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[0002] The game of backgammon has been around for centuries while its exact point and date of origin is unknown. It has evolved as a two-player game on a single game board in which one player will try to outwit the other player to become the first player to bear off all of his or her stones. Several ornamental designs for a game board of backgammon were given American patents on Nov. 8, 1977, Dec. 23, 1980, Mar. 20, 1984, Sep. 1, 1992 and Jun. 26, 1998:
D246326 Nov., 1977 Watson D21/362. D257681 Dec., 1980 Grayson D21/362. D273124 Mar., 1984 Craft 273/248. D329063 Sep., 1992 Kantor D21/362. D406280 Mar. 2, 1999 Tesauro D21/362
[0003] Up until now, the game of backgammon has consisted of two players using a singular board to compete against each other to be the first to bear off all of their playing stones. The board has either been a flat board, or a portable board that collapses in the middle but opens up into a singular board. With this invention, there can now be between 3-6 players who compete against each other to be the first player to successfully bear off all of their playing stones. Instead of being concerned with only one player, the strategy becomes more complex because there are more players to contend with. In addition, this invention consists of 6 separate game boards that are selected and arranged depending on how many players there will be. To avoid confusion, the game boards and stones are color-coded so that the player with, for example, the blue color-coded home base must return all of his or her blue playing stones to this home base before the process of bearing off can occur.
[0004] In the drawings, which form a part of this specification,
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[0006] There are six (6) game boards. Each game board has the points in its home area color coded to one of the six colors used for each of the sets of playing pieces (stones).
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[0024] Contents:
[0025] Each game comes complete with six color-coded game boards (
[0026] Object of the Game:
[0027] The object of the game is to be the first player to successfully bear off all of his or her stones.
[0028] Setting up the Game:
[0029] This game can be played with three to six players. Each player should select a colored game board with the corresponding colored set of playing stones (15 in total). Arrange the game boards so that the upper right and left hand corners of each game board are touching your opponents' game board (
[0030] Arrangement of the Stones
[0031] On each player's game board, there is a colored section or home base (
[0032] Playing the Game:
[0033] To determine which player starts, roll the dice and the highest roll will begin play. The play will then move in a clockwise direction. Each triangle represents one space (or point) on the board. The starting player will roll the dice and move either one or two stones the amount that turns up on the dice. For instance, if the player rolls a three and a two, one stone may be moved three spaces, followed by two spaces, or two spaces followed by three spaces. They may also chose to move one of their stones three spaces, and a different one of their stones two spaces. You want to begin to move your stones around the board and into your colored home base, but you do not want to leave a “Blot” if you can help it. In the first example, a player can not move their stone five spaces, but rather two and three, or three and two. This is important because if an opponent has a “Blocked Point” on a space that you want to move onto, you are prevented from moving onto that space. If this opponent is three spaces away from the stone that you wish to move, you will only be able to move past the opponent by moving first the two spaces, followed by the three spaces. If you tried to move the three spaces first, you will hit the blocked point, and so are not able to move this stone. Remember, the purpose of the game is to get your stones around the board and into your home base, while at the same time not leaving any of your stones vulnerable for a “Hit”. If a player rolls “Doublets”, they can move either one, two, three, or four of their stones. For instance, a double five will grant a player four moves of five spaces. A good strategy may be to move one set of two stones five spaces, and another set of two stones five spaces. This will give the player two “Blocked Points” and make it a little more difficult for their opponents to move their own stones around the board. This will also prevent their own stones from being put into a vulnerable position where they can be “Hit” and sent to the “Bar”. When reaching the end of one game board, your stone will jump to the next player's game board as if the game boards were all joined together. You will continue this until all of your stones are within the colored section of your home base. A player must move their stone(s) as per the roll of both dice. There may be times when one or no moves are possible because of blocked points along the game board, and so the player will not take the full move as per the roll of both dice. Note that a player must take both moves if they are able to. (If “Doublets” are rolled, the player must take the most moves—up to four in number—that are possible).
[0034] The Bar
[0035] When one of your stones is occupying a single space on the board, it is considered to be a “Blot”. If another player lands on this space your stone will be sent to the “Bar” (
[0036] Returning from the Bar
[0037] To return your stone back into play, you must roll a number within the colored section of your opponent's game board (
[0038] If you have two stones on the bar, both stones will have to come down before you can move any other stones. You may be able to bring both stones down on a single roll if both spaces are unblocked. If only one space is unblocked, then you can move one stone down, but your turn is over. If both spaces are blocked, then both stones will remain on the bar and your turn is over.
[0039] Winning the Game:
[0040] The way to win this game is to get all of your own stones around the board and into your colored home base, while preventing your opponents from doing the same. You prevent them from doing this by choosing to “Hit” one of their “Blots” while at the same time trying to protect your own stones, as well as “Blocking Points” on the board to make it more difficult for the players to move their stones.
[0041] After you have all of your stones in your colored home base, you can now begin the process of “Bearing Off”.
[0042] Bearing Off
[0043] The final step in winning the game is to bear off all of your stones before another player bears off their stones. You begin to bear off your stones only when all of your stones are in your colored home base (
[0044] If the player had stones on each space within their colored home base except the one space, and they rolled a one and a five, the player can choose to do the following:
[0045] 1. Remove one stone from the five space (“Bear Off”) removing it from play, and move any other of their stones one space. Since they did not have a stone on the one space, they are unable to bear off a stone from this space.
[0046] 2. Move a stone from the six space forward five spaces (which will now put this stone on the one space) and move another stone forward one space.
[0047] The player may have chosen to move forward instead of bearing off because:
[0048] a) The stone on the six space may be a “Blot” and is vulnerable to being “Hit” by another player.
[0049] b) The stone on the one space may be a “Blot” and is vulnerable to being “Hit” by another player.
[0050] c) The stone on the five space may become a “Blot” if you bear off the stone and is vulnerable to being “Hit” by another player.
[0051] If a player has stones on the first five spaces only and a six is rolled on one of the die, the player will move down to the next possible space which is the five. The stone must be removed from the five space. In the bearing off process, a stone must either be removed from play or moved forward towards the one space if they are able to. They cannot chose to leave things as they are just because they may end up leaving a “Blot”.
[0052] The process of bearing off will take strategy as you want to bear off as quickly as possible, but at the same time you need to preserve your own stones from being hit by another player. Note that, because of the rule of bearing off from the next power point if higher ones are unoccupied by your stones, it is advantageous to have your stones clustered as much as possible toward the one point, rather than the six point when bearing off
[0053] If your stone is hit and sent to the bar by another player during the bearing off process, you cannot bear off any other stones until this stone has made its way back around the board and into your colored home base again. That is why you need to use caution when bearing off your stones.
[0054] THE FIRST PLAYER TO SUCCESSFULLY BEAR OFF ALL OF THEIR STONES WILL BE THE WINNER!