Battlefield chess game

Abstract

Battlefield Chess (BC) differs from conventional chess (CC). First BC has a number of moves in addition to the moves of CC. For example, the knight in CC can move forward, backward, and sideways in an L-shape, for example, 2 spaces forward and then 1 space right or left. Two other differences are the size of the board [22 by 22 (=484 playing spaces)] for BC, compared to 8 by 8 (=64 playing spaces) for CC], and the number of playing pieces. CC has 8 pawns, 2 rooks, 2 knights, 2 bishops 1 queen, and 1 king for each of the 2 teams or individuals playing the game. In BC, each side has 22 pawns, 6 rooks, 6 knights, 6 bishops, 3 queens, and 1 king. The larger playing board, more playing pieces, and additional allowed moves make BC much more challenging than CC.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A chess game for 2 players or 2 teams, comprising:
 a game board having
 484 playing spaces that are arranged in a 22 by 22 array of alternating light and dark playing spaces (in the direction of forward and backward columns, and of sideways rows), and 
 opposite ends, each of which is the territory of a respective player or team, 
 wherein,
 in an end-most row, a light playing space occupies the right corner (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), and 
 the game board may be a physical game board, or a virtual game board; 
 
   two expanded sets of light and dark playing pieces, wherein the set of light playing pieces and the set of dark playing pieces each comprise 1 king, 22 pawns, 3 queens, 6 bishops, 6 knights, and 6 rooks; and   a set of playing rules that differs from conventional, old-in-the-art chess rules.   
     
     
         2 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 1 , wherein, at commencement of a game,
 the players' (or teams') respective sets of playing pieces (situated at the respective opposite ends of the game board) are positioned on the respective two end-most rows where they are defended by the respective player or team;   the playing pieces may be physical playing pieces, or virtual playing pieces; and,   the respective set of playing pieces for each player or team comprises:
 1 king that is positioned in the end-most row, on the tenth playing square from the right (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row); 
 22 pawns that are positioned in their respective next-to-the-end-most row such that each pawn is in front of one non-pawn playing piece; 
 3 queens (queen 1, queen 2, and queen 3) that are positioned to the left of the king (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), wherein
 queen 1 is immediately adjacent to, and to the left of, the king (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), 
 queen 2 is immediately adjacent to, and to the left of, queen 1 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), and 
 queen 3 is immediately adjacent to, and to the left of, queen 2 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row); 
 
 6 bishops (bishop 1, bishop 2, bishop 3, bishop 4, bishop 5, and bishop 6), the first three of which are positioned to the left of queen 3 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), and the remaining three of which are positioned to the right of the king (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), wherein
 bishop 1 is immediately adjacent to, and to the left of, queen 3 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), 
 bishop 2 is immediately adjacent to, and to the left of, bishop 1 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), 
 bishop 3 is immediately adjacent to, and to the left of, bishop 2 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), 
 bishop 4 is immediately adjacent to, and to the right of, the king (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), 
 bishop 5 is immediately adjacent to, and to the right of, bishop 4 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), and 
 bishop 6 is immediately adjacent to, and to the right of, bishop 5 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row); 
 
 6 knights (knight 1, knight 2, knight 3, knight 4, knight 5, and knight 6), the first three of which are positioned to the left of bishop 3 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), and the remaining three of which are positioned to the right of bishop 6 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), wherein
 knight 1 is immediately adjacent to, and to the left of, bishop 3 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), 
 knight 2 is immediately adjacent to, and to the left of, knight 1 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), 
 knight 3 is immediately adjacent to, and to the left of, knight 2 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), 
 knight 4 is immediately adjacent to, and to the right of, bishop 6 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), 
 knight 5 is immediately adjacent to, and to the right of, knight 4, and 
 knight 6 is immediately adjacent to, and to the right of, knight 5; and 
 
 6 rooks (rook 1, rook 2, rook 3, rook 4, rook 5, and rook 6), the first three of which are positioned to the left of knight 3 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), and the remaining three of which are positioned to the right of knight 6 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), wherein
 rook 1 is immediately adjacent to, and to the left of, knight 3 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), 
 rook 2 is immediately adjacent to, and to the left of, rook 1 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), 
 rook 3 is immediately adjacent to, and to the left of, rook 2 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), 
 rook 4 is immediately adjacent to, and to the right of, knight 6 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), 
 rook 5 is immediately adjacent to, and to the right of, rook 4 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), and 
 rook 6 is immediately adjacent to, and to the right of, rook 5 (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row). 
 
