2009
A 13×13 variant of Chinese chess, originally invented by artist and designer Chen Wei in 1987, then redeveloped and awarded a design patent in 2009. Each player has 12 pieces corresponding to the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.
Each piece moves in a different way, appropriate to the type of animal, for example, the snake moves in an S-shape. The object of the game is to checkmate the dragon, which is the equivalent to the king or general in Chinese chess.
The name given to this game in Chinese is "中国棋" which literally means "Chinese chess". (The game known in English as Chinese chess is called "象棋", "elephant chess", in Chinese.)
The gameboard for Chinese Zodiac chess is the subject of Chinese utility model patents CN303396390S, CN301049385 and CN87300760.
