Judo games

Abstract

A board game of Judo competition and strategy for two players comprising a field of play in the form of a rectangular grid of individually identified squares, preferably eleven squares along its length and preferably eight squares across its width, preferably divided into three zones. Gameplay is carried out by moving a plurality of playing pieces, preferably forty (40) in number for each player for placement on squares of said grid, said plurality of playing pieces being identified by color as belonging to one player or the other. The object of the game is to find Kodokan and to avoid Kano. The first player to discover her opponent' s Kodokan piece wins the game or the first player to discover her opponent's Kano piece loses the game.

1 . A board game of Judo competition and strategy for two players comprising;
 a game board having a field of play in the form of a rectangular grid of individually identified squares, preferably eleven squares along its length and preferably eight squares across its width, preferably divided into three zones;   a plurality of playing pieces, preferably 40 in number, for each player for placement on squares of said grid, said plurality of playing pieces being identified by color as belonging to one player or the other and that the playing pieces are divided into two main groups or categories, preferably designated Judoka pieces and Judo Special pieces;   playing pieces that have different symbols, text and numbers that designate ranks or values that distinguish the playing pieces from one another;   a type of Judo Special playing piece, preferably designated Kodokan, that when discovered allows the discovering player to directly win the game and a type of Judo Special playing piece, preferably designated Kano, that when discovered allows the discovering player to directly loose the game.   
   
   
       2 . A board game as in  claim 1  wherein the respective playing pieces of each player may all have some type of marker attached to the piece on at least one of its sides that designates a change in the piece's rank, either a promotion or a demotion. 
   
   
       3 . A board game as in  claim 1  wherein the respective playing pieces of each player all have at least one groove, slot, notch, hole or other indentation on at least one of its sides that can temporarily hold at least one marker that designates a change in the piece's rank, either a promotion or a demotion. 
   
   
       4 . A board game as in  claim 1  wherein each respective set of playing pieces of each player has a type of Judo Special playing piece of at least one in number, preferably designated a Rule Violation piece that when discovered confers the discovering player with a penalty which forfeits the player at least three turns. 
   
   
       5 . A board game as in  claim 1  wherein each respective set of playing pieces of each player has a type of Judo Special playing piece of at least one in number, preferably designated a Referee piece, that when a player moves their piece onto a square occupied by one of the opponent's Referee pieces, the discovering or attacking piece must retreat to the square it attacked from and the Referee piece retains its position and that the Referee pieces are never removed from the board and furthermore that the attacking piece is demoted one level and also that the attacking player also receives a penalty and forfeits at least three turns. 
   
   
       6 . A board game as in  claim 1  wherein each respective set of playing pieces of each player has its Judoka pieces, divided into a first group preferably designated Mudansha (Disciple or Color belt level) pieces and a second group preferably designated Yudansha (Master or Black belt level) pieces. 
   
   
       7 . A board game as in  claim 6  where the first group of Judoka pieces, preferably designated Mudansha (Disciple or Color belt level) pieces are ranked as follows from lowest to highest rank: 6 Kyu or White belt, 5 Kyu or Yellow belt, 4 Kyu or Orange belt, 3 Kyu or Green belt, 2 Kyu or Blue belt, and 1 Kyu or Brown belt. 
   
   
       8 . A board game as in  claim 6  where the second group of Judoka pieces, preferably designated Yudansha (Master or Black belt level) pieces are ranked as follows from lowest to highest rank: 1 Dan, 2 Dan, 3 Dan, 4 Dan, 5 Dan, 6 Dan, 7 Dan, 8 Dan, 9 Dan, 10 Dan and World Champion. 
   
   
       9 . A board game as in  claim 3  wherein the respective playing pieces of each player all consist of an elastic material partially or completely surrounding the groove, slot, notch, or other indentation on at least one of its sides that can temporarily hold at least one marker that designates a change in the piece's rank, either a promotion or a demotion. 
   
   
       10 . A board game as in  claim 3  wherein the respective playing pieces of each player all consist of an elastic material partially or completely surrounding the groove, slot, notch, or other indentation, preferably of a plastic material.