Objective
Arimaa is a strategic board game played on a chessboard. The main objective is to move your own rabbit piece into the opponent's starting row. Alternatively, you can win by removing all the opponent's rabbits or putting the opponent in a situation where they cannot make a move (stalemate).
Materials
- 1 standard chessboard (8x8 squares)
- 16 pieces per player: 1 elephant, 1 camel, 2 horses, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 8 rabbits
Setup
Players take turns placing their pieces on the first and second rows of their side of the board. Starting positions are freely chosen, providing a unique setup for each game.
Rules
- Turn Sequence:
- On a turn, a player can take up to four steps. These moves can involve one or multiple pieces.
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Players may opt to take fewer than four steps.
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Movement:
- Pieces can move in any of the four directions (forward, backward, left, right).
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Rabbits cannot move backward.
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Piece Strength:
- Elephant: The strongest piece. Cannot be pushed or pulled by any other piece.
- Camel: Second strongest. Only weaker than the elephant.
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Horse, Dog, Cat, Rabbit: Decreasing in strength in this order.
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Push and Pull:
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A piece can push or pull an adjacent weaker opponent's piece at the cost of an additional step.
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Trap Squares:
- The board has four special trap squares.
- A piece standing alone on a trap square is removed from the board unless supported by an adjacent friendly piece.
Strategies
- Protect Rabbits: Since rabbits cannot move backward, they should be positioned safely from threats.
- Strong Center: Control the center of the board and trap squares, as they are critical for both attack and defense.
- Push and Pull: Use the ability to push and pull weaker pieces to gain strategic positions or capture enemy pieces.
Special Features
Arimaa is known for its depth and complexity. Each move offers thousands of possible choices and requires learned strategies. Players must dynamically adapt in each unique match.
The game emphasizes memory of moves to prevent cyclical play, as repeated movement is not allowed without progress (especially relevant for stalemates).
Although Arimaa uses a chessboard, it differs fundamentally from chess with the number of move possibilities and varying piece strengths.
