Word, sentence, or equation forming
C273S260000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06460855
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to puzzles, board games, and related pastimes, and more specifically to various methods for forming and solving word puzzles formed on an eight by eight position matrix of sixty four positions, as on a chess board. The present inventive system may also be used as a means for forming chess positions or problems on a chess board, as well.
2. Description of the Related Art
The game of chess has been known in numerous cultures for centuries, and its basic rules have been well established for most of that period. Chess has proven to be a most popular board game due to the relative simplicity of the rules, yet practically innumerable permutations and combinations of possible moves. Different types of word puzzles and games have also evolved in many different languages, such as the well known crossword puzzle and other similar puzzles and games.
Heretofore, it has been conventionally thought that the two above types of puzzles or games had little or nothing in common with one another, other than their use as a pastime or recreational activity. Chess does not make use of any alphabetic system (other than as a means of linguistically describing the game and/or any positions on the board), and while certain word puzzles are placed upon a matrix or grid of positions in which individual letters are placed to form words, such word puzzles have never been related to the game of chess, other than perhaps utilizing certain chess terms as clue words in the puzzle or game.
The present inventor has developed systems and methods which combine elements of word puzzles and games with the game of chess, to form new types of games and methods of forming word puzzle and chess position layouts. The novel game and puzzle methods of the present invention provide additional challenges desired by fans and enthusiasts of the game of chess and word puzzles, as well as providing means for forming various chess problems and positions by using letter and word positions on a chessboard and using they conventional moves of chess to determine solutions to word problems. The present invention can provide a refreshing change of pace for chess and word game enthusiasts, as well as serving as an instructional tool for teaching spelling and other linguistics skills along with the game of chess.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,613,204 issued on Jan. 4, 1927 to Ernest W. Smith, titled “Game Device,” describes a kit for forming and solving crossword puzzles. The Smith device comprises a nine by nine matrix of eighty one positions or receptacles in a board. A series of letter cubes is provided for removable placement within the receptacles of the board, with the letter cubes having a different letter or a blank area on each face. The cubes are placed in the receptacles with the blank faces upwards to form the puzzle grid, and the puzzle is solved by placing additional cubes in the remaining receptacles with the proper letter of each cube facing upwardly. Smith does not teach any means of forming or solving a word puzzle using the moves of chess pieces on a chessboard, and in fact teaches away from a chess type game due to the eighty one position board used for his word puzzle apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,167,915 issued on Aug. 1, 1939 to Donald H. Sweet, titled “Game,” describes a word forming game played on a board having a nine by seven matrix of positions. Each player is provided with a set of the twenty six letters of the English alphabet, arranged on opposite ends of the board. The object is to form words with one's own set of letters, whereupon corresponding letters of the opponent's set may be removed from the board. The first player to remove all vowels from the opponent's set, wins the game. Sweet describes the movement of the pieces as resembling the queen in chess, but no other moves are provided. Also, Sweet teaches away from the use of a chessboard configuration, stating that such a board layout does not work well with his game.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,885 issued on Dec. 3, 1974 to Michael Paul Pepkowski et al., titled “Chess Game Device,” describes a chess “travel set,” including sequential descriptions of chess moves according to previously played “classic” games. As single player uses the Pepkowski et al. chess set to play a single handed game, sequentially uncovering the prerecorded moves and responding with a move as the player feels appropriate. The Pepkowski et al. device is directed to pure chess, rather than combining the game of chess with alphabetic or any other elements, as provided by the present alphabetic chess game.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,306 issued on Dec. 2, 1975 to Gerardo R. A. Cahn-Hidalgo et al., titled “Educational Game Playing Device,” describes a relatively complex physical structure having electric illumination backlighting any one of several board layouts which may be used. A punched data card is placed within the device, beneath the board. The card causes various positions to be illuminated on the board, thereby providing exemplary moves for an opponent to which the player may respond. The Cahn-Hidalgo et al. device is thus more closely related to the solo chess game device of Pepkowski et al., discussed immediately above, than to the present alphabetic chess puzzles invention. Cahn-Hidalgo et al. do not provide any means of forming or solving word puzzles laid out on a chess board, as provided by the present invention. Moreover, the present alphabetic chess puzzles invention also provides a means of forming chess problems, which means is not provided by Cahn-Hidalgo et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,035 issued on Feb. 12, 1980 to Robert A. Metzler Jr. et al., titled “Chess Word Game,” describes a game in which at least the major pieces of each side are provided with removable letters of the alphabet. Players select an eight letter word, and form the word across the board by moving the chess pieces according to the standard rules of chess. However, Metzler et al. do not provide any means of solving a word problem which has been previously applied to the positions of the board, as provided by at least one embodiment of the present invention. Moreover, Metzler et al. do not provide any letter tables for applying to a chess board and forming chess problems therefrom, which aspect is another embodiment of the present invention. Essentially, the Metzler et al. game differs fundamentally from the present invention, in that Metzler et al. do not provide for the application of letters of the alphabet to the chess board itself, but only removably to the chess pieces played on the board. In contrast, the present invention applies a series of letters to the board, but uses standard chess pieces devoid of additional lettering or marking in forming and solving the puzzles formed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,389 issued on May 6, 1980 to David H. Vowell, titled “Word Game,” describes a game having a board with mechanical means for setting any of a number of letters in each of the multiple positions of the board. The game is similar to the well known game of “Scrabble” (tm), but no inclusion or combination with any aspects of the game of chess is provided by Vowell in his game. Also, Vowell arranges the letters of his game according to their frequency of appearance in the English language. One embodiment of the present game also utilizes a table of letters based upon frequency of use, which tables are disclosed herein. However, the tables used with the present game are based upon the frequency of appearance of the initial letter of words appearing in a standard English dictionary, which is a different matter from the frequency of use of all letters throughout all words.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,314 issued on Sep. 15, 1981 to Gary M. Berlino, titled “Word Forming Checkers Game Method,” describes a game using a series of lettered dice, each having a plurality of different letters of
Layno Benjamin H.
Mendiratta Vishu
LandOfFree
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