Unconventional variation on game of chess

Abstract

A board game roughly similar to chess, but having unconventional game elements, is shown and described. The identities of all playing pieces except a king are initially concealed, and revealed after making an initial move. The initial move is predetermined, and changes if the revealed identity differs from a corresponding pre-assigned identity. Move characteristics of the playing pieces are varied in most cases from their counterparts in conventional chess. The king may not leave a certain area of the board, and is not permitted to face an opposed king without presence of an intervening playing piece. A new playing piece with unique move requirements is introduced.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method of playing a board game, comprising steps of:
 providing   a playing board displaying a plurality of playing spaces arrayed in ten ranks and nine columns orthogonally oriented to said ranks, such that the playing board has ninety said playing spaces, each adjacent to at least two other said playing spaces, and a plurality of playing pieces for use with the playing board, each said playing piece dimensioned and configured to occupy only one said playing space at any one time, and said playing spaces include for each player a predetermined zone of nine said playing spaces, arrayed in a matrix of three spaces by three spaces, each said predetermined zone abutting an edge of the playing board, and facing the other said predetermined zone of playing spaces;   a plurality of playing pieces each having a concealed face and a revealed face to be placed initially on predetermined said playing spaces of the playing board, and to move as play progresses from one said playing space to another said playing space;   among the playing pieces,
 providing one king for each opponent and constraining each said king to move one said playing space and only one said playing space in a move along a said rank or along one said column, each said king constrained against leaving its respective said predetermined zone and constrained against facing an opposed said king unless another said playing piece intervenes between said kings; 
 providing two queens for each opponent and constraining each said queen to move only diagonally relative to said ranks and said columns a distance of one said playing space for each move; 
 providing two bishops for each opponent and constraining each said bishop to move only diagonally relative to said ranks and said columns a distance of two said playing spaces for each move, and wherein said bishops are constrained against jumping over any said playing piece when moving; 
 providing two rooks for each opponent and constraining each said rook to move any number of said playing spaces, only along any one said rank or along any one said column during any one move; 
 providing two cannons for each opponent and constraining each said cannon to move any number of said playing spaces, only along any one said rank or along any one said column during any one move, each move by said cannon requiring a jump over one other said playing piece; 
 providing two knights for each opponent and constraining each said knight to move a distance of two said playing space along a said rank and a distance of one said playing spaces along a said column, or alternatively, constraining said knight to move a distance of two said playing space along a said column and a distance of one said playing spaces along a said rank, and wherein said knights are constrained against jumping over any intervening said playing piece occupying a first one of said two playing spaces along the column and are constrained against jumping over any intervening said playing piece occupying a first one of said two playing spaces along the rank; 
 providing five pawns for each opponent and constraining each said pawn to move one said playing space forwardly along a said column until each said pawn has entered a playing space closer to an edge of said playing board closer to the opponent than to the player having the pawn, at which point each said pawn is constrained to move one said playing space along a said column or one said playing space along a said rank, and each said pawn is further always constrained against moving backwardly and constrained against moving diagonally; 
   randomly placing said the concealed face of playing pieces on predetermined initial said playing spaces with identity of each said playing piece except said kings concealed from view;   assigning a hypothetical identity associated with one of priorly described types of playing pieces to each of the predetermined initial playing spaces;   having the players alternatingly move one said playing piece from its respective said predetermined initial playing space with move characteristics corresponding to the hypothetical identity of the said playing piece being moved;   revealing the revealed face of a the playing piece previously concealed of the playing piece which has just been initially moved, upon arrival of the playing piece which has just been moved to a newly occupied said playing space of that said playing piece;   maintaining the revealed face of said playing piece during the rest of the game after the initial move of said playing piece;   continuing play by having each player alternatingly move said playing pieces, one playing piece moved per turn;   removing from the playing board any said playing piece which has been captured by an opponent, wherein capture occurs when a said playing piece moves into and occupies a said playing space currently occupied by another player's said playing piece; and   continuing play with moves made alternatingly by the players until one said king is stalemated, wherein said king is not directly subject to capture, but will become obliged on a subsequent move to move to a location subject to capture, or inescapably subject to capture by a legal move by an opponent of the player having the king, or alternatively, a draw defined by agreement prior to play has been achieved.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the draw is determined by a situation existing wherein no king can be stalemated or inescapably subject to capture by a legal move. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the draw is determined by mutual agreement of the players. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the draw is determined when fifty moves by the players do not result in any said playing pieces being captured. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the draw is determined when a move by one player and a responsive move by another player are repeated three times. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the draw is determined when the game is played under auspices of a sponsor, and the sponsor declares the game drawn. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hypothetical identity of plurality of playing pieces each to be randomly placed initially on predetermined said playing spaces of the playing board include:
 a said king initially occupying a center said playing space of a rank abutting an edge of the playing board,   two said queens initially occupying two said playing spaces immediately surrounding the king, on the rank abutting the edge of the playing board,   two said bishops initially occupying two said playing spaces adjacent said playing spaces occupied by the two queens,   two said rooks initially occupying two said playing spaces adjacent said playing spaces occupied by the two bishops,   two said knights initially occupying two said playing spaces adjacent said playing spaces occupied by the two rooks,   two said cannons initially occupying two said playing spaces each on a common column as one said knight, and each spaced apart from a respective said knight by one said playing space, and   five said pawns initially occupying five said playing spaces each on a common column as each of the two rooks, each of the two bishops, and the king, and each said pawn spaced apart from a respective said rook or a respective said bishop or the king by two said playing spaces.