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<h1>Rules</h1>
</p>
<p class="big">Don't get cut off !</p>
<p class="basic"><b>The fourth game of Project GIPF. For 2 players.</b></p>
<p class="basic"><b>Build stacks, try to control your opponent's pieces
and, above all, remain linked to the red DVONN pieces - that's what
you have to keep in mind. If you do not? Well, you may suddenly
see quite a few of your pieces disappear from the board. Be aware
of everything your opponent does, but don't forget to watch your
step, too. If you do not? Well, you may end up being forced to make
moves you really don't want to make and, then, strange things can
happen… </b></p>
<p><span class="big"><br>
A. Contents</span><br>
</p><blockquote class="basic">- 23 white pieces<br>
- 23 black pieces<br>
- 3 red DVONN pieces <br>
- 1 game board<br>
- 1 rulebook</blockquote>
<p class="basic"><span class="big">B. Aim</span><br>
Control as many pieces as possible by stacking them on top of each
other and try to keep your stacks linked to the red DVONN pieces.
When no more moves can be made, the player who controls the most
pieces wins the game. </p>
<p class="basic"><span class="big">C. Preparation</span><br>
1. Draw lots to determine who begins. The starting player takes
2 DVONN pieces and the 23 white pieces; the other player takes the
remaining DVONN piece and the 23 black pieces. <br>
2. Place the board horizontally between the players (i.e. so that
each player has 9 spaces on his side).<br>
<br>
<span class="big">D. The first phase: placing pieces</span><br>
<span class="basic">1. The game starts with an empty board. The
players take turns placing their pieces on the board, one at a time.
They must start with the DVONN pieces and then continue with their
own color: <br>
</span>
</p><blockquote class="basic">White: first DVONN piece <br>
Black: second DVONN piece<br>
White: third DVONN piece<br>
Black: first black piece<br>
White: first white piece<br>
Black: second black piece<br>
And so on…</blockquote>
<span class="basic">2. A piece may be put on any vacant space, without
restriction. <br>
3. When all the pieces are placed on the board, all spaces will be
occupied. This is the end of the first phase.</span>
<p></p>
<p class="basic"><span class="big">E. The second phase: stacking pieces</span><br>
1. IMPORTANT: the player who started the first phase also starts
the second phase! In other words: after White has put his last piece
on the board, he must immediately play again. Then the players alternate
turns. (As Black is the first to put a piece of his own color on
the board in the 1st phase, so now it is White who may first move
one of his pieces.)<br>
2. Each turn a player must move one piece or one stack. He may only
move a piece or a stack of his own color. When two or more pieces
are stacked on top of each other, the color of the topmost piece
determines who owns the stack, and thus which player may move it.<br>
3. A single piece may move one space in any direction, but only
to an occupied space (i.e. on top of another piece or stack of any
color). <br>
4. A stack must always be moved as a whole and moves as many spaces
as there are pieces in the stack. Thus, a stack of 3 pieces (regardless
of their color) must be moved exactly 3 spaces. Just like a single
piece, a stack may be moved in any direction, but always in a straight
line. <br>
5. A move may never end in an empty space, but it is allowed to
move across one or more empty spaces. When making a move, each space
must be counted, no matter whether it is empty or occupied (see
diagram below).<br>
</p>
<blockquote><span class="basic"><img src="dvonn-diagram1.png" align="left" height="191" hspace="20" width="427"><font class="basic" ><i>The
indicated stack may be moved 3 spaces in the direction of the arrows.</i></font></span></blockquote>
<br clear="all">
<br>
6. <b>Important:</b> a piece or stack that is surrounded on all 6
sides may not be moved. So, at the beginning of the game only the
pieces at the edge of the board may move. The pieces that are not
positioned at the edge remain blocked for as long as they remain completely
surrounded (see diagram below).<br>
<blockquote><span class="basic"><img src="dvonn-diagram2.png" align="left" height="191" hspace="20" width="427"><font class="basic" ><i>The
pieces and stacks marked with an "x" are surrounded on
all 6 sides and may not be moved.</i></font></span></blockquote>
<br clear="all">
<br>
7. A single DVONN piece may not be moved, but a piece or stack may
move on top of it. When a DVONN pieces is part of a stack, it is perfectly
legal to move the stack containing the DVONN piece - but, as explained
above, only by the player who controls the stack.<br>
8. You may not pass a turn, unless you cannot make any more moves.
<p class="basic"><span class="big">F. Losing pieces</span><br>
1. Pieces and stacks must somehow remain in contact with at least
one DVONN piece to remain in play. "In contact" means
that there must always be a link (directly or through a chain of
other pieces) with at least one DVONN piece. Each and every piece
and/or stack that is not linked to any of the DVONN pieces, must
be removed from the board at once. <br>
Be careful: it may happen that a great number of pieces are suddenly
removed as a result of one single move (see diagram below).<br>
</p>
<blockquote><span class="basic"><img src="dvonn-diagram3.png" align="left" height="191" hspace="20" width="427"><font class="basic" ><i>If
White moves the indicated piece, the pieces on the left will no
longer be in contact with a DVONN piece. They must all be removed
from the board at once.</i></font></span></blockquote>
<br clear="all">
<br>
2. All removed pieces go out of the game. It doesn't matter who
makes the move through which the pieces and/or stacks become isolated.
Watch out for this, especially in the endgame. Since you may not
pass, you may be forced to make a move that isolates one or more
of your own stacks (see Diagram below).<br>
3. All 3 DVONN pieces remain in play until the end of the game,
even if one of them becomes isolated, as it will always remain in
contact with itself.<br>
<blockquote><span class="basic"><img src="dvonn-diagram4.png" align="left" height="191" hspace="20" width="427"><font class="basic" ><i>The
endgame. It is White's turn. White has only one stack left to play
with. Since he must make a move he has no other choice than to play
it, as a result of which the stacks marked with an "x"
are out of the game… </i></font></span></blockquote>
<p class="basic"><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</p>
<p class="basic"><span class="big">G. The end</span><br>
1. The players must play for as long as they can do so. If one player
can't make a move any more, the other must continue to play until
he, too, has made his very last possible move. In the rare event
that a player who must pass gets the opportunity to make a move
again, he must do so. This can happen when one or more of his pieces
are blocked (i.e. completely surrounded).<br>
2. The game ends when the last move is made. When this stage is
reached, each player puts all of the stacks he controls on top of
each other. The player with the highest stack wins the game, regardless
of the color of the pieces in his stack. <br>
3. If both players end up with an equal stack, then the game ends
in a tie.<br>
Note: if the stacks are equally high or if the difference is only
one piece, then do count the pieces to be sure. As a result of the
manufacturing process of the pieces, their thickness may differ
slightly.</p>
<p class="basic"><b>Have fun!<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</b></p>
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