Merels or Nine Men's Morris:

Transcription

1 Byzantine Chess: Byzantine (circular) chess is played on a round board. The board is divided into four rows of sixteen squares each, with the center empty. The pieces are arranged in the manner shown in the diagram, or in it's reverse, with the king and queen on the outside rank and the rooks on the inner one. The play of the game is not affected either way. The reverse arrangement is used in a variation which divided the center into quadrants. If the king can enter his own quadrant the game is tied. The king moves as in modern chess, with the same rules regarding check and checkmate. There is no castling. The queen moves one short step on the diagonal. The bishop makes a short leap on the diagonal. That is, he moves two spaces, never more or less, diagonally, but can jump over any intervening piece to do so. The knight moves as in modem chess. The rook also moves as in the modern game. The pawns move forward one step and capture on the diagonal as in modern chess. However, they have no initial move of two steps; thus, there is no en passant. Because the round board lacks an end, the pawns do not promote to queen; they simply continue around the board and can, in theory, make several circuits. Since they move in two directions, two pawns of the same player might meet on the same rank and block each other. If this happens, the player can simply remove both of them from the board without losing his turn. Since a pawn can make a circuit of the board, modem players would be will advised to pay attention so as to remember how pawns move and capture. This problem can be solved by slightly varying the clockwise and counter clockwise pawns. Another option would be to use a chess set of four-handed chess, which would already have differentiated pawns. There are three ways to win in Byzantine chess. The most honorable victory is checkmate, as in the modem game. When players wagered on the game this was worth the whole stake. The Arabs considered stalemate a victory, but an inferior one. When they wagered on a game, stalemate was worth half the stake. Both the Arabs and Europeans had a third kind of victory, bare king. When a king had lost all his men he was defeated if he could not bare the other king on the next move. This, too was an inferior win, worth only half the stake. The difference in the power of move between modern and medieval chess was heightened on the round board. The increase in the comparative power of the rooks (with a weak queen and weak bishop) was enhanced by the fact that they were in file to begin with. In addition, the rook could make a complete circuit of the board and so could simultaneously attack from both the front and the rear.

2 Merels or Nine Men's Morris: Merels (also spelled Merreles), or Nine Men's Morris, is a simple board game for two players. It was popular in the 14th century, but earlier versions with fewer than nine pieces have been found dating back to 1400 BC. As with other medieval games, many different rules have evolved over the years. Players are advised to agree on the rules by which they will play before starting. I will indicate which rules are commonly used, but would not wish to discourage players from trying alternatives. The game is played on a square board, as illustrated. There are 24 points (marked with dots in the illustration), and pieces may move between them only along the marked lines. Only one piece may be placed on any point. The players start with nine pieces, with a different color for each player. Unlike other games, the board is initially empty. The players place their pieces on the board alternately, as described below. The players must decide between them who is to start. The players take turns in placing one piece at a time on any unoccupied point on the board. Each player attempts to form mills. A mill consists of a straight row of time of the players own pieces along a marked line. Whenever a player succeeds in making a mill, they may capture (or pound) an opponent's piece. Once captured, pieces cannot be brought back into play. Most rules forbid the capture of a piece that is within a mill either entirely, or unless there are no other pieces available. Once both players have placed all of their pieces on the board, they take turns in moving. Pieces may move only to adjacent points along the marked lines. Players must move if they can (even if it would be to their disadvantage). A player who cannot move loses the game. Again, the players are trying to form mills, and may capture an opponent's piece whenever one is made. Rules vary as to how mills may be broken and re-formed. Most allow a piece to move out of a mill, then move back the following go. This provides a clear advantage to the first player who can make a mill. A variation on this is to require that a minimum number of other moves (not necessarily with the same piece) must be played before a piece may be moved back into the same mill. This could be one, two or three moves. Common practice is to require that one intervening move must be made. No such restriction applies if a mill is being formed along a different line, or using different pieces. Finally, some rules require that the new mill must be along a different line Some versions of the game apply a special rule for movement when a player is reduced to three pieces. This rule is not commonly played within the Far Isles. Under this rule, once a player is reduced to three pieces, they are no longer limited to moving only to adjacent points. A piece may instead be moved to any unoccupied point on the board. Once a player has been reduced to two pieces, they are unable to capture any more of their opponents pieces, and therefore that player loses the game.

3 Kubb Kubb "throwing logs" is a very old game dating back to the Viking Era A.D It is quite popular in Sweden, particularly on the island Gotland. Kubb is a "party game" which is played outdoors with 2-12 participants for ages 6 and up. Object: To be first team to knock over your opponent s kubbs and the King using a baton. Contents: 10 Blocks (kubbs) 6 Batons 1 King 4 Corner Sticks Players: 2-12 players, 6 years and up, divided into 2 teams. Teams do not have to be of equal number. How to Set Up the Game: Kubb can be played on grass, sand, gravel or snow. Create the playing area by placing the corner sticks in a rectangular shape that measures 16 x 26. The area may be more or less depending on the players skills. On each end, place 5 kubbs upright and evenly apart. Place the king upright in the middle of the playing area. 26 Feet 16 Feet (Team A s Baseline Kubbs) Team A s (King) Team B s (Team B s Baseline Kubbs) Further Explanations of the Game Pieces: 1. Kubbs: Each team starts the game with 5 baseline kubbs. During the game, as the baseline kubbs are knocked over they become field kubbs. Field kubbs make the game more challenging and fun. 2. Batons: Each team will throw 6 batons during their turn. Batons must be held at one end and thrown underhand.

