The purpose of the patent is to prevent a company like Hasbro from releasing their own Gothic Chess board game that we invented, not charge a user, like yourself, a fee for playing.

Gothic Chess "looks easy" to have invented, after the fact. I challenge you to come up with another 80-square arrangement where:

1. All pawns are defended in the starting configuration.
2. Many themes from chess still apply (castling, Inidian formations, fianchettoed Bishops).
3. The game is playable (no mates in 2, as in Bird's Chess)
4. It does not already exist.

It is interesting that nobody thinks there is anything wrong with Milton Bradley patenting a game like Stratego. It really is the same thing.

Can Microsoft make a software version of Stratego? Not without paying a licensing fee.

That's all. Anyone wants to distribute the game, they pay a licensing fee.

By the way, the European Patent has been finialized, so, yes, Germany has allowed it, via their proxy vote from London.

Gothic Chess has already "survived" two court victories, so perhaps before you make such statements, you should do some research.

It just shows how little respect people have for attorneys, since everyone offers their own opinion of "the law" and "what is right".

I can't see you doing the same thing is a surgeon was about to cut you open to save your life. Would you tell them "the way it should be?"