Ringo (game)

Ringo is a two-player abstract strategy game from Germany. It was possibly invented sometime in the late 1800's or early 1900's. The game simulates a castle siege. Attackers are attempting to enter a castle while defenders are trying to protect it and reduce the number of attackers. Pieces are captured similarly as in draughts which makes Ringo its distant relative although some consider it to be a descendant of Fitchneal. An interesting feature in Ringo is an area on the board called the Neutral Zone where pieces cannot be captured which makes for some interesting attack tactics on the castle.

Goal

The goal of the attackers is to bring two of their pieces into the castle. The goal of the defenders is to prevent that from happening, and to reduce the number of attackers to one.

Equipment

The board is circular with a middle circle (called the castle) and five rings, and it is also divided into 8 pie slices which makes for 41 spaces or cells. With the exception to the castle and the spaces in the Neutral Zone, 35 spaces are colored black and white in alternating fashion. However, any two colors are appropriate. The castle is colored white or whichever color is lightest in the alternating color scheme. One of the pie slices is called the Neutral Zone and is colored completely different from the rest of the board.

There are 7 attacker pieces, and 4 defender pieces. The attackers can be of any color as long it is different from the defenders.

Rules and Game Play

1. The 7 attackers initially are situated at the farthest ring from the castle each occupying its own space; only the space in the Neutral Zone is left empty. There are 4 defenders in the first ring (the ring closest to the castle) leaving one space between them in such a way that the space in the Neutral Zone is also left empty.

2. Players decide who will be the attackers and who will be the defenders. Players alternate their turns.

3. Only one piece is moved per turn. Pieces cannot share the same space.

4. Attackers move first.

5. Attackers can move one space forward (toward the castle), or one space left or right on the same ring. Attackers "cannot move backwards" (away from the castle).

6. Defenders can move one space forward, "backwards", or left or right on the same ring. Only one piece is moved per turn. Pieces cannot share the same space.

7. Defenders cannot enter the castle.

8. Pieces are captured similarly as in Draughts. An attacker can hop over a defender that is adjacent to it either from the front, left, or right, and must land on a vacant space. Attackers cannot capture a defender from behind, that is, a defender that is one space farther back in the same pie slice.

9. Defenders capture similarly to attackers, except they can capture from the front, left, right, and "behind".

10. Captures are not mandatory. Multiple captures are not allowed.

11. Pieces in the Neutral Zone cannot be captured. However, it can be jumped.

12. A piece can land on the Neutral Zone after a sideway capture. A sideway capture can also start from the Neutral Zone.

13. The number of attackers in the Neutral Zone cannot be more than the number of defenders left on the board. For example, if there are two defenders left in the game, then there can only be up to two attackers in the whole Neutral Zone.

14. A defender on the second ring cannot capture an attacker on the first ring and land on the castle (even if it is empty) since defenders are not allowed to be in the castle.

15. A defender can jump over the castle, and capture an attacker in it.

16. There are variations to Ringo to give the defenders a better chance of winning. One rule is to not allow attackers to enter from the Neutral Zone. Another rule is to reduce the number of attackers to 5 or 6 pieces. Another rule is allow the defenders to pass a turn. Lastly, a rule that allows only 1 attacker in the Neutral Zone.

External Links

http://www.distad.net/games/Ringoinst.pdf

http://homepages.di.fc.ul.pt/~jpn/gv/ringo.htm