Expanded chess-like game

Claim 1

A method of playing an expanded chess-like game for use by a first player against a second player, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a game board with alternate light-colored and dark-colored squares, arranged in adjacent vertical and horizontal rows, each of said rows including said alternate light-colored and dark-colored squares, each square offset with respect to the similarly-colored square of the adjacent row, to form a checkerboard pattern of bilaterally alternating colored squares, said game board having at least eight and fewer than eleven horizontal rows and ten vertical rows; (b) providing a plurality of playing pieces, including one set of light-colored pieces for one player and one set of dark-colored pieces for the other player, each set of pieces comprising ten pawns, one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and two of a new separate game piece, which is visually distinguishable from the others; (c) initially positioning said set of light-colored pieces, at the start of a game, in the first row of ten squares at one end of said game board from left to right in the sequence, rook, knight, bishop, said new separate game piece, said queen, said king, said new separate game piece, bishop, knight, and rook, with the light-colored pawns being initially positioned in the adjacent row of ten squares at said end of said game board; (d) initially positioning said set of dark-colored pieces in the row of ten squares at the opposing end of said game board from left to right in the sequence rook, knight, bishop, said new separate game piece, said king, said queen, said new separate game piece, bishop, knight, and rook, with the corresponding pieces of the two sets being initially located in the same vertical row at its opposite ends of said game board, with the dark-colored pawns being positioned in the adjacent row of ten squares at said opposing end of said game board; (e) formatting predetermined rules of movement for play wherein each of the kings, the queens, said rooks, said bishops, said knights, and said pawns have the same rule of movement as the corresponding piece in orthodox chess; (f) formatting predetermined rules of movement for play wherein said new separate game piece has a rule of movement on said game board totalling three squares, by three straight-or-diagonal steps of one square each, by moving from a starting square, on which said new separate game is positioned, by a first straight-or-diagonal step of one square over a first intermediate square, different from said starting square, thence by a second straight-or-diagonal step of one square over a second intermediate square, different from said starting square and said first intermediate square, and thence by a third straight-or-diagonal step of one square to a final square, different from said starting square, said first intermediate square, and said second intermediate square, said first intermediate square and said second intermediate square being unoccupied by any other playing piece, a transition from said first straight-or-diagonal step of one square to said second straight-or-diagonal step of one square defining one angled change of direction, and a transition from said second straight-or-diagonal step of one square to said third straight-or-diagonal step of one square defining a second angled change of direction; (g) formatting predetermined rules of movement for play wherein said rule of movement of said new separate game piece further requires: (1) that at least one of the three straight-or-diagonal steps be straight, and that at least one of the three straight-or-diagonal steps be diagonal; (2) that the angled change of direction from said first straight-or-diagonal step of one square to said second straight-or-diagonal step of one square be only zero degrees, or forty-five degrees to the right, or forty-five degrees to the left; (3) that the angled change of direction from said second straight-or-diagonal step of one square to said third straight-or-diagonal step of one square be only zero degrees, or forty-five degrees to the right, or forty-five degrees to the left; (4) that no more than one of the two angled changes of direction be forty-five degrees to the right, and that no more than one of the two angled changes of direction be forty-five degrees to the left, whereby said new separate game piece has three, and only three, ways to move to said final square; (h) formatting predetermined rules of movement for play wherein said set of light-colored pieces and said set of dark-colored pieces operate in said expanded chess-like game according to the rules of orthodox chess governing capture, a castling move, a pawn promotion, check, and checkmate.

