8 - B B B B B B - 7 W - - - - - - W 6 W - - - - - - W 5 W - - - - - - W 4 W - - - - - - W 3 W - - - - - - W 2 W - - - - - - W 1 - B B B B B B - a b c d e f g hIn turn, starting with Black, each player moves one of their own pieces. Pieces move on queen lines (that is, in any of eight directions) and MUST move EXACTLY as many spaces as there are pieces of BOTH colors on the line of movement. Pieces may pass over friendly pieces but not over enemy pieces. Pieces may land on enemy pieces (not on friendly pieces), capturing them and removing them from the game permanently. The first person to bring all their own pieces into a single connected group wins. Connections in the winning group can be diagonal as well as orthoganal. If you are reduced to a single piece, you win, since obviously your piece forms a single group. If you form a winning group and reduce your opponent to a single piece or group at the same time, you win. (The original rules had this situation as a draw.)
8 - - - - - - - - 7 - - - - - - - - 6 - W - W B - - - 5 - - - - - - - - 4 - B W W - - - - 3 - W W - B - - - 2 - - W - - B - - 1 - - - - - - - - a b c d e f g hThe legal moves for the White piece at b6 are:
White's best move would be c2-c5, forming a single group and winning the game:
8 - - - - - - - - 7 - - - - - - - - 6 - W - W B - - - 5 - - W - - - - - 4 - B W W - - - - 3 - W W - B - - - 2 - - - - - B - - 1 - - - - - - - - a b c d e f g hHere are a few of the LOA variants that have also enjoyed some popularity in NOST:.
8 - B W B W B W - 7 W - - - - - - B 6 B - - - - - - W 5 W - - - - - - B 4 B - - - - - - W 3 W - - - - - - B 2 B - - - - - - W 1 - W B W B W B - a b c d e f g h
8 - - - - - - - - 7 W - - - - - - B 6 B - - - - - - W 5 W - - - - - - B 4 B - - - - - - W 3 W - - - - - - B 2 B - - - - - - W 1 - - - - - - - - a b c d e f g hFor the first 6 turns, each player makes a normal move,and then takes one of the opponent's off-board pieces and places it anywhere on the board. Once all pieces have been placed, the game continues as in standard LOA.
8 - b b b b b b - 7 w - - - - - - W 6 w - - - - - - W 5 w - - - - - - W 4 w - - - - - - W 3 w - - - - - - W 2 w - - - - - - W 1 - B B B B B B - a b c d e f g hEach player has two types of pieces which must be moved in strict rotation. First a 'B' is moved by the Black player. Then a 'W' by the White player. Then a 'b' by the Black player. Then a 'w' by the White player. And so on. If, on your turn to play you have no pieces of the correct type to move, you lose that turn. The object is the same as standard LOA -- to get ALL of your pieces (of both types) into one group. This game is also played as a partnership game for four players.
8 - B B B W W W - 7 W - - - - - - B 6 W - - - - - - B 5 W - - - - - - B 4 B - - - - - - W 3 B - - - - - - W 2 B - - - - - - W 1 - W W W B B B - a b c d e f g hThe object is the same as LOA. Length of moves is based not on the number of pieces in the line of movement as in LOA, but the number of 'neighbors' the piece has before it moves. A neighbor is a piece of either color a king's move away. A piece may move on queens lines and may leap over pieces of EITHER color (as opposed to friendly pieces only in LOA) and may land on an empty square or an enemy piece, capturing it.
+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | | | | | +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ 7 | | | | | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | | | | | +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ 5 | | | | | | | | | +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ 4 | | | | | | | | | +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ 3 | | | | | [1]| [2]| [3]| [4]| +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ 2 | [9]|[10]|[11]|[12]| | | | | +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ 1 | | | | | [5]| [6]| [7]| [8]| +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ a b c d e f g h(The bracketed pieces are white -- the non-bracketed pieces are black.)
Pieces are numbered from 1 to 12. Pieces move on queen lines and must move exactly as many squares as it has neighbors, as in Montchalin's game NEIGHBORS. It may pass over pieces of either color and land on either an empty square on an enemy piece, capturing it.
If a piece begins its turn with zero neighbors, it may move any distance in any direction as long as it ends its move on an empty square adjacent to two or more pieces.
The object is to do either of these things: