Objective of the Game
Fanorona is a strategic board game originating from Madagascar. The goal of the game is to capture all of your opponent's pieces.
Components
- A game board consisting of a grid of lines that connect 5 rows of houses in width and 9 in length.
- Each player gets 22 pieces. One player has white pieces, and the other has black pieces.
Setup
At the start, each player places their 22 pieces on the three rows closest to them. The middle row remains empty.
Rules
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Types of Moves:
- Movement: A player may move one of their pieces to an adjacent empty spot along a line.
- Capturing: To capture an opponent's piece, you can make either a "withdraw" or "approach" move.
- Withdraw: When you move away from an opponent's stone, you capture it.
- Approach: If you approach an adjacent opponent's piece by moving your stone to the spot beyond it along a line, you capture the crossed opponent's piece.
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Multiple Captures: After capturing one or more pieces, you can continue moving the same piece to capture more as long as possible.
- No Going Back: You can capture the same piece again as long as the position is different.
Game End
The game ends if a player has no pieces left or cannot make a valid move. The player with no pieces or moves loses.
Strategic Tips
- Plan ahead and utilize the multiple capturing rule to capture as many pieces in one turn.
- Be mindful of your positions to avoid falling into a chain of moves that could cost you many pieces.
- Use the center area wisely, as it offers more maneuvering options.
