1908 · (Public Domain)
The American Game of Business is played on a board that is convertible from an 8x8 grid of checkered squares to an 8x10 grid of the same. There are two built-in flaps on either side that can cover up one row each, making the board 8x8, or can be opened up, resulting in an 8x10 board. Two lines through the board divide it into four quadrants.
Two players each have a variety of pieces in their own color. For the basic 8x8 game, starting positions are very similar to Chess, but with differently named pieces, including Workers, Merchants/Banking, Labor/Transportation, Agriculture/Manufacturing, Capital, and Government. Government is essentially the King piece, and to win the game, the opponent's Government piece must be “cornered,” that is, prevented from moving. The movements and capturing for the game's pieces however do not correspond exactly to those of Chess, and in some cases are governed by the four quadrants of the board. In the 8x10 game, extra Workers are placed on either side in the additional rows, as well as new Government Commission/Corporation pieces.
The game was meant to be manufactured with a cover that would rest on the flaps and the board's outer rim and seal it up with pieces inside for easy storage.