4 3. King: The king divides the playing area in half. If a team knocks over the King with a baton or kubb before the opponent s kubbs are knocked over, that team loses. The Winner The first team to knock over all your opponent s kubbs and the King wins the game. Good luck and remember to just have fun! Let s Start To decide which team throws first, each team throws one baton at the King from their baseline. The team whose baton is the closest to the King without knocking it over starts the game. This team will be known as team A below. Finally, How to Play 1. Team A starts by distributing the batons within their team. 2. Players stand behind their own baseline and attempt to knock over the opponent s baseline kubbs by throwing the batons one at a time. To make the game safer, opponents should not stand behind their own Kubbs while the other team is throwing. 3. When team A finishes throwing all 6 batons, the Kubbs that have been knocked over, if any, are now considered field kubbs. 4. The field kubbs are then thrown one at a time by Team B over to team A s playing area (just past the king). When the field kubb lands within the playing area, it is raised by Team A where it rests. In the example below, Team A knocked over 2 of Team B s baseline kubbs, Team B then threw the field kubbs into Team A s playing area. Field kubbs Team A s (King) Team B s Tip: If more than one field kubb is to be thrown, attempt to throw the consecutive kubbs at the raised kubb. Each field kubb that hits the raised field kubb is to be put on top in hopes of building a tower. This makes it easier to hit all the Kubbs in a single wellaimed throw of the baton. There are no limits to the number of kubbs that can make up the tower. If in the above example, the second field kubb thrown hit the raised kubb, a tower would have been created as illustrated below.

5 Field kubbs (King) Team A s Team B s 5. Now it is team B s turn to throw the batons. Team B starts by distributing the batons within their team. 6. Before team B is able to knock over team A s kubbs, they must knock over the field kubbs in Team A s playing area. If team B knocks over all their field kubbs, then they attempt to knock over team A s baseline Kubbs. Tip: Try to knock over the field kubbs closest to the middle line first. If you don t knock over all the field kubbs, team A has the opportunity to throw from an imagined baseline drawn through the field kubb that is nearest the king on their next turn. This gives them a big advantage since the distance to the opponent s kubbs is now shorter. 7. Team A then throws the field kubbs and any new baseline kubbs that were knocked over. 8. The game continues until all the opponent's kubbs are knocked over. Kubbs that are knocked over the second time are out of play and removed from the playing field. 9. Once all opponent s kubbs are knocked over, that team can throw at the king from their baseline. When the king is knocked over, the game is won. One and only one baton is thrown in an attempt to knock down the King. If unsuccessful in knocking down the King, the opposing team continues play. Special Situations 1. If the team is unable to land a field kubb within the playing area after 2 attempts, team A may place the field kubb wherever they like on their own side, preferably behind the king no closer than the length of one baton. 2. If the baseline kubbs are knocked over while attempting to knock over the field kubbs, the baseline kubb(s) should be stood back up.

6 Tafl Tafl is played on a square board of 9 X 9 squares. Fithcheall is played on a 7x7 board. Tawlbrydd is played on an 11x11 board. Beyond the board size, all games are played the same. The Initial Set Up There are 16 black pieces and 9 white pieces. The black pieces are identical and all the white pieces are identical except for one piece which is the king. There are five gold squares. The middle square is gold and the four corner squares are gold. We have colored the squares on which the pieces start the game in the illustration above. The red squares are where the black pieces start and the dark blue squares are where the white pieces start with the king occupying the middle gold square. Traditionally the black pieces were called the Russians and the white pieces were called the Swedes. Beginning the Game The Game starts after lots are drawn to see who moves first. Moving Pieces * Each piece moves like the rook in chess, i.e. able to move any number of squares horizontally or vertically as long as there is no piece blocking the path. * No piece may move over another piece. * Each player moves one piece per turn.

7 Moving and the Gold Squares No piece may move to the gold squares except for the king. Any piece may move through the middle gold square but may not stop there. Object of the Game The object of the game is different depending on which side the player takes. If you are playing the Swedes (white pieces) your object is for your king to escape to one of the 4 gold corner squares. If the Swede king reaches any of the four corner gold squares the game is over. If the Swede king is captured the game is over. If you are playing the Russians (black pieces) you object is to prevent the Swedish king's escape and capture him.

8 Capturing Pieces are captured by surrounding a piece on two sides either horizontally or vertically by two opposing pieces. The following are examples of a capture. Black moves from f1 to f3 and captures white. King moves from d5 to d2 to capture black. Black moves from a6 to c6 and captures white.

9 Surrounding a piece on two sides diagonally does not capture it. The following moves are not a capture. A piece may move between two other pieces without being captured. The following is not a capture. However if black moved from c2 to c1 then back to c2 again and the white piece was still there then that would be a capture.

10 Using the gold squares to capture You can use the gold squares to capture. Since the gold squares cannot be entered except by the king they act as piece for the purposes of a capture. For example if you have a Swede piece next to a gold square and a Russian piece moved on the other side of the Swede horizontally or vertically then the Russian piece would capture the Swede. However, in the example above, if the king occupied the middle gold square then black would not have captured white. White moves from e3 to a3 using the gold square to capture black. Have a question? Contact us at info@northvegr.org.