Astar (game)
Encyclopedia
Astar is a two-player abstract strategy board game
from Kyrgyzstan
. It is a game similar to draughts
and Alquerque
as players hop over one another's pieces when capturing. However, unlike draughts and Alquerqe, Astar is played on 5x6 square grid with two triangular boards attached on two opposite sides of the grid. The board somewhat resembles those of Kotu Ellima
, Sixteen Soldiers
, and Peralikatuma
, all of which are games related to Astar. However, these three games use an expanded Alquerque board with a 5x5 square grid with diagonal lines. Astar uses a 5x6 grid with no diagonal lines.
Each player has 16 pieces of which one set is black, and the other is white.
2. Players play opposite one another across the board with each player having its own triangular board. Players place all of their 16 pieces in the first four ranks of their side of the board. Therefore, each player's triangular board will be filled up with their own pieces, and on the fourth rank, the three middle intersection points are occupied.
3. On a player's turn, a piece may move (in any orthogonal direction) along a marked line onto a vacant adjacent intersection point. Alternatively, a player's piece may capture an enemy piece. The player's piece must be orthogonally adjacent to the enemy piece. The player's piece leaps over it (as in draughts), and lands on a vacant point immediately beyond. The leap must be in a straight line, and follow the pattern on the board. If possible, the piece can continue to capture in any (orthogonal) direction. It is uncertain whether captures are compulsory, but in games like Kotu Ellima, Sixteen Soldiers, and Peralikatuma, captures are compulsory. The same may be true for Astar. Since captures may be compulsory, a player's piece must continue to leap and capture enemy pieces until it can no longer do so. Captured piece(s) are removed from the board.
4. Only one piece may be moved or used to capture enemy piece(s) in a turn.
5. If a player has more than one option to capture, then the player can choose any one (and only one) of them.
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
from Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
. It is a game similar to draughts
Draughts
Draughts is a group of abstract strategy board games between two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over the enemy's pieces. Draughts developed from alquerque...
and Alquerque
Alquerque
Alquerque is a strategy board game that is thought to have originated in the Middle East. It is considered to have been the parent of draughts and Fanorona.-History:...
as players hop over one another's pieces when capturing. However, unlike draughts and Alquerqe, Astar is played on 5x6 square grid with two triangular boards attached on two opposite sides of the grid. The board somewhat resembles those of Kotu Ellima
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...
, Sixteen Soldiers
Sixteen Soldiers
Sixteen Soldiers is a two-player abstract strategy board game from Sri Lanka. It also comes from India under the name Cows and Leopards. The game is similar to draughts and Alquerque as players hop over one another's pieces to capture them...
, and Peralikatuma
Peralikatuma
Peralikatuma is a two-player abstract strategy board game from Sri Lanka. It is a game related to draughts and Alquerque as players hop over one another's pieces when capturing them. But its actual closest relatives are Sixteen Soldiers and Kotu Ellima which are also games from the Indian...
, all of which are games related to Astar. However, these three games use an expanded Alquerque board with a 5x5 square grid with diagonal lines. Astar uses a 5x6 grid with no diagonal lines.
Goal
The player that captures all of their opponent's pieces wins. Alternatively, the player that fully occupies their opponent's triangular board wins. Another way to win, is if a player can trap their opponent's pieces and thus preventing them from performing a legal move.Equipment
A 5x6 square grid is used with a triangular board attached on two opposite sides of the square grid specifically on the two shorter sides of the square grid. The square grid only consist of orthogonal lines; there are no diagonal lines.Each player has 16 pieces of which one set is black, and the other is white.
Game play and rules
1. Players decide who will play the black pieces, and who will play the white pieces. They also decide who will start first.2. Players play opposite one another across the board with each player having its own triangular board. Players place all of their 16 pieces in the first four ranks of their side of the board. Therefore, each player's triangular board will be filled up with their own pieces, and on the fourth rank, the three middle intersection points are occupied.
3. On a player's turn, a piece may move (in any orthogonal direction) along a marked line onto a vacant adjacent intersection point. Alternatively, a player's piece may capture an enemy piece. The player's piece must be orthogonally adjacent to the enemy piece. The player's piece leaps over it (as in draughts), and lands on a vacant point immediately beyond. The leap must be in a straight line, and follow the pattern on the board. If possible, the piece can continue to capture in any (orthogonal) direction. It is uncertain whether captures are compulsory, but in games like Kotu Ellima, Sixteen Soldiers, and Peralikatuma, captures are compulsory. The same may be true for Astar. Since captures may be compulsory, a player's piece must continue to leap and capture enemy pieces until it can no longer do so. Captured piece(s) are removed from the board.
4. Only one piece may be moved or used to capture enemy piece(s) in a turn.
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
- Kotu EllimaKotu EllimaKotu 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...
- Sixteen SoldiersSixteen SoldiersSixteen Soldiers is a two-player abstract strategy board game from Sri Lanka. It also comes from India under the name Cows and Leopards. The game is similar to draughts and Alquerque as players hop over one another's pieces to capture them...
- PeralikatumaPeralikatumaPeralikatuma is a two-player abstract strategy board game from Sri Lanka. It is a game related to draughts and Alquerque as players hop over one another's pieces when capturing them. But its actual closest relatives are Sixteen Soldiers and Kotu Ellima which are also games from the Indian...
- TerhuchuTerhuchuTerhuchu is a two-player abstract strategy board game from India, and specifically from Assam and Angami. Another spelling for the game is Terhiichii. The game is similar to draughts and Alquerque as players hop over one another's pieces to capture them...
- Permainan-TabalPermainan-TabalPermainan-Tabal is a two-player abstract strategy board game from Indonesia specifically from the island of Java. The game is sometimes referred to as a cross between Alquerque and Draughts. It is essentially Draughts played on an expanded Alquerque board...