U.S. patent application number 13/081484 was filed with the patent office on 2011-10-20 for casino chess game.
Invention is credited to Robert Valentine.
Application Number | 20110254223 13/081484 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44787656 |
Filed Date | 2011-10-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110254223 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Valentine; Robert |
October 20, 2011 |
CASINO CHESS GAME
Abstract
A method of playing a casino game comprises providing a board
and providing a plurality of chess pieces on a board. Cards are
provided with at least one of the plurality of cards including
chess piece indicia on the respective card. Cards are selected for
a first player and dealt to the first player. Cards are selected
for a second player and dealt to the second player. The casino game
includes alternating moving a chess piece on the board based on the
card by the first and the second player according to a traditional
set of rules of chess. A second piece cannot be moved that is not
described as the chess piece on the card. The casino game involves
betting when drawing at least one card and the other player can
match the bet, can increase the bet or may surrender. If the
surrender occurs the betting player wins. The betting forms a pot
and a player can win the casino game by capturing a king chess
piece and a queen chess piece of the opponent whereby the winning
player wins an amount of the pot.
Inventors: |
Valentine; Robert; (Las
Vegas, NV) |
Family ID: |
44787656 |
Appl. No.: |
13/081484 |
Filed: |
April 6, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61325393 |
Apr 19, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
273/243 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3279 20130101;
A63F 3/00157 20130101; A63F 3/00643 20130101; G07F 17/3295
20130101; A63F 1/04 20130101; G07F 17/3293 20130101; A63F 3/02
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/243 |
International
Class: |
A63F 3/00 20060101
A63F003/00 |
Claims
1. A method of playing a casino game, comprising: providing a
board: providing a plurality of chess pieces on a board; providing
a plurality of cards with at least one of the plurality of cards
including a chess piece indicia on the respective card; selecting a
plurality of cards for a first player and dealing the cards to the
first player; selecting a plurality of cards for a second player
and dealing the cards to the second player; alternating moving a
chess piece on the board based on the card by the first and the
second player according to a traditional set of rules of chess,
wherein a second piece cannot be moved that is not described as the
chess piece on the card; betting when drawing at least one card,
the betting forming a pot; wherein the other player matches the
bet, increases the bet or surrenders, wherein if the surrender
occurs the betting player wins; and wherein the player wins the
casino game by capturing a king chess piece and a queen chess piece
of the opponent, and the winning player wins an amount of the
pot.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising an entity associated
with the casino that sponsors the casino game, and wherein the
entity that sponsors the casino game keeps ten percent of the pot
and the winner keeps a remainder of the pot.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cards include a chess piece
indicia, wherein the chess piece indicia comprises at least one of
an image, a symbol, or text of a king, a queen, a bishop, a rook, a
knight, and a pawn, wherein the chess piece indicia identifies only
one piece per card.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein five cards are dealt to the first
player and the second player.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cards are dealt
face down to the respective player only, and wherein the chess
piece indicia on the card is hidden from the opponent.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the player that wins the casino
game stays on to play a third player in a new game.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising betting an ante amount
at the start of the game, and placing the ante amount into the
pot.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing with a
wildcard in the plurality of cards, and wherein the wildcard
denotes (i) freely moving any chess piece legally on the board that
has not been captured in an unrestricted manner consistent with the
traditional rules of chess or (ii) reclaiming a captured chess
piece.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the bet is a fixed betting amount
per round, and wherein the bet occurs only when a predetermined
card of the plurality of cards is played, and further comprising
optionally betting double the single fixed bet amount when the
wildcard is played.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of cards include a
discharge pile, and wherein after at least one card is played
placing the played card in the discharge pile; and wherein in the
event that all of the cards of the plurality of cards have been
played then further comprising reshuffling the plurality of cards
in the discharge pile and drawing from the reshuffled plurality of
cards; and wherein at a commencement of the casino game the
plurality of cards originate from at least two decks of cards.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one player is a casino
dealer.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein in a stalemate situation wherein
neither the first nor the second player wins the casino game, then
further comprising replaying the game in a second game with the pot
awarded to the winner of the second game.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the betting amount includes no
limit.
