- Dash-guti
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Dash-guti is a two-player abstract strategy board game from India, specifically from Central Provinces, United Provinces, Karwi Subdivision where it is called Kowwu Dunki which is the same name given to another similar game called Lau kata kati. The game is related to Draughts and even more so to Alquerque. Pieces are captured by hopping over them, and the board is composed of two triangle grids, and two line segments sticking out like antennas which is the only thing that differentiates it with Lau kata kati. Dash-guti is a Lau kata kati based board game. Like Lau kata kati, Dash-guti is also similar to the Butterfly (game) from Mozambique which suggest a historical connection between the two games. Dash-guti belongs to a specific category of games called Indian War-games, and the other games in this category are Lau kata kati, Egara-guti, Pretwa, Gol-skuish. All Indian War-games have one important thing in common, and that is that all the pieces are laid out on the grid patterned board, with only one vacant point in the centre. This forces the first move to be played on the central point, and captured by the other player's piece.
Contents
Goal
To capture all of the opponent's pieces, or be the one with more pieces when no more pieces can be taken by either player, or stalemate the other opponent's pieces such that they are immobilized.
Equipment
The board is an expanded Lau kata kati board. It consist of two triangles connected together at a common vertex. The triangles are divided by two lines across their breadth forming the second and third ranks, and a single line runs down the length of both triangles through the common vertex. There are also two line segments (herein called "antennas") orthogonally connected to the two triangles through the common vertex. Pieces are played on the intersection points, and there are a total of 21 intersection points.
Each player has 10 pieces. One plays the black pieces, and the other plays the white pieces, however any two colours or distinguishable objects will do.
Game Play and Rules
1. The 10 black pieces are initially placed on one of the triangles and on the end of an antenna that is on the right side of the player, and the 10 white pieces are placed on the other triangle and the other antenna which also happens to be on the right side of the other player. The only intersection point vacant is the one in the middle which is the vertex that connects each triangle to each other and the two antennas.
2. Players choose which colour to play, and who starts first. Players alternate their turns using one piece to either move or capture per turn.
3. A piece moves one space per turn onto a vacant intersection point following the pattern on the board.
4. Captures are done by the short leap as in Draughts and Alquerque, where the adjacent enemy piece is hopped over onto a vacant point on the other side. The captures must be done in a straight line following the pattern on the board. Multiple captures are allowed as long as there is one vacant point in between the enemy pieces, and a vacant point beyond the last enemy piece. Captures are compulsory. If there are several options to capture in one turn, the player may choose any one of them. Captured pieces are removed from the board.
5. If a player cannot perform a move or a capture because its pieces have been blocked or immobilized by the other player's pieces, this is known as a stalemate, and the player loses; the other player wins.
6. If neither player can capture anymore pieces, the player with more pieces wins. If both players have the same amount of pieces, then the game is a draw.
Related Games
External links
Categories:- Abstract strategy games
- Indian culture
- Traditional board games
- Indian war games
- Indian games
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