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Select Game Rules

Mancala

Object of the game: Collect the most pieces by the end of the game.

Setting up: Players sit facing each other with the board between them. Each player is allocated the row of small pockets closest to him and a larger scoring bin (called the mancala) to his right. Place four stones into each of the twelve pockets. Decide which player goes first.

Playing: The first player picks up all the stones in any of his six pockets. He then starts to sow them by placing one stone in each bin to the right (counterclockwise) around the board, including his own mancala but not his opponent's mancala. If the last stone is place in his own mancala, he takes another turn. If the last stone is placed in an empty pocket on his side of the board, he captures all the stones in his opponent's pocket directly across from that pocket. All stones plus the capturing stone get placed in his mancala. Players may not touch the stones in a pocket in order to count them. Once a player touches the stones, he must play them.

Winning: The game ends when one of the players runs out of stones on his side of the board. When this happens, the other player gets to place any stones left in his pockets into his mancala. (Thus, it is not always better to be the first player to go out.) The winning players is the one with the most stones in his mancala.

Variation - Wari: Players take turns taking all the beads from a cup on their side of the board, and placing them, one bead per cup, counterclockwise around the board. No beads are placed in the large cups. If you go all the way around the board, you skip the cup you started from (so the cup you start from will always be empty at the end of your turn). If the last bead placed is on your opponent's side of the board and there are now 2 or 3 beads in that cup, then those beads are captured and placed in your scoring cup. Also, the beads of an unbroken sequence of 2's and 3's on the opponent's side of the board immediately preceding the captured cup are also captured. Once you finish placing the beads and removing captured ones (if any), play passes. The first person to capture 25 or more beads wins.

History: Mancala is a truly ancient counting game which originated in either Africa or the Middle East. Boards were found dating at least as far back as 1400 BC and Mancala-type boards were found dating back to around 3000 BC. It is found, in one version or another, throughout Asia and Africa. It was brought to the New World where it evolved into even more forms. Although played by all ages, it was taken very seriously, as mastery of the game was a great source of pride.

Alquerques

Object: Capture your opponent's pieces.

Setting up: Each player places one of his pieces at each point of intersection of the lines, including the corners, for two rows. The last two pieces are placed at the intersections closest to each player's right. Only the very center position of the board has no piece on it.

Playing: White moves first. Each player moves his pieces along the lines from one intersection to the next, including backwards. Captures are made by jumping over an opponent's piece to an empty position beyond it. Multiples jumps are not only allowed, they are mandatory if possible. If a player does not make a capture, or makes only a short jump when a multiple jump was possible, his opponent may point out the potential capture then remove his opponent's piece which should have made the capture. (This was called a huff.) Players must make the longest capture possible at any time.

Winning: The game ends when one side is eliminated from the board.

Variations:

• using a quadruple alquerques board, play with forty men per side
• once a piece reaches the back line, it may move like a modern chess rook or bishop, sliding along a line until it reaches an opposing piece (which it may jump)
• remove the huff penalty (it plays much more like regular checkers this way, though)

History: Alquerques, the ancestor of our modern checkers (or draughts), is one of the oldest known games. Boards have been found dating back to around 1400 BC, with an incorrectly marked board found carved into a stone roofing slab at a temple at Kurna, Egypt. The Arabs introduced the game to Europe and the earliest known set of rules was found in the Libro de Juegos (Book of Games) published in 1283 AD. The name derives from the Spanish pronunciation of the Moorish name, el-Quirkat. By transferring the game onto a chess board, it eventually evolved into checkers.

Backgammon

Object: Move your pieces according to the throw of two dice into your inner table then remove them from the board before your opponent can remove all of his pieces.

Setting up: Each player has 15 men, a dice cup and a pair of dice. See back for arrangement of pieces to start. The board is divided into four tables with each player having an "Inner" and "Outer" table. Each table has six points. The dividing space of the two tables is called the "Bar."