14. The method of claim 7, wherein each player bets a predetermined
amount and wherein the predetermined amount is the same as an
amount bet during an ante bet.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein if five cards are dealt to each
of the players, each of the five cards comprising one chess piece
indicia on the respective card, the chess piece indicia including
the text or image or symbol relating to a first through fifth chess
piece, wherein then the first or the second player can only move
those chess pieces identified by the card and no other piece per
turn, and after moving the piece, the player discharging the card
receives a new card from the plurality of cards to move a new piece
in a next turn.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first or the second player
moves a chess piece to be close to a second opponent's piece to
capture the second opponent chess piece according to the
traditional rules of chess, wherein the first or the second player
is unable to take the chess piece because the player does not have
the card to move the chess piece to capture the second opponent
chess piece, wherein the first or the second player bluffs the
opponent into moving the second opponent chess piece to avoid
capture.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying
advertising on at least one of the board and on the cards, wherein
the advertising is associated with the casino.
18. A casino game, comprising: a board: a plurality of chess pieces
on the board; a plurality of cards with at least one of the
plurality of cards including a chess piece indicia on the
respective card; dealing the cards to the first player; dealing the
cards to the second player; betting an ante bet into a pot for each
player; alternating moving a chess piece on the board based on the
card selected by the first and the second player according to a
traditional set of rules of chess, wherein a second piece cannot be
moved that is not described as the chess piece on the card; betting
when drawing at least one card and placing funds into the pot;
wherein the other player matches the bet, increases the bet or
surrenders, wherein if the surrender occurs the betting player
wins; and wherein the player wins the casino game by capturing a
king chess piece and a queen chess piece of the opponent, and the
winning player wins an amount of the pot.
19. The casino game of claim 18, wherein the chess piece indicia
comprises at least one of an image, a symbol, or text, and wherein
the chess piece indicia comprises indicia of a pawn, a rook, a
bishop, a knight, a king and a queen, the indicia being described
on the plurality of cards with one indicia per card.
20. A casino game, comprising: a computing device comprising a
controller for executing program instructions, a memory storing
program instructions, a bus connected to the controller and the
memory, a display device connected to the bus, and an input device
connected to the bus; the computing device further comprising a
device for accepting payment of funds to wager bets; the display
device displaying a chess board and a plurality of chess pieces
displayed on the board, the display device further displaying a
plurality of cards with at least one of the plurality of cards
including a chess piece indicia on the respective card; the display
device displaying dealing the cards to a first player and dealing
the cards to the second player, wherein the second player is
optionally a computer player; the first player depositing funds
into the device and using the input device to bet an ante bet into
a pot; alternating moving a chess piece on the board based on the
card selected by the first and the second player according to a
traditional set of rules of chess, wherein a second piece cannot be
moved that is not described as the chess piece on the card; betting
when drawing at least one card and placing funds into the pot;
wherein the other player matches the bet, increases the bet or
surrenders, wherein if the surrender occurs the betting player
wins; and wherein the player wins the casino game by capturing a
king chess piece and a queen chess piece of the opponent, and the
winning player wins an amount of the pot.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
[0001] The instant patent application claims priority to U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/325,393 entitled "Casino
Chess Game" having a filing date of Apr. 19, 2010, which is herein
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present disclosure is directed to a chess game for a
casino. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to an
unpredictable chess game that introduces wagering and increases the
speed of the game to make chess more suitable for a casino.
BACKGROUND OF THE RELATED ART
[0003] United States Published Patent Application No. 2007/0126179
to Esserman et al., (hereinafter "Esserman"), which is incorporated
by reference in its entirety discloses a chess game that introduces
wagering. The game of Esserman et al. may be won by checkmate,
making a bet that is not matched or by other reasons. In the
Esserman et al. game, the players make an ante bet. After the ante,
the players are only given a number of pieces and those pieces are
placed on the board while other pieces of the board are left
vacant. Thereafter, the player may place a bet on their perceived
strength. During each move, a player can bet an incremental amount
per move, or in a no limit variation, the player may bet a large
amount. The game continues until such time as the opponent is
checkmated or until such time as the player surrenders as the bet
is too high. A player may be accorded with a chance arrangement.
For example, only certain chess pieces may be placed on the board
in a distribution while certain other spaces may be blocked off.
