Two-player abstract strategy game from North Africa
Kharbaga is a two-player abstract strategy game from North Africa. In a way, it is a miniature version of Zamma; however, there are more diagonal lines per square on the board as compared to Zamma. The game is considered part of the Zamma family. The game is also similar to Alquerque and draughts. The board is essentially an Alquerque board with twice the number of diagonal lines or segments allowing for greater freedom of movement. The initial setup is also similar to Alquerque, where every space on the board is filled with each player's pieces except for the middle point of the board. Moreover, each player's pieces are also set up on each player's half of the board. The game specifically resembles draughts in that pieces must move in the forward directions until they are crowned "Mullah" (or "Sultan") which is the equivalent of the King in draughts. The Mullah can move in any direction.
It is unknown how old the game is; however, the idea that pieces must move forward until they are crowned Mullah is a feature thought to have been developed and borrowed from draughts which came into being only in the 17th century. This is, however, open to debate.
Two similar games are played by the Hopi native American Indians of Arizona, US, which may suggest a historical connection with Kharbaga, and Alquerque in general. One of the Hopi games is called tukvnanawopi. The board pattern, the number of pieces, and the initial setup are the same as in Kharbaga's. The only differences, and they are significant, is that in tukvnanawopi pieces can move in any direction at any time during the game (there is no need for promotion to Mullah or King as in Kharbaga), and also when a row of squares on one end of the board becomes empty during the game, pieces can no longer be played in that row of squares. As the game progresses, more rows of squares become empty and unplayable, and the playing board continues to shrink. The other Hopi game which is also played throughout Mexico is called tuknanavuhpi. In this case, when a row of points on one end of the board becomes empty, it is no longer playable, and again the playing board shrinks as the game progresses.
Lastly, another native American Indian tribe called the Keres of New Mexico, US plays a game most similar to Kharbaga. The only difference is that pieces can move in any direction at any time during the game and each player has 22 pieces. It is uncertain how the game can be played this way since both players would yield 44 pieces total and there are only 41 intersection points that make up the board. The game is called Aiyawatstani or "chuck away grains".
Goal
The player who captures all their opponent's pieces is the winner.
Equipment
The board is a 5×5 square grid, or a 4×4 square board with pieces played on the intersections with left and right diagonal lines running through each square of the board. Each player has 20 pieces. One plays the black pieces, and the other player plays the white pieces.
Gameplay and rules
Player decide which colors to play, and who starts first.
The board is filled in the beginning with all the players pieces. The only point vacant on the board is the middle point. Each player's pieces are placed on their half of the board, and lined up on the right-hand side of the 5th. rank (the middle horizontal line of the grid board).
Players alternate their turns. A non-Mullah piece moves forward only (straight forward or diagonally forward) one space per turn following the pattern on the board until they are crowned Mullah by reaching the last rank. Only one piece may be moved or used to capture enemy piece(s) per turn.
A non-Mullah piece may capture an enemy piece by the short leap as in draughts or Alquerqe. The capture can be in any direction. Multiple captures are allowed, however, the line with the most captures must be taken. Captures are compulsory for non-Mullah and Mullah pieces.
When a piece reaches the other player's rank, it is promoted to Mullah. The Mullah can move and capture in any direction. It can also move any number of spaces as in the King in international draughts. The Mullah can also capture an enemy piece from any distance, and land anywhere behind the captured piece provided there are no other pieces (friendly or not) within the spaces of the leap. If playing a variant where enemy pieces are not removed immediately when captured, the Mullah can not go back to any of them and leap them again. However, in a variant where captured pieces are removed immediately, the Mullah can leap over them again in order to leap another enemy piece(s).
If a non-Mullah piece reaches the other player's rank as an intermediate step of a capturing sequence, the piece does not get promoted to Mullah.
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Sua Ghin Gnua is a two-player abstract strategy board game from Thailand, formerly known as Siam. Another name for the game is Tigers and Oxen. It is a hunt game played on a 5x5 square grid with only orthogonal lines. One player plays the three tigers, and the other player plays the twelve oxen. The board is empty in the beginning. Players first drop their pieces onto the board, and then are able to move them. The tigers can capture the oxen by the short leap as in draughts and Alquerque, but the oxen attempt to elude and at the same time hem in the tiger. Sua Ghin Gnua most resembles the tiger hunt games such as Bagh-Chal, Rimau-rimau, Main Tapal Empat, Catch the Hare, and Adugo since they all use a 5 x 5 square grid. But tiger games technically consist of a standard Alquerque board which is a 5 x 5 square grid with several diagonal lines criss-crossing through it which are completely missing in Sua Ghin Gnua. There are however some variants of Catch the Hare which have missing diagonal lines also. Another game that resembles Sua Ghin Gnua is from Myanmar called Tiger and Buffaloes which is a hunt game consisting of a 4 x 4 square grid with no diagonal lines. Myanmar happens to border Thailand geographically so there might be a historical connection between the two games. Another game from Myanmar is Lay Gwet Kyah that is presumed to be similar to Sua Ghin Gnua. Sua Ghin Gnua was briefly described by Stewart Culin, in his book Chess and Playing Cards: Catalogue of Games and Implements for Divination Exhibited by the United States National Museum in Connection with the Department of Archaeology and Paleontology of the University of Pennsylvania at the Cotton States and International Exposition, Atlanta, Georgia 1895 (1898). It's also briefly mentioned by H.J.R. Murray in his book A History of Chess (1913). It was also described by R.C. Bell, in his book Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations (1969).
Astar is a two-player abstract strategy board game from Kyrgyzstan. It is a game similar to draughts and Alquerque as players hop over one another's pieces when capturing. However, unlike draughts and Alquerqe, Astar is played on 5x6 square grid with two triangular boards attached on two opposite sides of the grid. The board somewhat resembles those of Kotu Ellima, Sixteen Soldiers, and Peralikatuma, all of which are games related to Astar. However, these three games use an expanded Alquerque board with a 5x5 square grid with diagonal lines. Astar uses a 5x6 grid with no diagonal lines.
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