Game apparatus and method of play

Abstract

A game apparatus for play by at least two players, having game pieces that are manually placed in at least four slideably mounted, apertured slats, each having at least four apertures for receiving one or more of the game pieces, and a base assembly for slideably mounting the slats, such that the slats can be moved, and said game pieces placed in said apertures, at the option of each of the players who take turns in playing the game. The game pieces are generally grouped in two different colors. The number of slats are generally the same as the number of apertures, and are preferably four or eight in number. The method of play by two players of apparatus involves each of the players taking turns that are selected from two possible moves: placing a game piece in one of the apertures on one of the slats or linearly displacing one of the slats one stop. A winner is determined whent a player has a predetermined number of game pieces in a predetermined arrangement, generally four or eight in a row, or in a diamond or other configuration. Also included is a virtual game board in which the game is controlled by a computer or group of computers.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A game apparatus for play by at least two players, comprising: 
 (a) a plurality of manually placeable game pieces;    (b) at least four slideably mounted, apertured slats, each having at least four apertures thereupon for receiving one or more of the game pieces; and    (c) a base assembly for slideably mounting said slats, such that said slats can be moved, and said game pieces placed in said apertures, at the option of each of said at least two players, in serial, turned order.    
     
     
         2 . The game apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of game pieces are grouped into two groups distinguished by each group possessing a different color.  
     
     
         3 . The game apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said slats number in total the same number as said apertures.  
     
     
         4 . The game apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said number is four.  
     
     
         5 . The game apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said number is eight.  
     
     
         6 . A method of playing a game by two players on a game apparatus having a game surface comprised of a plurality of apertured slats, slidably mounted in a base assembly such that each of said slats can be moved in a bidirectional, linearly displaceable, sequential, stopwise manner that reassembles the appearance of the game surface, comprising: 
 (a) selecting a color specific to each of the players;    (b) wherein each of said players, in serial, turned order, selects a move selected from one of two possible moves, said two possible moves comprising: 
 (1) placing a game piece in one of said apertures on one of said slats; and  
 (2) sliding one of said slatted portions linearly in one of the two bidirectional manners, to the next, sequential stop;  
   (c) repeating step (b) until one of the players has placed a predetermined number of game pieces in a predetermined arrangement.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the number of slats and number of apertures are the same.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein, the number is four.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the number is eight.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the arrangement is linear  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the arrangement is linear, and the linear number equals the number.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the arrangement is a diamond.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the apparatus is virtual, presented in a computer-assisted manner, and the method is practiced by entering data via a controller.