This distribution may favor one player over the opponent. Esserman
et al. is disfavored as the game restricts the chess game to a
large extent. A player having only a few pieces on the board would
not be motivated to play and bet since the outcome may be very
limiting and bleak since a full complement of chess pieces is not
present.
[0004] United States Published Patent Application No. 2008/0116636
to McCray (hereinafter "McCray") discloses a casino chess game,
which is also incorporated by reference in its entirety. The game
includes a board, and two sets of pieces, which are engraved on
poker chips that reflect the conventional chess pieces. Each of the
pieces in the game may include a numerical score as shown in FIG.
4. A player may capture piece by piece of the opponent's pieces and
receive numerical points. When the player checkmates the opponent,
then the remaining pieces are tallied as well into the player's
total. In one embodiment, each of the pieces may reflect a dollar
amount and the player would win that amount in dollars.
[0005] United States Published Patent Application No. 2009/0020949
to Arias is also incorporated by reference in its entirety and
discloses a dual card game with a chess game that is similar to
"Texas Hold 'Em Poker". In a first embodiment, there is a
conventional chess board and chess pieces. The game also has cards,
and the cards are played in a game that is similar to a rock,
paper, and scissors game. In a second embodiment, there are regular
conventional playing cards that are disposed on the chess board.
Essentially, when playing there is a challenge board, and to
capture a piece in an opponent's territory, once must also win the
challenge measured from the value of two cards one of which is
arranged on the board. In a different embodiment, the participant
may also play chess and a poker game at the same time.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 7,296,798 to Overfield is also incorporated by
reference and discloses a modified chess game that also includes a
set of cards. The chess pieces can be played and when a piece
attacks another piece, the chess piece is not automatically awarded
to the winner. Instead, a card game is commenced, and the winner of
the card game is then awarded the piece.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,719,289 to Brown also incorporated by
reference in its entirety and discloses a chess like game whereby
cards are dealt in addition to the chess pieces that are disposed
on a board. The cards that are dealt dictate the manner in which a
chess piece is moved.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,159 to Fortunato et al. also
incorporated by reference in its entirety and discloses a chess
like game whereby a dice is rolled that determines the chess piece
that can be moved. Additionally, the chess game can be played for a
money pot. For example, a dice rolls a two and a three count. This
is meant that the chess piece on the two, three or five location on
the board can be moved.
[0009] All of the above patents and published patent applications
are not well suited to a casino game whereby a long drawn out
traditional chess match is too long of a game in duration for a
casino. Moreover, the rules and strategy involved for a casino game
make the chess game very difficult for a layman to play. However,
the game chess is truly loved the world over, popular and a chess
game that is fast and more suited to a betting environment would be
highly desired and would be highly profitable to a casino and would
attract gamblers. Further, the above games do not integrate betting
into the games that is satisfying for a player in a casino. These
attributes are corrected by the instant disclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] There is a need in the art for a casino game that is
unpredictable. There is a need in the art for a casino game that
integrates chess and wagering and that will draw new players into a
casino. There is also a need for an exciting game that involves
strategy and that involves skill, which is exciting and faster to
play than a full game of traditional chess.
[0011] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there
is provided a method of playing a casino game. The method comprises
providing a board and providing a plurality of chess pieces on a
board. Cards are provided with at least one of the plurality of
cards including chess piece indicia on the respective card. Cards
are selected for a first player and dealt to the first player.
Cards are selected for a second player and dealt to the second
player.
[0012] The casino game includes alternating moving a chess piece on
the board based on the card by the first and the second player
according to a traditional set of rules of chess. A second piece
cannot be moved that is not described as the chess piece on the
card. The casino game involves betting when drawing at least one
card and the other player can match the bet, can increase the bet,
or may surrender. If the surrender occurs the betting player wins
the casino game. The betting forms a pot and a player can win the
casino game by capturing a king chess piece and a queen chess piece
of the opponent whereby the winning player wins an amount of the
pot.
[0013] In yet another aspect of the present disclosure there is
provided a casino game. The casino game comprises a board and a
plurality of chess pieces on the board. The game also has a
plurality of cards with at least one of the plurality of cards
including chess piece indicia on the respective card. The casino
game includes dealing the cards to the first player and dealing the
cards to the second player and betting an ante bet into a pot for
each player. The casino game involves alternating moving a chess
piece on the board based on the card selected by the first and the
second player according to a traditional set of rules of chess,
wherein a second piece cannot be moved that is not described as the
chess piece on the card.