Playing: Players cast a single die to determine who moves first. White moves his men, according to the throw of his dice, from his opponent's inner table to the far side of the board, across his own outer table and into his inner table. Black moves in the opposite direction. Any point on which two or more men rest is called a blocked point and a player cannot stop on a point blocked by his opponent. Any single man resting on a point is called a blot. If a player lands on his opponent's blot, that piece is sent to the bar. Moving: A man is played when moved the correct number of points, according to the dice thrown. Numbers on both dice must be played if possible. The same men may be moved for both numbers, but the two numbers cannot be added and played as one move. Two different men may be moved. There is no limit to the number of men of the same player on a point. Blocked points may be jumped by an opponent but that opponent cannot rest a man on a blocked point. When a player cannot move because of a blocked point, he loses the move. Doubles may be moved by four men, two men, or one man four times. If a player lands a man on an opponent's blot (a single man on a point) he sends his opponent's man to the Bar. The man on the Bar must re-enter in his opponent's Inner table before that player can make any other moves. He cannot re-enter on a blocked point. Once a player moves all his pieces into his Inner table, he may begin bearing off. Bearing off: When either player gets all of his men in his Inner table, he starts to throw off men (i.e. remove them from the board) from points corresponding to the dice thrown. A player can either move a man the number on a die or throw off. When casting a number higher than any point covered, a player can throw off a man from the highest point, but he cannot throw off a man if the point indicated is vacant and there is any man on a higher number point. (Remember, if a blot is hit by an opponent, even while bearing off, that man must move to the Bar and start over again.)

Winning: The first player to throw off (remove from the board) all of his men wins.

Variation - Nard: Nard is essentially the same as the modern game of backgammon but without the use of the doubling cube or extra moves when rolling doubles.

History: Backgammon, as we know it, is a Renaissance variation of a racing game with a long, rather complex history. It is commonly believed that it is derived from the ancient game Senat. The actual rules of this game are unknown, however, although game boards were found in Egypt as far back as 3000 - 1788 BC. Similar boards, and dice, dating back to about 2600 BC were found in the royal tomb at Ur al Chaldees and are known as The Royal Games of Ur. The Romans played a similar game called Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum. The Romans played their version with three dice but as the game spread eastward it began to be played with only two dice. The Arabs picked up on this two-dice version (calling it by its Persian name, Nard) and eventually brought it to Europe. Many other variations of this table game arose, with different starting positions and rules for movement, but all follow the basic format of the race.

Board Set-up to Begin Play

Fox and Geese

Object: The fox attempts to remove as many geese from the board as possible by jumping over them. The geese attempt to immobilize the fox, leaving no possible moves.

Setting up: The 13 geese are arranged with one at each intersection for three rows, starting closest to that player, and the last two at the farthest side intersections in the fourth row. The fox is placed on the very center intersection.

Playing: The fox and geese take turns moving along the lines, from one intersection to the next, in any direction. To capture a goose, the fox may jump over it providing there is an empty spot on the other side. The captured goose is removed from the board. The geese cannot jump, but attempt to pen the fox, surrounding him in such a way that he has no possible moves.

Winning: The fox wins by removing enough of the geese so that it is impossible for him to be penned up. The geese win by penning the fox.

Variations:

• restricting the geese to only moving orthogonally (only on the straights, not diagonally) and adding two more geese
• restricting the geese to only moving forward and adding two more geese

History: Fox and Geese is a type of "hunt" game which is usually believed to be derived from the Scandinavian Tafl games. It is mentioned in the Icelandic Grettis Saga which was written sometime after 1300 AD. It was called Hala-tafl, "the fox game" (tafl is the Icelandic word for "game"). There are several variations with differing rules on movement and number of geese used. Each variation seemed to give greater strength to either the fox or the geese. Other countries had their own versions, too, using different animals, configurations, and movement. All, however, follow the basic format of a small number of "hunters" pitted against a larger number of "prey."

Twelve Man Morris

Object: Capture your opponent's pieces

Setting up: Players sit facing each other with the board between them. Each player has twelve men to place and move on the board. The board is empty at the start of play.

Playing: The players take turns placing one of their pieces on any unoccupied point. A point is any intersection of lines. If you can place three of your pieces in a row along any line, including diagonally, (around a corner or across the blank space in the middle do NOT count) you have formed a merelle and you may remove one of your opponent's pieces from the board. You may not remove a piece from your opponent's merelles unless you have no other choice. Any piece captured and removed from the board in this way is out of play for the rest of the game. Once both players have placed all of their pieces on the board, they take turns moving their pieces along the lines to any unoccupied point in an attempt to form new merelles. You may not skip points or jump pieces. If the next point along a line is occupied, either by you or your opponent, you are blocked from moving along that line. If you break a merelle by moving one of the pieces and then move that piece back to re-form the same merelle, it does not count as a new merelle. However, if you break a merelle by moving one of the pieces and then use that piece to form a different merelle, you may, on your next turn, move that piece back to its original merelle and you may take another piece from your opponent.

