One of the oldest and most popular board games in the Arab world! This game relies on strategic thinking, planning, and a bit of luck to outsmart your opponent.
Game Overview
In the game, a wooden board is divided into 4 zones, each with 6 sections. Players use round checkers on the wooden board, starting with 15 checkers each. The checkers come in two colors: white and black, which serves only to distinguish between the 2 players.
Game Objective
The primary goal is to move all of your checkers from their starting positions to the opponent's side of the board. The opponent's side is the last stop, and the player who successfully removes their checkers wins!
Starting Positions
Before the game begins, each player places their 15 checkers in their designated corner, commonly referred to as "Beit" or home zone. This is where checkers will be moved from in the first section and progress through all the sections to reach the opponent's side.
Gameplay
１. Determining the first player:
The starting player is determined by taking turns rolling a die. The player with the higher value starts the game, and this process is done automatically by the application at the beginning of the game.
*Note: In case of a tie, the dice are rolled again.
２. Moving the checkers:
· At the start, players roll two dice onto the game board, and the combined value determines the range for moving checkers.
· Each player must move at least one checker to the opponent's side at the beginning to move the rest of the checkers.
· Players can move one checker per dice or a single checker by the total value of both dice.
· Checkers can only be moved to empty spaces or spaces with the player's checkers.
*Note: checkers cannot be moved to spaces with at least one opponent's checker.
３. Getting a similar roll (double):
If a player rolls the same value on both dice, it's called a "double." The player gets double the moves for that turn.
*Example: If a player rolls 5 on both dice, they can move 4 checkers for a distance of 5 spaces each instead of moving just 2 checkers.
４. Removing checkers:
o Players can only remove checkers when all their checkers reach the last quarter of the opponent's side.
o Checkers must be removed based on the rolled dice values.
o Checkers can be removed only if there are no checkers in the same value section.
o Removing checkers is optional; players can choose to move checkers within the last quarter according to the dice values.
o Rules and Special Cases
o A player cannot remove checkers if any of them are blocked by an opponent's checker in the last quarter.
o If only one checker can move, it must move the highest dice value (if the move for the total of both dice is not available).
o In a rare case, the game ends if a player closes their zone (the first 6 sections) with their checker before the opponent's side is reached.