   
     
     
         3 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the virtual game board is created, visualized, executed, and utilized via a computer, a software program, and a visualization device.   
     
     
         4 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the virtual playing board is utilized in conjunction with the virtual playing pieces, and   visualization of the virtual playing board, and visualization of the virtual playing pieces, are clear to a player of normal visual acuity.   
     
     
         5 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the visualization device is a computer screen (monitor), a television, or a projector projecting images of the game onto a projection screen or onto any other relatively flat surface, such that visualization of the virtual playing board, and visualization of the virtual playing pieces, are clear to a player of normal visual acuity.   
     
     
         6 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 1 , wherein,
 in an end-most row, a light playing space occupies the left corner (when viewed from behind the end-most row).   
     
     
         7 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the light and dark playing spaces of the playing board are two differently colored playing spaces.   
     
     
         8 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the light and dark playing pieces are two differently colored playing pieces.   
     
     
         9 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the set of playing rules that differs from conventional, old-in-the-art chess rules, differs with respect to the following:
 at a respective player's or team's option, one, two, or three movements of playing pieces may be made for the player's or team's respective turn; 
 at a player's or team's option, a king may be moved one or two playing spaces forward, backward, sideways, or diagonally; 
 at a player's or team's option, on its first move in a game, a pawn may be moved from one up to six playing spaces forward, and one or two playing spaces forward thereafter in subsequent playing turns; 
 at a player's or team's option, when using a pawn in an attack mode against an opponent's playing piece, the pawn must be moved diagonally forward one or two playing spaces in order to capture the opponent's playing piece; 
 at a player's or team's option, a knight may be moved in an L shape according to various options, comprising:
 in a first direction, two playing spaces forward, sideways, or backward, followed by movement in a second direction one playing space 90 degrees to the left or right relative to the first direction; 
 in a first direction, one playing space forward, sideways, or backward, followed by movement in a second direction two playing spaces 90 degrees to the left or right relative to the first direction; 
 in a first direction, four playing spaces forward, sideways, or backward, followed by movement in a second direction two playing spaces 90 degrees to the left or right relative to the first direction; and 
 in a first direction, two playing spaces forward, sideways, or backward, followed by movement in a second direction four playing spaces 90 degrees to the left or right relative to the first direction. 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the set of playing rules that differs from conventional, old-in-the-art chess rules further comprises:
 at a player's or team's option, castling may be effected by moving the king in a first direction five playing spaces to the left or right, followed by the involved rook (that is positioned in the corner of the first direction of movement of the king) being moved in the opposite direction of the first direction of movement of the king, over the king, and positioned to the side of, and immediately adjacent to, the king, wherein
 castling can only be effected when there are not one or more playing pieces located between the king and the involved rook. 
 
   
     
     
         11 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the software program enables players' or teams' movement of virtual playing pieces on the virtual playing board according to movements allowed by the instant set of playing rules that differs from conventional, old-in-the-art chess rules.   
     
     
         12 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the software program limits the movement of virtual playing pieces to only those movements allowed by the instant set of playing rules that differs from conventional, old-in-the-art chess rules.   
     
     
         13 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 4 , wherein
 visualization of the virtual playing board and visualization of the virtual playing pieces require a magnification means to be clear to a player of normal visual acuity.   
     
     
         14 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 5 , wherein
 visualization of the virtual playing board and visualization of the virtual playing pieces require a magnification means to be clear to a player of normal visual acuity.   
     
     
         15 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the magnification means comprises a magnifying glass, a computer, a scanner, a camera, a microscope, a projector, or a photocopy machine.   
     
     
         16 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the magnification means comprises a magnifying glass, a computer, a scanner, a camera, a microscope, a projector, or a photocopy machine.   
     