Winning: A player wins by reducing his opponent to only two men so that the opponent cannot form any merelles. Also, a player loses if he is unable to move any of his pieces during one of his turns.

Variations:

• Nine Man Morris - three fewer pieces on a board without the diagonal lines
• removing the restriction on the re-forming of new merrelles by simply moving one piece away and then immediately back; player may simply move one piece from a merelle on one turn then move it back into the same merelle on the next turn

History: Twelve Man Morris is one of many "three-in-a-row" games which were very popular during the Middle Ages. Its exact origins are uncertain but evidence suggests that it was played in ancient Egypt, the Middle East, and the Scandinavian countries. Even the name of the game has many variations reflecting its far-reaching history: Mill or Morris in English, Merelles in French, Morels in Spanish, Muhlle in German. The word "morris" is often said to be either a corruption of the original French term or of the term "Moor," the name of the Arabic people from said to have introduced the game to southern Europe. The game is well-documented in the 13th century Libro de Juegos (Book of Games).

Fanarona

Object of the game: Capture your opponent's pieces

Setting up: Fanarona is played on the intersections of a 9 X 5 grid - essentially, a double Alquerques board. Players sit facing each other with the board between them. Each player places one of his 22 pieces at each point of intersection of the lines, including the corners, for two rows. The last four pieces are placed at every other intersection, starting on each player's right, along the middle row, skipping the center intersection. Thus, only the very center position of the board has no piece on it.

Playing: Players alternate moving one of their pieces along the lines to an adjacent, vacant intersection. Captures occur on moves in one of two ways, either by approach or by withdrawal. A piece captures by approach if the intersection next to the destination in the direction of movement is occupied by an enemy piece. A piece captures by withdrawal if the intersection next to the source opposite the direction of movement is occupied by an enemy piece. In both cases, all contiguous enemy pieces along the line of movement are captured. A piece may only capture in one direction; if it could capture both ways, the player must choose which.
On a player's turn, he must move one of his pieces. He must capture pieces if he can do so, otherwise he simply moves a single piece and his turn is over. After making a capture, a player may make additional captures with the same piece as long as he is able. A piece making additional captures must change direction with each movement and may not revisit any intersections it occupied earlier that turn. Additional captures are optional and he may stop at any time. Also, multiple captures are not permitted on the first turn of either player.

Winning: The game ends when one side is eliminated from the board. If both players have pieces left but cannot force any more captures, they may agree to a draw.

History: Fanorona's ties to the game of Alquerque are obvious but pinpointing its exact history is not so easy. It is the national game of Madagascar where it is believed to have been developed in the 1600's or possibly even earlier, considering Alquerque's 3,000 year history. How important is Fanorona in Madagascar? Legend has it that an ailing King Ralambo (1575-1610) sent for his two sons to decide which should inherit the kingdom. The younger son was the first to arrive and was named heir to the throne. The elder son, however, was busy playing Fanorona and was in a tricky endgame situation, so he told his father's envoy not to disturb him.

Shut-the-Box

Object of the game: Get the lowest score by covering up the most numbers

Setting up: Each player takes his/her turn rolling the two dice and using the nine markers to cover up the various numbers on the board.

Playing: The first player starts by rolling the two dice and then placing markers on any of the numbers on the board which add up to the total of the dice. For example, if the player rolls a 3 and a 5 for a total of 8, he may choose to cover the 1, 2, and 5, or the 1, 3, and 4, or the 1 and 7, or the 2 and 6, or the 3 and 5, or the 8. Once a number is covered by a marker, it must remain covered. Each player's turn ends when the total of the dice cannot be reached by the remaining uncovered numbers.

Winning: At the end of his turn, each player adds up the uncovered numbers for his score. The player with the lowest score wins.

Variations: There are too many variations to this game to list here. A few of the more common ones include:

• allowing only the face value of the dice or their total to be covered; that is, if a 3 and 6 are rolled, the player may cover the 3 and 6 or the 9 but that's all
• after the 7, 8, and 9 are covered, the player is allowed to roll only one die
• upon throwing doubles, the player gets another turn
• boards with numbers up to 12, rather than just 9

History: The exact history of Shut-the-Box is unknown. Many game historians claim that it dates back to around the 12th century, originating in northern France. It is said that it was a very popular game among sailors who loved gambling on it. Indeed, in more recent centuries, Shut-the-Box was a common pub game on which a good deal of coin was won and lost. (Some people still use coins as the markers - as well as the wager!) The name refers to the traditional board on which the game was played: a wooden box with shutters which flip over to cover (or reveal) the numbers.