[0014] Betting occurs when drawing at least one card and placing
funds into the pot. The other player may then match the bet,
increase the bet or surrender, wherein if the surrender occurs the
betting player wins. The player wins the casino game by capturing a
king chess piece and a queen chess piece of the opponent, and the
winning player wins an amount of the pot.
[0015] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is
provided a casino game, comprising a computing device. The
computing device has a controller for executing program
instructions, a memory storing program instructions, a bus
connected to the controller and the memory, and a display device.
The display device is connected to the bus. The computing device
also includes an input device connected to the bus. The computing
device further includes a device for accepting payment of funds to
wager bets. The display device displays a chess board and displays
a plurality of chess pieces on the board. The display device
further displays a plurality of cards with at least one of the
plurality of cards including chess piece indicia on the respective
card. The display device displays dealing the cards to a first
player. The display device shows dealing the cards to the second
player. The second player is optionally a computer player or an
individual.
[0016] The first player uses the input device to bet an ante bet
into a pot. The first player and the second player use the input
device and alternate moving a chess piece on the board based on the
card selected by the first and the second player according to a
traditional set of rules of chess. A second piece cannot be moved
that is not described as the chess piece on the card. The first
player or the second player controls the input device to bet when
drawing at least one card. The bet funds are displayed and are
placed into the pot. The other player controlling the input device
has options to match the bet, increase the bet or to surrender. If
the surrender occurs the betting player wins. The first player or
the second player wins the casino game by capturing a king chess
piece and a queen chess piece of the opponent. The winner receives
an amount of the pot.
[0017] According to another aspect of the present disclosure there
is provided a method of playing a game, comprising providing a
board and providing a plurality of chess pieces on a board. The
method includes providing a plurality of cards with at least one of
the plurality of cards including chess piece indicia on the
respective card. The method includes selecting a plurality of cards
for a first player and dealing the cards to the first player. The
method also includes selecting a plurality of cards for a second
player and dealing the cards to the second player. The method
includes alternating moving a chess piece on the board based on the
card by the first and the second player according to a traditional
set of rules of chess. A second piece cannot be moved that is not
described as the chess piece on the card. The player wins the game
by capturing a king chess piece and a queen chess piece of the
opponent.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0018] The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of
the invention will be apparent from the following more particular
description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference
characters refer to the same parts throughout different views. The
drawings are not meant to limit the invention to particular
mechanisms for carrying out the invention in practice, but rather,
the drawings are illustrative of certain ways of performing the
invention. Others will be readily apparent to those skilled in the
art.
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the casino chess game for
two players and a casino dealer;
[0020] FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of a first player having
five cards whereby the player can only move a chess piece in the
traditional manner described on the card and is restricted from
moving other chess pieces not described on the card;
[0021] FIG. 2B shows a front view of a hand of five cards for
playing the casino chess game;
[0022] FIG. 3 shows a pot having a number of betting chips and a
discard pile with a number of cards that the first or second player
has played indicating movement of a chess piece;
[0023] FIG. 4 shows a first and a second deck of cards for dealing
out the first through fifth cards to the first and the second
player;
[0024] FIG. 5 shows an arrangement of the casino chess game of FIG.
1, whereby a single dealer may be shared among three tables each
having a first and a second player;
[0025] FIGS. 6-7 shows a number of chess pieces whereby the chess
piece is on a single card to denote that the respective player may
move that chess piece and is restricted from moving other chess
pieces;
[0026] FIG. 8 shows a general purpose computer to play the casino
chess game with a device for receiving funds for wagering; and
[0027] FIG. 9 shows an enlarged view of the chess pieces arranged
on the chess board with a hand of cards in a computer implemented
format of the casino game.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] Turning to FIG. 1 there is shown a casino game 10. The
casino game 10 includes a chess board 12, a number of playing cards
(preferably two decks) with a first deck 14 and a second deck 16.
