YINSH

Infobox_Game
subject_name=YINSH
image_link=
image_caption=Close-up of a game in play
designer=Kris Burm
publisher=Rio Grande Games Don & Co.
players=2
ages=8 and up
setup_time= 0 minutes
playing_time= 30 minutes
complexity=Medium
strategy=High
random_chance=None
skills=Strategic thought
bggid=7854
bggxrefs=
footnotes=

"YINSH" is the fifth game to be released in the "GIPF" Project by game designer Kris Burm. At the time of its release in 2003 Burm stated that he intended it to be considered as the sixth and last game of the project, and that the game which he had not yet released, "PÜNCT", would be logically the fifth game [http://www.gipf.com/news_archive/news_july30_03.html] . However, an entry in his blog [http://www.gipf.com/news.html#last_game] on 19 June, 2005 suggests that he is reconsidering this.

Gameplay consists of moving rings to flip Reversi-like discs.

Rules

Equipment

"YINSH" is played on a board shaped like a partial six-pointed star with 85 points. The main pieces are black and white rings, of which each player has five. Also used are a number of markers which are black on one side and white on the other (similar to Reversi pieces).

Object

The object of the game is to remove three of ones own pieces from the game. Since this is the goal of the game, becoming closer to winning necessitates weakening oneself, which considerably complicates strategy - a move which makes one closer to winning may end up being a very poor move.

Placement phase

The game starts with an empty board, and proceeds in two phases. During the first phase both players, beginning with white, places one of her rings on the board on any point. Once each player plays all five of their pieces, this phase is over.

Movement phase

The second phase involves forming lines of five markers, with one's own color face-up. Once this happens (on either player's turn), that player removes the five markers, and also one of their rings. Once a player has removed any three of their rings, they win the game.

A move consists of the following:

#The player chooses one of their own rings to move.
#The player puts a marker, with their own color face-up, in the middle of that ring.
#The player then moves the ring to any unoccupied space, straight along any line.

When moving a ring, the following rules apply:

*The ring may not move over other rings.
*The ring may move over any number of markers in a row. If it does so, it must stop on the blank space immediately following the last marker moved over.
**All markers moved over like this are immediately flipped over.
*A move may not end on a space occupied by a marker.

It is possible, and not unheard of, to make a move which causes your opponent to have a line of five markers in a row. When more than one line is made in the same move, the player who just moved resolves her own lines (if any) first, and then the other player resolves his lines (if any) before making his next move. Lines are resolved one at a time, so if a single marker is shared by two lines, only one of those lines may be resolved (but the player chooses which).

If all of the markers are placed on the board before either player has won, the game ends in draw.

External links

* [http://www.gipf.com/yinsh/ Official website]
* [http://yinsh.biskai.de/ "YINSH" online] in a turn based style at biskai.de
*
* [http://www.boardspace.net/ Play "YINSH"] online at Boardspace.net, against human or robot opponents.