Megiddo Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Basic Rules for Two Players
  • Equipment
  • Play
  • Objective of the Game
• Captures
• Multiple Captures
• Chain Captures
• Moving Into a Captured Position
• A Word About Capturing
• Scoring Points
  • Example
• Patara
• Etiquette
  • Visualizing Spirals
• Master Megiddo
  • "Edge" Captures
• "Cleopatra" Variation
• Rules for Three to Six Players
• Answers to Common Rule Questions
• Some Basic Strategy
• Megiddo Notation

Basic Rules for Two Players

Equipment

MEGIDDO is played on a board characterized by five circular bands emanating from a six pointed star in the board's center. Each player receives an ample supply of MEGIDDO stones, one color per player.

Play

Play begins with the board completely clear of stones. The first player (chosen by chance) begins the game by placing a stone on any one of the circular points on the playing surface. (Following the initial opening game, the losing player of each preceding game begins play for the next game).

Players then alternate the placing of their stones on any empty circular point. Once played, a stone cannot be moved unless captured. Players simply add to their positions on the board one stone at a time until a player achieves victory in one of the two ways possible as illustrated in the following.

Objective of the Game

I. To win by placing six stones in a row consecutively (called a "MEGIDDO"), either along a radial, a circular or a spiral path. (See Example I).

II. Or, to win by capturing six (or more) of the opponent's stones (called an "ARBATTA").

The first player to achieve either MEGIDDO or ARBATTA wins a game. Points are then counted as explained on page 6. The first player to score 36 (or more) points wins the match.

(Note: The center star of the board is used as a circle. Players may complete a circular MEGIDDO by placing stones on each point of the star. The star cannot be "played through" to complete a radial or spiral MEGIDDO.)

Captures

Two (and only two) adjacent stones are captured whenever bracketed by two opposing stones. The captured stones are then removed and replaced by two of the capturing player's stones, as shown in Example II.

Black plays on the point indicated, bracketing White's adjacent pair of stones (along a spiral). White's pair is thus captured. The two White stones are removed and replaced with two Black stones.

Captures may be made along radial, circular, or spiral lines. Captures may not be made by playing "across" the center star. All four pieces involved in the capture must be consecutive, with no open points between them.

Multiple Captures

Sometimes, the placement of one stone may have the effect of capturing more than one pair of the opponent's stones. Example III shows Black capturing both ways around the circle (thereby also achieving a circular MEGIDDO!).

Chain Captures

Multiple captures can also occur as a "chain reaction" when one capture leads to another. (Example IV).

Here, Black captures White's pair of stones (figure I) and replaces them with his own (figure II). This in turn causes White to be bracketed again along a spiral path. White's remaining stones are thus also captured on the continuation of the same move. (Figure III). There is no limit to the number of chain captures that may result from a single direct capture.

Moving Into a Captured Position

A stone may be placed between an opponent's existing position causing a pair to be bracketed. Because this occurred "after-the-fact," this is a safe move and no stones are considered captured. (Example V).

A Word About Capturing

When a player has captured the opponent's stones, he or she does not have the option of leaving those stones on the board. All captured stones must be removed once bracketed. Occasionally, both players will inadvertently overlook a capturing move only to discover it later in the game. In this instance, the captured stones remain on the board.

Scoring Points

Once a player has won a game by MEGIDDO or ARBATTA play ceases, with the exception that the player completing the MEGIDDO or ARBATTA may continue his final move if additional multiple or chain captures are possible.

A MEGIDDO match is played to 36 points. After each individual game, each player counts and records his or her score as follows:

• One point for each captured piece.
• Six points for achieving a MEGIDDO.
• Twelve points for each additional MEGIDDO.

Example VI: White's move has completed a radial and spiral MEGIDDO simultaneously, an 18 point move!

Example

In Example VI, imagine that both White and Black have already captured four stones each. White's move, as shown, ends the game by forming a "Double Megiddo" along a radial and a spiral path. White's score would be counted as follows: 4 points for the captures, 6 points for the first MEGIDDO, and 12 points for the additional MEGIDDO. White's Total = 22 points. Black would only score 4 points for his captures: Total = 4 points.

Note: Double and even Triple MEGIDDOs are not unusual, especially when using one of the advanced game variations described next page. It is possible to score more than 36 points in a single game.

Patara

A PATARA occurs when no player has been able to place six stones in a row or capture six of an opponent's pieces, despite all playing points having been occupied. In the event of a PATARA, each player adds the number of opponent's stones captured to his score. The board is then cleared of stones for the next game to begin.

Etiquette

Once a stone has been placed upon the board and released by a player, that stone cannot be moved again unless captured. Once the stone is placed, the player should announce verbally if he is continuing his move through additional captures and, in such an instance, should also verbally acknowledge when his move is completed.

Stones removed from the playing surface in the course of play are placed along the border, in view of both players.

Visualizing Spirals

As you play MEGIDDO you will soon notice the strategic importance of the spiral paths.

There is an easy trick that can help you visualize these formations. Given a spiral's "starting point" on either the inner or the outer ring, its "endpoint" must be on the opposite end of the neighboring radial line. For example, the endpoints for the two possible spirals which can arise from the black stone in the diagram lie on the adjacent radials and are marked with an "*".

For more strategy tips, see page 12.

Master Megiddo

Master Megiddo is the official variation used in Megiddo tournaments and preferred by most avid players. All the rules of the basic game remain in effect, with the single addition of the following extra capturing method.

"Edge" Captures

In the basic rules, stones played on an "edge" of the board (either the inner or outer circle) are relatively safe from capture, since they are vulnerable to capture only along the circle. Master Megiddo provides the players with an additional way to capture edge stones along radial lines. (Note: Edge captures apply only to the radial lines and do not effect circles or spirals.)