Each card of the two decks 14 and 16 includes a figure of a chess
piece on the card or some other chess piece indicia. The casino
game 10 also includes chips 18 for betting. The chips 18 may
include dollar chips, five dollar chips, ten dollar chips, twenty
dollar chips, fifty dollar chips, hundred dollar chips and higher
denominations. The casino game 10 may involve at least two players,
or a first player 20 and a second player 22 that play on a table 24
or in an alternative embodiment a single player 20 may play the
casino game 10 against a dealer 26. The players 20 and 22 may play
against each other in a preferred embodiment or in a different
embodiment; the first player 20 may play against the dealer 26.
[0029] Preferably, the chess board 12 is supported on the table 24
and includes a number of pieces generally shown as reference
numeral 12a and 12b for each player 20 and 22. Preferably, the
chess board 12 includes a number of (eight) pawns, two rooks, two
knights, two bishops, a king and a queen (collectively shown as
reference numeral 12a) for the first player 20. Additionally, the
chess board 12 includes eight pawns, two rooks, two knights, two
bishops, a king and a queen (collectively shown as reference
numeral 12b) for the second player 22 (or alternatively for the
dealer 26 in another embodiment where the dealer 26 plays against
the first player 20). The pieces 12a and 12b are preferably moved
according to the traditional rules of chess with certain exceptions
described below to increase the excitement, the unpredictability
and speed of the game for a casino environment. The official rules
of chess are maintained by the World Chess Federation and are
described in the FIDE (Federation Internationale des Echecs)
Handbook, section Laws of Chess, which is incorporated by reference
in its entirety.
[0030] The player for each side 20 and 22 initially may change
paper money for a number of chips in certain denominations. The
player for each side 20 and 22 is dealt five individual cards shown
as "a hand" by reference numeral 28 and 30 "face down" so the five
individual cards cannot be seen by the opponent but are revealed to
the respective player 20 and 22. Each card of the five cards 28 and
30 includes indicia of a single chess piece on the card (for
example, a hand 28 may include one card having a pawn, one card
having a pawn, a third card having a rook, a fourth card having a
bishop and a fifth card having a queen). Various different hands of
five cards 28 and 30 may be formed and this is just one
non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure. These hands of
cards 28 and 30 correspond to a single chess piece 12a and 12b that
a player 20 and 22 may move during a turn. The other pieces 12a and
12b not described on the five cards of the hand 28 and 30 are
restricted from being moved. This allows a player 20 and 22 to use
a riskier strategy and promotes unpredictability and competition
during the game.
[0031] Turning now to FIG. 2A, there is shown a view from the
perspective of the second player 22 where the second player 22 has
a hand 30 of five cards 32 through 40 with each card 32-40 denoting
a single chess piece indicia on the card, which may be an image, a
figure of a chess piece, text describing the chess piece or the
like. Various configurations are possible of indicia and within the
scope of the present disclosure; for example, a King may be denoted
by a single letter "K" or the like. At the start of the casino
chess game 10, the players 20 and 22 or the dealer 26 decide the
ante amount (i.e., one dollar, five dollars, etc.). Various tables
may have different ante amounts, for example in the casino, one
table 24 may have a one dollar ante while another may have a higher
ante bet such as twenty dollars. Various configurations are
possible and within the scope of the present disclosure. The ante
amount is then placed in the pot 42 for each player 20 and 22. For
example, the pot 42 can include ten dollars placed in by the first
player 20 and ten dollars placed in by the second player 22 for a
total of twenty dollars placed in the pot 42. If the ante was one
hundred dollars, then the pot 42 would be two hundred dollars
total.
[0032] Turning now to FIG. 2B, there is shown a different hand 28
for a first player 20. As can be seen, the first player 20 includes
five cards as well hidden from view from the opponent 22 of FIG.