     
         17 . A chess game for 2 players or 2 teams, comprising:
 a game board having
 a variable number of playing spaces that are arranged in an array of alternating light and dark playing spaces (in the direction of forward and backward columns, and of sideways rows),
 wherein
 the variable number of playing spaces is greater than the number of playing spaces of a conventional, old-in-the-art chess game board, 
 the number of playing spaces in the columns is an even number, and 
 the number of playing spaces in the rows is an even number, and 
 
 
 opposite ends, each of which is the territory of a respective player or team,
 wherein,
 in an end-most row, a light playing space occupies the right corner (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row), and 
 the game board may be a physical game board, or a virtual game board; 
 
 
   two expanded sets of playing pieces (one light and one dark), wherein the set of light playing pieces and the set of dark playing pieces each comprise 1 king, plus a variable number of pawns, queens, bishops, knights, and rooks,
 wherein, at commencement of a game, each set of playing pieces occupies their respective two end-most rows of the game board,
 wherein the next-to-the-end-most row is occupied solely and entirely by pawns; and the end-most row is occupied by one king, one or more queens, and two or more each of bishops, knights, and rooks; and 
 
   a set of playing rules that differs from conventional, old-in-the-art chess rules.   
     
     
         18 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 17 , wherein,
 at, or prior to, commencement of a game,
 the value of the variable number of playing spaces of the game board is selectable by one of the players or teams, or by mutual agreement of the two players or the two teams, and 
 the number of queens, bishops, knights, and rooks is each selectable by one of the players or teams, or by mutual agreement of the two players or the two teams. 
   
     
     
         19 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 18 , wherein,
 at commencement of a game and for each respective side, the positions of the playing pieces are comparable to their playing positions in conventional chess in that (when viewed from behind the respective end-most row)
 the one or more rooks on the right side of the game board will always be located to the left of the one or more knights on the right side of the game board, 
 the one or more knights on the right side of the game board will always be located to the right of the one or more bishops on the right side of the game board, and to the left of the one or more rooks on the right side of the game board, 
 the one or more bishops on the right side of the game board will always be located to the right of the one or more queens, and to the left of the one or more knights on the right side of the game board, 
 the one or more queens will always be located to the right of the king, and to the left of the one or more bishops on the right side of the game board, 
 the king will always be to the right of the one or more bishops on the left side of the game board, and to the left of the one or more queens, 
 the one or more bishops on the left side of the game board will always be located to the right of the one or more knights on the left side of the game board, and to the left of the king, 
 the one or more knights on the left side of the game board will always be located to the right of the one or more rooks on the left side of the game board, and to the left of the one or more bishops on the left side of the game board, 
 the one or more rooks on the left side of the game board will always be located to the left of the one or more knights on the left side of the playing board, and 
 all of the pawns for each respective side will fully occupy all of the playing spaces in the respective next-to-the-end-most row. 
   
     
     
         20 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 19 , wherein
 the set of playing rules differs from conventional, old-in-the-art chess rules with respect to the following:
 at a respective player's or team's option, more than one consecutive movement of playing pieces may be made for the player's or team's respective turn, the maximum number of allowed consecutive movements being as mutually decided by the two sides at, or prior to, commencement of the game; 
 at a respective player's or team's option, a king may be moved more than one playing space forward, backward, sideways, or diagonally, the number of allowed playing spaces of movement being as mutually decided by the two sides, at or prior to, commencement of the game; 
 at a respective player's or team's option, on its first move in a game, a pawn may be moved any selected number of unobstructed playing spaces forward, and any selected number of unobstructed playing spaces forward thereafter, the respective number of allowed playing spaces of movement for these respective two options being as mutually decided by the two sides at, or prior to, commencement of the game; 
 at a respective player's or team's option, when using a pawn in an attack mode against an opponent's playing piece, the pawn may be moved diagonally forward more than one playing space in order to capture the opponent's playing piece, the maximum number of allowed diagonal playing spaces of movement per turn being as mutually decided by the two sides at, or prior to, commencement of the game; and 
 at a respective player's or team's option, a knight may be moved in an L shape according to variable options, comprising:
 in a first direction, one or more playing spaces forward, sideways, or backward, followed by movement in a second direction one or more playing spaces 90 degrees to the left or right relative to the first direction, the maximum allowed number of playing spaces of movement in the first and second directions being as mutually decided by the two sides at, or prior to, commencement of the game. 
 
