Objective of the Game
Nine Men's Morris, also known simply as Morris, is a strategy game for two players. The primary objective is to form "mills" - three of one's own pieces in a row, either horizontally or vertically - to remove opposing pieces and eventually block the opponent's pieces.
Game Components
- A board with three concentric squares and eight lines connecting the midpoints of the squares.
- Nine pieces for each player, typically in two different colors, for example, black and white.
Gameplay
The game consists of three phases:
- Placing Phase:
- Players take turns placing their nine pieces on the board's intersections.
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Whenever a player forms a mill, they may take an opponent's piece that is not part of a mill off the board.
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Moving Phase:
- Once all pieces are placed, players move one piece per turn to an adjacent free point.
- Forming a mill again allows a player to remove one of the opponent’s pieces.
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A mill can be opened and closed multiple times, but a move has to actually occur to open and close it.
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Jumping Phase:
- If a player is reduced to three pieces, they may "jump", which means they can move their pieces to any vacant point, not just adjacent ones.
Winning the Game
A player wins by: - Reducing the opponent to fewer than three pieces. - Blocking the opponent so they can no longer make valid moves.
Strategic Tips
- Try to create flexible mills that can be varied by opening and closing to pressure the opponent.
- Keep your pieces in a controlled position to quickly rearrange them or block mills as needed.
- Use the jumping phase wisely to execute surprising moves and create new mills.
The straightforward rules combined with strategic depth make Nine Men's Morris exciting and challenging over many games.