2A. The five cards may include a first through fifth cards 32a-40a
with each including chess piece indicia (44, 46 and 48) on the
respective card. The indicia may take various forms and be
sufficient to communicate the identity of a single chess piece to
the player 20 and 22 and dealer 26. The indicia can be a symbol of
a chess piece 48, a picture of the chess piece 44, a single letter
or character or text 46 that denotes the chess piece, i.e.,
"KNIGHT". As can be seen by FIG. 2B, the first player 20 includes a
hand 28 that has a bishop 32a, a rook 34a, a queen 36a, a joker or
wildcard 38a (which denotes being able to move any chess piece
legally on the chess board as described below, or which denotes
being able to reclaim a piece), and a knight 40a. It should be
appreciated that the first player 20 cannot move other chess pieces
12a on the board 12 and is restricted from doing so, unless the
first player 20 has the chess piece 12a described on the card
32a-40a or unless the first player 20 plays the wildcard 38a. For
example, the first player 20 may not move a pawn as the pawn is not
described on any of the cards 32a-40a in the hand 28 shown in FIG.
2B unless the first player 20 plays the wildcard 38a.
[0033] Thus, the player 20 may have the choice of moving one of the
five cards 32a-40a and is limited to being able to move only the
chess pieces described in the hand 28 of five cards 32a-40a. After
the ante bet, the player 20 playing the white chess pieces 12a
moves first, and then after the move, the second player 22 moves
and then the players alternate moves. All of the moves follow
generally the traditional strategy for moving the pieces.
[0034] Turning now to FIG. 3, there is shown a close up view of the
pot 42 and the discard piles 44 and 46, which are on the table 24.
Once a card is played by the first or the second player 20 and 22
and is shown, then a desired chess piece 12a and 12b may be moved
on the chess board 12 and the card that was just used is then
discarded into the pile 44 or 46. For example, the first player 20
may show a pawn card, then move a pawn one space or two spaces on
the chess board 12 and then discard the pawn card into the pile 46.
Thereafter, after each move, the first player 20 always has five
cards in the hand 28 to choose from and is dealt another card to
replace the card that was just played from the deck 14 by the
dealer 26. The chess piece 12a described on the card moves exactly
in the same manner as under a traditional game of chess so the
first player 22 may make strategic moves. However, at the same time
the first player 20 does not know what cards 32-40 the second
player 22 has in the hand 30, therefore the first player 20 does
not know what the opponent 22 can or cannot move and vice versa.
Therefore, the players 20 and 22 may take more chances than a
traditional game of chess.
[0035] First and the second decks 14 and 16 shown in FIG. 3 include
one hundred cards (or two decks of fifty cards per first and second
player 20 and 22). Each deck 14 and 16 includes 100 hundred cards
or 4 jester or wildcards cards, 6 king cards, 6 queen cards, 12
bishop cards, 12 knight cards, 12 rook cards, and 48 pawn cards.
The decks 14 and 16 are shuffled thoroughly by hand or by a machine
like SHUFFLEMASTER I-SHOE AUTO.COPYRGT. of Shuffle Master, Inc. of
Las Vegas, Nev. or the like. In another embodiment, the decks 14
and 16 may include fifty cards. In yet another embodiment, if the
decks 14 and 16 are exhausted, then the cards in the discard piles
44 and 46 are reshuffled and then used. In a further embodiment,
the reverse side of each card may include advertising indicia or
the name of the casino or the like.
[0036] For example, the bishop card 32a shown in FIG. 2B may be
played and then the corresponding piece 12a may be moved into a
threatening position by the first player 20 to capture an
opponent's 22 piece (for example, to capture a knight chess piece
on the board 12). However, the first player 20 may or may not have
a wild card or a second bishop piece card to capture the knight
piece. The opponent 22 may then panic and waste a knight card and
play the knight card to move the knight piece from danger.
Alternatively, the opponent 22 may use another card to move close
to capture the first player's 20 attacking bishop piece to call the
first player's 20 bluff. This leads to an enhanced level of playing
and strategy that is not found in the prior art and leads to
increase drama and skill to win the game. Although one player 20 or
22 may be a better chess player in a mechanical sense, the opponent
may be a better bluffer or a better wager and this leads to
enhanced competition, which is attractive.