Claim 2

A method of playing an expanded chess-like game for use by a first player against a second player, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a game board with alternate light-colored and dark-colored squares, arranged in adjacent vertical and horizontal rows, each of said rows including said alternate light-colored and dark-colored squares, each square offset with respect to the similarly-colored square of the adjacent row, to form a checkerboard pattern of bilaterally alternating colored squares, said game board having at least eight and fewer than eleven horizontal rows and ten vertical rows; (b) providing a plurality of playing pieces, including one set of light-colored pieces for one player and one set of dark-colored pieces for the other player, each set of pieces comprising ten pawns, one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and two of a new separate game piece, which is visually distinguishable from the others; (c) initially positioning said set of light-colored pieces, at the start of a game, in the first row of ten squares at one end of said game board from left to right in the sequence, rook, knight, bishop, said new separate game piece, said queen, said king, said new separate game piece, bishop, knight, and rook, with the light-colored pawns being initially positioned in the adjacent row of ten squares at said end of said game board; (d) initially positioning said set of dark-colored pieces in the row of ten squares at the opposing end of said game board from left to right in the sequence rook, knight, bishop, said new separate game piece, said king, said queen, said new separate game piece, bishop, knight, and rook, with the corresponding pieces of the two sets being initially located in the same vertical row at its opposite ends of said game board, with the dark-colored pawns being positioned in the adjacent row of ten squares at said opposing end of said game board; (e) formatting predetermined rules of movement for play wherein each of the kings, the queens, said rooks, said bishops, said knights, and said pawns have the same rule of movement as the corresponding piece in orthodox chess; (f) formatting predetermined rules of movement for play wherein said new separate game piece has a rule of movement on said game board totalling three squares, by three straight-or-diagonal steps of one square each, by moving from a starting square, on which said new separate game is positioned, by a first straight-or-diagonal step of one square over a first intermediate square, different from said starting square, thence by a second straight-or-diagonal step of one square over a second intermediate square, different from said starting square and said first intermediate square, and thence by a third straight-or-diagonal step of one square to a final square, different from said starting square, said first intermediate square, and said second intermediate square, said first intermediate square and said second intermediate square being unoccupied by any other playing piece, a transition from said first straight-or-diagonal step of one square to said second straight-or-diagonal step of one square defining one angled change of direction, and a transition from said second straight-or-diagonal step of one square to said third straight-or-diagonal step of one square defining a second angled change of direction; (g) formatting predetermined rules of movement for play wherein said rule of movement of said new separate game piece further requires: (1) that at least one of the three straight-or-diagonal steps be straight, and that at least one of the three straight-or-diagonal steps be diagonal; (2) that the angled change of direction from said first straight-or-diagonal step of one square to said second straight-or-diagonal step of one square be only zero degrees, or forty-five degrees to the right, or forty-five degrees to the left; (3) that the angled change of direction from said second straight-or-diagonal step of one square to said third straight-or-diagonal step of one square be only zero degrees, or forty-five degrees to the right, or forty-five degrees to the left; (4) that no more than one of the two angled changes of direction be forty-five degrees to the right, and that no more than one of the two angled changes of direction be forty-five degrees to the left, whereby said new separate game piece has three, and only three, ways to move to said final square; (h) formatting predetermined rules of movement for play wherein said set of light-colored pieces and said set of dark-colored pieces operate in said expanded chess-like game according to the rules of orthodox chess governing capture, a castling move, a pawn promotion, check, and checkmate.

Claim 10

A method of playing an expanded chess-like game for use by a first player against a second player, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a game board with alternate light-colored and dark-colored squares, arranged in adjacent vertical and horizontal rows, each of said rows including said alternate light-colored and dark-colored squares, each square offset with respect to the similarly-colored square of the adjacent row, to form a checkerboard pattern of bilaterally alternating colored squares, said game board having at least eight and fewer than eleven horizontal rows and ten vertical rows; (b) providing a plurality of playing pieces, including one set of light-colored pieces for one player, and one set of dark-colored pieces for the other player, each set of pieces comprising ten pawns, one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and two of a new separate game piece, which is visually distinguishable from the others; (c) initially positioning said set of light-colored pieces, at the start of a game, in the first row of ten squares at one end of said game board, with said king, said queen, said rooks, said bishops, said knights, and two of said new separate game piece all at predetermined locations each on one of the squares, with the light-colored pawns being initially positioned in the adjacent row of ten squares at said end of said game board; (d) initially positioning said set of dark-colored pieces in the row of ten squares at the opposing end of said game board, with said king, said queen, said rooks, said bishops, said knights, and two of said new separate game piece all at predetermined locations each on one of the squares, so that the corresponding pieces of the two sets are initially located in the same vertical row at its opposite ends of said game board, with the dark-colored pawns being initially positioned in the adjacent row of ten squares at said opposing end of said game board; (e) formatting predetermined rules of movement for play wherein said new separate game piece has a rule of movement on said game board totalling three squares, by three straight-or-diagonal steps of one square each, by moving from a starting square, on which said new separate game piece is positioned, by a first straight-or-diagonal step on one square over a first intermediate square, different from said starting square, thence by a second straight-or-diagonal step of one square over a second intermediate square, different from said starting square and said first intermediate square, and thence by a third straight-or-diagonal step of one square to a final square, different from said starting square, said first intermediate square, and said second intermediate square, said first intermediate square and said second intermediate square being unoccupied by any other playing piece, a transition from said first straight-or-diagonal step of one square to said second straight-or-diagonal step of one square defining one angled change of direction, and a transition from said second straight-or-diagonal step of one square to said third straight-or-diagonal step of one square defining a second angled change of direction; (f) formatting predetermined rules of movement for play wherein said rule of movement of said new separate game piece further requires: (1) that at least one of the three straight-or-diagonal steps be straight, and that at least one of the three said straight-or-diagonal steps be diagonal; (2) that the angled change of direction from said first straight-or-diagonal step of one square to said second straight-or-diagonal step of one square be only zero degrees, or forty-five degrees to the right, or forty-five degrees to the left; (3) that the angled change of direction from said second straight-or-diagonal step of one square to said third straight-or-diagonal step of one square be only zero degrees, or forty-five degrees to the right, or forty-five degrees to the left; (4) that no more than one of the two angled changes of direction be forty-five degrees to the right, and that no more than one of the two angled changes of direction be forty-five degrees to the left, whereby said new separate game piece has three, and only three, ways to move to said final square.

