Parcheesi
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Parcheesi is an American adaptation of the Indian Cross and Circle game Pachisi. Created in India around 500 BC, the game is often subtitled Royal Game of India because royalty supposedly played using costumed dancers as pieces on large outdoor boards (such a court is preserved at Fatehpur Sikri). The game and its variants are known worldwide; for example, a similar game called Parchís is especially popular in Spain, and Parqués is a Colombian variant. The German name is "Mensch ärgere dich nicht" (English: "Man, don't get mad").
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[edit] Rules of play
Parcheesi is played with one or two dice and the goal of the game is to move each of one's pieces home to the center space. The most popular Parcheesi boards in America have 72 spaces around the board, twelve of which are darkened safe spaces where a piece cannot be captured.
Each player selects four pieces of the same color and places them in their "nest," or starting area. The game board should be positioned so that each player's nest is to their right. Pieces enter play onto the darkened space to the left of their nest and continue counter-clockwise around the board to the home path directly in front of the player.
Each player rolls a die; the highest roller goes first, and subsequent play continues to the left. On each turn, players throw one or both dice and use the values shown to move their pieces around the board. If an amount on one or both of the dice cannot be moved, that amount is forfeited.
Any time a player rolls, he must use as much of the dice showing as possible. (i.e. If a player rolls 4 and 5 and could move either 4 or 5, but not both, then he must move 5.)
[edit] Entering pawns
Five has a special value in entering pieces out of the nest from where they begin the game. A player may enter a piece only by throwing a five or a total sum of five on the dice. Each time a five is tossed, the player must start another piece, if viable.
[edit] Capturing
Any piece that is not on a safe space or a part of a blockade can be captured by an opposing pawn. A player is awarded 20 bonus spaces for capturing an opposing piece. The 20 spaces may not be divided between pieces and must be moved, if possible.
Team Rules: If opposing team has two pawns on player's exit area, the player can not exit.
[edit] Blockades
When two pieces occupy the same space, they prevent any pieces behind the two from advancing past the blockade. This includes blocking pieces from leaving their nest. Two pieces that form a blockade may not be moved forward together to form a new blockade on the same roll.
[edit] Safe spaces
The dark spaces are safe spaces. A piece may not be captured as long as it sits on one of these spaces. The only exception is if a piece sits on the safe space where another player enters the board from her nest. Those spaces are safe from all other players, but the piece can be taken if the player whose nest it is has a piece in her nest and rolls a 5 (as long as it isn't a blockade).
Two pieces that form a blockade are also safe.
[edit] Doublets
(Two dice version) When a doublet (doubles) is tossed, the player gains another roll of the dice. In addition, if all that player’s pieces are outside the nest, the values on reverse side of dice are also used. For example, a player who rolls 6-6 can also move 1-1 in any combination. Therefore, when a doublet is tossed, the player has a total of fourteen spaces to move one or more pawns.
If a player rolls doubles and cannot move the entire number of spaces, she cannot move any spaces, but still gets to roll again.
The third consecutive doublet rolled in one turn is a penalty, and pieces are not moved the number of spaces shown on dice. A player with a three doublet penalty also removes his piece closest to home back to their nest, and his/her turn ends.
A player cannot split doubles in order to enter home. This means that a player can only enter home by rolling doubles if he is exactly 14 spaces from home.
[edit] Home
The center home space can only be entered by exact throw of the die or dice. When a piece enters the center space by exact count, that player is awarded ten movement points that may be moved with any one piece still in play at the end of their turn. If the bonus movement amount cannot be used, it is forfeit.
Each player has his own home path and may not enter another's. So, when a piece is on its home path, it can no longer be captured. Once a piece has been moved into her home path, it can no longer be moved except to move all the way to home.
[edit] Winning the game
The first player to get all four pieces home wins, at which point the winner must yell "PARCHEESI!"
