Portable chess set that preserves positions of chess pieces during a pause in game play to permit transportation and continuation of a chess game

Abstract

A portable chess set able to preserve positions of chess pieces on a chess board during an interruption of game play, thereby permitting transportation of the chess set and then resuming game play. The chess set includes: a board having a surface partitioned into a plurality of square areas each having a square center, a plurality of ferro-magnetic elements, each square area having a ferro-magnetic element embedded under the playing surface at the square center. Also included is a plurality of chess pieces, each chess piece having a magnet embedded in a bottom center portion of the chess piece, and a chess piece position preserver that includes a planar member having a plurality of holes in a square array, each hole having a hole center, each hole center located to align over a square center when the chess piece position preserver is secured in place over the chess board.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A portable chess set able to preserve positions of chess pieces on a chess board during temporary interruption of game play, thereby permitting transportation of the chess board and then resuming game play, the portable chess set comprising:
 a chess board having a playing surface partitioned into a plurality of square areas, each square area having a square center;   a plurality of ferro-magnetic elements, each square area having a ferro-magnetic element embedded under the playing surface at the square center;   a plurality of chess pieces;   a plurality of magnets, each chess piece having a magnet embedded in a bottom center portion of the chess piece; and   a chess piece position preserver including a planar member having a plurality of holes arranged as a square array, each hole having a hole center, each hole center configured to substantially align with a square center when the chess piece position preserver is secured in place over the chess board.   
     
     
         2 . The portable chess set of  claim 1 , each hole of the chess piece position preserver having a chamfered circumferential edge. 
     
     
         3 . The portable chess set of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the chess board is incorporated into a base assembly, and the chess piece position preserver is incorporated into a lid assembly,   the base assembly and the lid assembly each having cooperative alignment features that are configured to engage so as to ensure that each hole center substantially aligns with a respective square center when the lid assembly is placed on top of the base assembly so as to engage the cooperative alignment features.   
     
     
         4 . The portable chess set of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of chess pieces are of different heights. 
     
     
         5 . The portable chess set of  claim 1 , wherein the chess piece position preserver is made of a transparent material. 
     
     
         6 . The portable chess set of  claim 1 , wherein cooperative alignment features of the base assembly and the lid assembly are also configured to engage so as to ensure that the lid assembly remains engaged with the base assembly until intentionally disengaged prior to resuming game play. 
     
     
         7 . The portable chess set of  claim 6 , wherein each of the cooperative alignment features include either a magnet or a ferro-magnetic element.