This invention relates to game apparatus including a game board having a planar surface comprising a plurality of playing fields arranged in an array of rows and columns together with a plurality of playing pieces adapted to be removably mounted on selected ones of the playing fields of such surface and more particularly to such game apparatus in which at least every other one of the playing fields of at least each column is associated with an opening extending all the way through the board between it and an adjacent playing field and the playing pieces are removably mounted on playing fields of the board by means of such openings.
Games based on a planar surface divided into a plurality of playing fields arranged in rows and columns such as checkers, chess, tic-tac-toe, etc. have been known from earliest times. In such games a plurality of marks or more often physically discrete markers or playing pieces are each placed on a selected one of the playing fields in order to play the game. Thus, the planar surface or "checkerboard" is normally oriented substantially horizontally and the playing pieces merely rest on the playing fields and are easily displaced with respect thereto.
Game apparatus of this type in which the "checkerboard" is oriented vertically have been proposed in which case some means for mounting the playing pieces on the playing fields of the board must be provided. For example, the prior art discloses game apparatus comprising a checkerboard having a plurality of hooks projecting from the planar surface thereof adjacent selected playing fields thereof and apertured playing pieces adapted to be hung from such hooks over such playing fields. Similarly, the prior art disclose game apparatus which comprises a checkerboard having a plurality of holes or slots in the planar surface thereof each located in one of the playing fields thereof and a plurality of playing pieces each having a projection thereon adapted to engage such holes or slots.
Such vertical game apparatus has a number of advantages. The playing board may be made larger, since the "reach" of the player's arms is not a limitation. In addition, the game board is easier for the players to "read" both due to size and orientation. Also, the playing pieces cannot be accidentally displaced. However, the players of such apparatus tend to get in each other's way since they must both be on the same side of the vertical game board during play.
It is an object of this invention to provide a game apparatus of the type described above in which the players may play the game from opposite sides of the game board when the playing surface thereof extends vertically.
Game apparatus is known in which the playing fields thereof comprise openings through the game board arranged in rows and columns and the playing pieces are adapted to fit through the openings so that the game may be played with the game board oriented vertically with the players on opposite sides thereof.
However, in this type of game apparatus either the "checkerboard" feature is sacrificed since all of the playing fields are openings which tend to be indistinguishable from each other or the size of the game pieces relative to the playing fields must be reduced. Thus, in games such as chess, it is either difficult to locate a particular desired playing field of the array or to "read" the values of the game pieces.
It is another object of this invention to preserve the checkerboard feature and size of the game pieces relative to the playing fields in game apparatus of the type described.
Obviously, a two-sided vertical checkerboard array of playing fields could be provided with projections on both sides for mounting playing pieces. However, this would require each player to duplicate his moves on both sides of the playing board or some sort of cooperation between the players to cause each move to be presented on both sides of the board.
It is a further object of this invention to provide game apparatus of the type described in which each move by a player on one side of the playing board is automatically reproduced on the other side of the playing board without diminishing the checkerboard feature of the playing board.
The prior art discloses a two-sided vertical board for playing chess or checkers in which the rows of playing field are oriented horizontally in spaced parallel planes to provide shelves on which the playing pieces are placed. Similarly, the prior art discloses a checkerboard array of openings with each opening provided with a shelf on which playing pieces are placed. In the first case, the checkerboard feature of the apparatus is greatly reduced. In the second case it is impossible to play chess since only the checkerboard array of openings are available for play, whereas contiguous playing fields in each row are required for chess. In both cases the playing pieces may be easily displaced from their desired position on the shelves in play.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide game apparatus of the type described in which all playing fields of the board are available for play and in which the playing pieces cannot be accidentally displaced from their selected position on the board, without sacrifice of the checkerboard feature thereof.