Claim 11

A method of playing an expanded chess-like game for use by a first player against a second player, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a game board with alternate light-colored and dark-colored squares, arranged in adjacent vertical and horizontal rows, each of said rows including said alternate light-colored and dark-colored squares, each square offset with respect to the similarly-colored square of the adjacent row, to form a checkerboard pattern of bilaterally alternating colored squares, said game board having at least eight and fewer than eleven horizontal rows and ten vertical rows; (b) providing a plurality of playing pieces, including one set of light-colored pieces for one player, and one set of dark-colored pieces for the other player, each set of pieces comprising ten pawns, one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and two of a new separate game piece, which is visually distinguishable from the others; (c) initially positioning said set of light-colored pieces, at the start of a game, in the first row of ten squares at one end of said game board, with said king, said queen, said rooks, said bishops, said knights, and two of said new separate game piece all at predetermined locations each on one of the squares, with the light-colored pawns being initially positioned in the adjacent row of ten squares at said end of said game board; (d) initially positioning said set of dark-colored pieces in the row of ten squares at the opposing end of said game board, with said king, said queen, said rooks, said bishops, said knights, and two of said new separate game piece all at predetermined locations each on one of the squares, so that the corresponding pieces of the two sets are initially located in the same vertical row at its opposite ends of said game board, with the dark-colored pawns being initially positioned in the adjacent row of ten squares at said opposing end of said game board; (e) formatting predetermined rules of movement for play wherein said new separate game piece has a rule of movement on said game board totalling three squares, by three straight-or-diagonal steps of one square each, by moving from a starting square, on which said new separate game piece is positioned, by a first straight-or-diagonal step on one square over a first intermediate square, different from said starting square, thence by a second straight-or-diagonal step of one square over a second intermediate square, different from said starting square and said first intermediate square, and thence by a third straight-or-diagonal step of one square to a final square, different from said starting square, said first intermediate square, and said second intermediate square, said first intermediate square and said second intermediate square being unoccupied by any other playing piece, a transition from said first straight-or-diagonal step of one square to said second straight-or-diagonal step of one square defining one angled change of direction, and a transition from said second straight-or-diagonal step of one square to said third straight-or-diagonal step of one square defining a second angled change of direction; (f) formatting predetermined rules of movement for play wherein said rule of movement of said new separate game piece further requires: (1) that at least one of the three straight-or-diagonal steps be straight, and that at least one of the three said straight-or-diagonal steps be diagonal; (2) that the angled change of direction from said first straight-or-diagonal step of one square to said second straight-or-diagonal step of one square be only zero degrees, or forty-five degrees to the right, or forty-five degrees to the left; (3) that the angled change of direction from said second straight-or-diagonal step of one square to said third straight-or-diagonal step of one square be only zero degrees, or forty-five degrees to the right, or forty-five degrees to the left; (4) that no more than one of the two angled changes of direction be forty-five degrees to the right, and that no more than one of the two angled changes of direction be forty-five degrees to the left, whereby said new separate game piece has three, and only three, ways to move to said final square.