[0037] Turning now to FIG. 4, generally in one embodiment, the
amount of the ante bet for the table becomes a standard betting
amount for the table. In another embodiment, the standard better
amount may be different than the ante bet. For example, if the ante
bet is ten dollars then the standard bet is ten dollars per player
20 and 22 for the remainder of the game. As play progresses, when
the king card, or queen card, or jester (wildcard) card is played
by either player 20 and 22, a second bet may be made which is equal
to the standard bet. For example, if the queen card is played by
the second player 22 from the hand 30 (by placing the card in the
discard pile 44) then the second player 22 may optionally bet the
standard bet, or in this example, ten dollars, which is placed in
the pot 42. The standard bet can be announced to the opponent 20
and then the amount is pushed into the pot 42, whereby the opponent
20 must match the amount of the standard bet, which is pushed into
the pot 42 and then the queen chess piece is moved in a traditional
manner by the second player 22. Then, another new card is dealt to
the second player 22 by the dealer 26 to replace the discarded
queen chess card from the deck 16.
[0038] The betting player may count up their betting cards and they
may bet up to the number of betting cards played. For example, if
two king cards and three queen cards for a total of five cards are
in a hand 28 or 30 held by the first or the second player 20 and
22, then the player may bet up to $50 on that play total or the
standard bet multiplied by five cards or may not place a bet at
all.
[0039] If the jester card or wildcard 38a shown in FIG. 2B is
played, then the betting amount can be double the amount of betting
cards played. For example, if the first player 20 places a wildcard
38a down to move any chess piece on the board then double the
standard amount may be wagered or twenty dollars (two times the
standard bet). The opponent 22 may match the bet of the first
player 22, may raise the bet, or may surrender which ends the game
and the winner 20 may take the pot 42 shown in FIG. 4. At any time,
the opponent 22 may surrender at the beginning of their turn (as
they may feel they may lose or want out of the game as the pot 42
has become too rich) and the first player 20 wins the game and
takes the pot 42 shown in FIG. 4.
[0040] Once the casino game 10 progresses, a player 20 or 22 may
find that the five cards that the player 20 or 22 holds correspond
to chess pieces 12a or 12b that the player cannot move. For that
turn, a player 20 or 22 may pass, or discard a useless card and
forfeit a turn and receive a new card from the deck 14 and 16. This
may be accomplished as a form of strategy to force an opponent to
move again or to build a stronger hand of cards. A card cannot be
discarded as a pass card if that card can successfully move a chess
piece 12a and 12b. Castling also may be accomplished by playing a
king card by the first or second player 20 and 22.
[0041] Pieces may also be reclaimed by a pawn reaching a back row
whereby the pawn is traded for a previously captured piece. Pieces
may also be reclaimed by playing the jester or wildcard 38a. When
reclaiming with the jester or wildcard 38a, the rook, the knight or
the bishop piece must be placed on one of the two squares it
occupied at the start of the game. If the square is occupied, then
the reclaimed piece cannot be placed on the original location and
the player 20 or 22 must wait until the appropriate square is
available. The king and the queen piece may be reclaimed and placed
at the original starting position, if vacant, however if an
opponent's piece is located on the king or queen's original
location on the chess board 12, then it cannot be reclaimed until
such time as the original location becomes available. However, in
the event that a player's 20 and 22 own piece occupies the king or
queen's original space, then by playing the wildcard or joker 38a a
king or a queen may be reclaimed and placed on the back row of the
player's side. A pawn may not be reclaimed.
[0042] Otherwise, the game 10 continues until both the king chess
piece and the queen chess piece are captured by the opponent. The
game is modified slightly as there is no "check" move or
"checkmate", as both the king and the queen chess piece 12a, 12b
must be captured to win and the king chess piece may be moved into
danger. For example, a player 20 may capture opponent's 22 king and
lose (which never happens in traditional chess) since the opponent
22 may capture the player's 20 king then queen chess piece. In the
event of a stalemate, then the game 10 can be played over again.
The players 20 and 22 have the option of receiving their money back
in a stalemate or play the casino game 10 in a "let it ride" format
whereby the money is left in the pot 42 and is joined with the new
ante and new standard bets (which are added into the previous pot
42). Generally, the house or dealer 26 can receive ten percent of
the winnings; while the winner stays on to play a new challenger.
In yet another less preferable embodiment, the casino chess game 10
may be won by only capturing an opponent's king chess piece.
[0043] Turning now to FIG. 5, as shown the chess pieces 12a and 12b
are set up in a traditional manner with the black queen on the
black square and the white queen on the white square and the dealer
26 may service a second table 10a with two players and a third
table 10b with two players with a similar format to that described
in FIG. 1.
