Kotu Ellima

Kotu Ellima is a two-player abstract strategy board game from Sri Lanka and India. The game is similar to draughts and Alquerque as players hop over one another's pieces to capture them. However, unlike draughts and standard Alquerque, the game is played on an expanded Alquerque board consisting of four triangular boards attached to the four sides of an Alquerque board. Also, pieces can move and capture in any direction from the beginning. There is no promotion to King. Its actual closest relatives are Peralikatuma and Sixteen Soldiers which are also from the Indian subcontinent. The only real difference between these three closely related games is the number of pieces. In Sixteen Soldiers, each player has 16 pieces hence the name of the game. In Peralikatuma, each player has 23 pieces. In Kotu Ellima, each player has 24 pieces. The whole board is covered with pieces except the middle point reminiscent of Alquerque. Kotu Ellima is also related to the Indonesian game of Permainan-Tabal.

Goal

The player who captures all the other player's pieces wins.

Equipment

An expanded Alquerque board is used. Four triangle boards are attached to the center of the four sides of an Alquerqe board. Each player has 24 pieces. One player has the white pieces, and the other has the black pieces, however, any two colors or distinguishable objects will do. Pieces are played on the intersection points of the board.

Game play and rules

1. Players decide what colors to play, and who starts first. Players alternate their turns, and only use one piece to either move or capture per turn.

2. Each player's pieces are initially set up on their half of the board, and the triangle board to each player's right. Also, each player places one piece on the intersection point to the right of the middle point from the view of each player. Only the middle point is left vacant in the beginning of the game.

3. A piece moves one space per turn in any direction following the pattern on the board onto an unoccupied point on the board.

4. A piece can capture an enemy piece in any direction by the short leap as in draughts or Alquerque. The player's piece must be adjacent to the enemy piece, and leap over it onto a vacant point on the other side. The leap must be in a straight line following the pattern on the board. The same piece can continue to capture and even change direction to capture provided capturing requirements are satisfied. Captures are compulsory. A piece must continue to capture if it is able to do so. Captured pieces are removed from the board.

5. If a player has more than one option to capture, then the player can choose any one (and only one) of them.

Related games

External links