   
     
     
         21 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the set of playing rules differs from conventional, old-in-the-art chess rules with respect to decisions as to the maximum number of allowed playing spaces of movement of the respective playing pieces, wherein
 such decisions are made by one player or one team on behalf of both players or both teams. 
   
     
     
         22 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 21 , wherein the set of playing rules differs from conventional, old-in-the-art chess rules with respect to decisions as to the maximum number of allowed playing spaces of movement of the playing pieces, wherein
 the decision as to which one player or one team makes the decision may optionally be made by chance, comprising
 by flip of a coin or other physical or virtual entity that has two non-identical sides, 
 by use of a random number generating routine, 
 by use of a random number table, 
 by drawing straws, 
 by use of a die or multiple dice, 
 by use of a rock-paper-scissors type of routine, or 
 by any other chance based routine or activity. 
   
     
     
         23 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 21 , wherein
 the set of playing rules differs from conventional, old-in-the-art chess rules with respect to decisions as to the maximum number of allowed playing spaces of movement of the respective playing pieces, wherein,
 after commencement of the game, such decisions may be changed one or more times by the same one player or one team, or by the second player or second team. 
   
     
     
         24 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams, comprising a game board having a variable number of playing spaces according to  claim 17 , wherein,
 in place of the conventional, old-in-the-art chess game checkmate rule, the game is scored according to respective points assigned per respective type of playing piece captured of the opponent.   
     
     
         25 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams, comprising a game board having a variable number of playing spaces according to  claim 17 , wherein,
 for a physical game board, the variable number of playing spaces can be controlled by overlaying the physical game board with a flat board having a right angle cut-out such that the flat board can cover the playing spaces determined not to be in play for a given game.   
     
     
         26 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams, comprising a game board having a variable number of playing spaces according to  claim 25 , wherein
 the flat board having a right angle cut-out and the physical game board employ an attachment means to hold them in firmly in place, relative to each other, during game playing.   
     
     
         27 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams, comprising a game board having a variable number of playing spaces according to  claim 26 , wherein
 the attachment means comprises Velcro®, one or more sets of hook-and-eye fasteners, a Post-It-Notes® type of reuseable glue or other reuseable glue, rubber cement, double sided tape, and single sided tape folded flat on itself into a flat configuration so that the sticky side is available to effect adherence on at least two different sides.   
     
     
         28 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 19 , wherein, at commencement of a game and for each respective side,
 the positions of the playing pieces are allowed to to be in relative playing positions that are different from those relative playing positions in conventional chess, except for the pawns and the king.   
     
     
         29 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 28 , wherein, each respective side independently determines the relative positions of its playing pieces. 
     
     
         30 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 29 , wherein, just prior to commencement of a game, each respective side positions its playing pieces without the knowledge of the other side. 
     
     
         31 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 28 , wherein, the relative playing positions that are different from those relative playing positions in conventional chess can include the position of the king. 
     
     
         32 . The chess game for 2 players or 2 teams according to  claim 20 , wherein, the
 the set of playing rules that differs from conventional, old-in-the-art chess rules further comprises:
 at a player's or team's option, castling may be effected by moving the king in a first direction a selected number of playing spaces respectively to the left or right, followed by the involved rook (that is the first rook positioned respectively the left or the right of the king) being moved in the opposite direction of the first direction of movement of the king, over the king, and positioned to the side of, and immediately adjacent to, the king, wherein
 the selected number of playing spaces of movement of the king in the first direction is any number that would move the king from one playing space up to the number of playing spaces required to move the king to the playing space immediately before, and adjacent to, the involved rook, and 
 castling can only be effected when there are not one or more playing pieces located between the king and the involved rook.