[0044] Turning now to FIG. 6-7, there is shown a close up view of
respective chess pieces 12a and 12b including a queen piece 48, a
king piece 50, two bishop pieces 52 and 54, a pawn piece 56, a
knight piece 58, and a rook piece 60. Various configurations are
possible for the chess pieces 12a, 12b and different shapes are
within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0045] Turning now to FIG. 8-9, there is shown a general purpose
computer 62 to be used with certain aspects of the casino chess
game 10 and method of the present disclosure. It should be
appreciated that the present casino chess game 10 is not limited to
a physical game and may be played on a slot type machine or on a
mobile computer device, or using a general purpose computer at the
home or office. The present disclosure may be implemented on a
computer system 62. The computer system 62 preferably includes the
generic components of most general purpose computers.
[0046] The computer system 62 comprises an interconnection
mechanism, such as a bus 66, or circuitry which couples to an input
device 68, such as a keyboard or touch screen interface. The system
62 also has a processor 64 (such as a microprocessor having an
arithmetic logic unit, a register and a control unit). The computer
62 also includes a storage device or memory 74 (such as a computer
disk for a main memory and secondary storage) and an optional
output device such as a monitor or screen 72. Generally, the bus 66
may be connected to a network 76 or the internet. In this manner,
the device 62 also includes a device for accepting funds 70 for
wagering. Device 70 may be a coin slot, a device for accepting
bills, or a card reader for accepting electronic funds. Device 70
is optional and the system 62 may be programmed to allocate certain
credits to the player 20 and 22 whereby the funds area paid to a
different entity. Device 70 preferably sends a signal to the
processor 62 upon receiving funds. FIG. 9 shows a number of chess
pieces 12a arranged on a board 10 with cards 32-40 that are all
output via the display 72 whereby the player 20 may play against
the computer or may play against a second player according to the
rules using the input device 68 described above.
[0047] Generally, in operation, the computer system operable with
that method shown in FIGS. 8-9 is controlled by an operating
system. Typical examples of operating systems are MS-DOS,
Windows95, 98, 2000, XP, Vista and Windows 7 from Microsoft
Corporation, or Solaris and SunOS from Sun Microsystems, Inc., UNIX
based operating systems, LINUX based operating systems, or the
Apple OSX from Apple Corporation. As the computer system operates,
input such as input search data, database record data, programs and
commands, received from users or other processing systems, are
stored on storage device. Certain commands cause the processor to
retrieve and execute the stored programs. The programs executing on
the processor may obtain more data from the same or a different
input device, such as a network connection. The programs may also
access data in a database for example, and commands and other input
data may cause the processor to index, search and perform other
operations on the database in relation to other input data. Data
may be generated which is sent to the output device for display to
the user or for transmission to another computer system or device.
Typical examples of the computer system are personal computers and
workstations, hand-held computers, dedicated computers designed for
a specific purpose, and large main frame computers suited for use
many users. The present invention is not limited to being
implemented on any specific type of computer system or data
processing device.
[0048] It is noted that the present invention may also be
implemented in hardware or circuitry which embodies the logic and
processing disclosed herein, or alternatively, the present
invention may be implemented in software in the form of a computer
program stored on a computer readable medium such as a storage
device. In the later case, the present invention in the form of
computer program logic and executable instructions is read and
executed by the processor and instructs the computer system to
perform the functionality disclosed as the invention herein. If the
present invention is embodied as a computer program, the computer
program logic is not limited to being implemented in any specific
programming language. For example, commonly used programming
languages such as C, C++, JAVA as well as others may be used to
implement the logic and functionality of the present invention.
Furthermore, the subject matter of the present invention is not
limited to currently existing computer processing devices or
programming languages, but rather, is meant to be able to be
implemented in many different types of environments in both
hardware and software.
[0049] Furthermore, combinations of embodiments of the invention
may be divided into specific functions and implemented on different
individual computer processing devices and systems which may be
interconnected to communicate and interact with each other.
Dividing up the functionality of the invention between several
different computers is meant to be covered within the scope of the
invention.
[0050] While this invention has been particularly shown and
described with references to a preferred embodiment thereof, it
will be understood by those skilled in the art that is made therein
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as
defined by the following claims.
* * * * *