Example VII shows how a pair of stones along a radial line (at either edge of the board) may be captured by using the opposite edge of the radial as one of the two bracketing points.

Also, two stones on opposite ends of a radial, as are White's stones in Example VIII, may be captured by using the 2nd and 5th rings as bracketing points, as shown.

An easy way to visualize these edge captures is to imagine that each radial line "wraps around" to join the inner and the outer points of the line into an imaginary circle. Thus, White's two stones in Example VIII are actually "adjacent" to each other in this wrap-around fashion, and Black captures them by bracketing the two "ends" as shown.

"Cleopatra" Variation

Enthusiastic players might like to try this intriguing variation. All the rules of the basic game apply, with the following single change:

In the basic rules, it is considered "safe" to "move into a captured position" (as shown in Example V, page 5). In the Cleopatra variation, such a move is not only safe, but actually captures the opposing player's bracketing stones in a "reverse" fashion from the normal capturing play.

In Example IX, by "splitting" the two White stones, Black captures them and replaces with its own stones.

Reverse captures may be taken along radial, spiral, or circular lines. Both types of captures, normal and reverse, are possible in this variation. They may be used in combination to take multiple or "chain reaction" captures, often with interesting results (see Example X).

Here, Black's move (figure I) is a reverse capture, "splitting" the White stones on the circle. When Black replaces with his own stones for this capture (figure II), the remaining two White stones become bracketed (in a normal capture) as a chain reaction. The result (figure III) is a double capture plus a circular MEGIDDO — a 10-point move!

Also, since captures are more common in the Cleopatra Variation, a player must capture twelve stones to win by Arbatta.

(For a really wild game, try using the Cleopatra and the Master variation together at the same time.)

Rules for Three to Six Players

MEGIDDO is played as easily with three players as with two. The rules, objectives and scoring are identical to those of the two player game. The only difference between the two versions is in the capturing of an opponent's stones. In the three player game, with more than two colors in play, the stones of each opponent may be used to form pairs which may be captured (see Example XI). To win a set by ARBATTA, it is only necessary to accumulate 6 captured pieces from the opponents, in any combination of colors.

Up to six people may play MEGIDDO by forming teams of two players each. The same rules as in basic two- or three-player MEGIDDO apply. Partners sit opposite each other, alternating turns. Communication between partners is NOT permitted.

In these "multi-player" variations of MEGIDDO, the tide can quickly turn for or against a player. What appears to be an advantageous position can quickly be decimated by the subsequent moves of the opponents. By the same token, when all seems lost, a well-placed move can lead to a startling combination of captures leading to ARBATTA or MEGIDDO. Though both two-player and multi-player MEGIDDO adhere to the same basic principles, they each offer exciting variations in their own right.

Answers to Common Rule Questions

Q: May I capture across the center star?

A: No, the center star forms the inner "edge" of the board. One cannot capture across the center star nor can one "play through" the center star to form a radial or spiral MEGIDDO.

Q: May I use the points on the inner star to win with, specifically in making a circle around the star?

A: Yes. The center star is played exactly as if it were a circle.

Q: May I capture single stones?

A: No, stones may only be captured in pairs.

Q: Can I play a stone into a captured position?

A: Yes. It is "safe" to play a stone inside your opponent's captured position since this is done after-the-fact.

Q: If my move leads to a situation in which I can take a "multiple" capture or a "chain" capture, but not both, which must I choose?

A: In such rare cases as this, you must take the multiple capture first. Chain captures are "secondary" captures that can only be made after all direct captures have been taken.

Q: Can spirals be counter-clockwise as well as clockwise?

A: Yes. A spiral can be formed in either direction.

Q: In the three-player game, does a pair have to be of the same color to be vulnerable to capture?

A: No, two opposing stones of mixed colors may be captured by bracketing them in between your own stones.

Q: In the three-player game, how do you win by ARBATTA?

A: By capturing a total of six stones from your opponents. The captured stones may be of any combination of colors.

Some Basic Strategy

The general strategy in MEGIDDO (master as well as basic rules) is to try to saddle your opponent with "taboo" points — points that he or she cannot play onto without walking into a deadly capture — and then to try to force them to occupy one of these points.

For instance, in example XII, White cannot play onto any of the available points on the outer ring without walking into a circular capture. (In this case, the capture would also immediately give Black a circular MEGIDDO.)

Example XII is just one of the many types of such formations. They can be formed along radials and spirals as well as circles.

Players can force their opponents onto taboo points by using auxiliary threats. In Example XIII, Black threatens MEGIDDO along the radial. But in order to block this threat White must play onto a taboo point, walking into a deadly capture. This will result in a winning capture along the circle for Black.

Scoring — Always remember that in addition to trying to win each game, players are also trying to score points. Be on the lookout for ways to limit your opponent's score. For instance, it would not be wise for White to try to block the threatened MEGIDDO shown in Example XIII. Black will score 6 points if he is allowed to complete the threat; but if White blocks and is subsequently captured, Black will then score 20 points (two captured pieces plus a double MEGIDDO)!

Megiddo Notation

You may record the moves of your MEGIDDO games for future study by simply noting both the radius and the circle each move is played upon (see diagram).

Each radius is lettered A thru F, beginning at the top of the circle and going clockwise. Each ring is numbered 1 thru 6, beginning with the inner circle and moving outwards, as shown.

For example, in the diagram the Black stone is located at "C4."

If a move makes a capture, the captured pieces are indicated in parentheses. For example, "C4 (B3,A2)" indicates a move to C4 that has bracketed and thus captured opposing stones on B3 and A2. Multiple captures are indicated with multiple parentheses.