PieceChisi

Piece-Chisi

Players 2-4
Length 30 minutes
Equipment Required Standard Piecepack, 16 pawns/markers (4 each of 4 colors)
Designer Traditional / PaulGilmore
Version 0.9
Version Date2005-01-19
License Public-domain, adaptation of an ancient game.

Description

This is a Piecepack adaptation of the ancient (c. 4th cent) Indian game of Pachisi.

Rules

Piece-chisi

This is a race game for 2 to 4 players, similar to Pachisi, an ancient game from India.

(c)None, Public Domain. (Pachisi dates back as far as the 4th century AD, in India)

Adapted for the piecepack by Paul Gilmore

REQUIRES: One piecepack

4 markers/pawns in four colors (16 total)

SETUP:

                +=======+=======+
                [   | O [ O |   ]
                [---+---[---+---]
                [   |   [   |   ]
                +=======+=======+
                [   |   [   |   ]
                [---+---[---+---]
                [   |   [   |   ]
+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+
[   |   [   |   [ O |   [   | O [   |   [   |   ]
[---+---[---+---[---+=======+---[---+---[---+---]
[ O |   [   |   [   [       ]   [   |   [   | O ]        
+=======+=======+===[  HOME ]===+=======+=======+
[ O |   [   |   [   [       ]   [   |   [   | O ]
[---+---[---+---[---+=======+---[---+---[---+---]
[   |   [   |   [ O | s [ h | O [   |   [   |   ]
+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+
                [   | s [ h |   ]
                [---+---[---+---]
                [   | s [ h |   ]
                +=======+=======+
                [   | s [ h |   ]
                [---+---[---+---]
                [   | O [ O |   ]
                +=======+=======+

where O = safety coin,  s = starting-lane,  h = home-lane

1. Place 20 tiles face down in a double wide plus arrangement.

2. Place one tile face up in the middle to represent "home".

3. The outermost squares are the racetrack; the remaining two inner rows are the start and home lanes.

4. Two coins are placed, suit up, at the end of each start and home lane. Each arm of the "plus" will therefore have two matching suit coins representing one player's suit.

5. One coin is placed, suit down, at each inner corner of the racetrack. For aesthetics, use either the blank coins or the ace coins in this position.

6. Each players pieces are placed in the four start lane spaces in the corresponding suit's arm of the plus.

BEGINNING PLAY:

Each player should roll two dice, the player with the highest roll will play first, with the play passing to the left. On each turn a player must roll two dice.

ENTERING A PAWN:

1. A five must be rolled in order to move a pawn out of the start-lane, onto the players "Entering Space", the coin adjacent to the start-lane. The five may be either on one of the two dice or may be the total of the two dice.

2. If the player has any pawns remaining in the start lane, one pawn MUST be entered for each five rolled. If the dice sum to five, the player may choose to either enter one pawn, or move two pawns already entered.

3. If the players entering-space is occupied by an opponent, the opponent's piece is captured and sent home (see CAPTURES).

4. If the players entering-space is occupied by one of his own pieces, the entering pawn may "slip past" and enter on the next space (see SLIPPING), possibly capturing any opponent piece there.

5. If both the entering space and the next space are occupied by the players piece, this is considered a blockade (see BLOCKADES), the player cannot enter another piece and must forfeit the five-roll which cannot be played.

6. If a five is rolled on one die with a different number on the other, then one pawn may be entered and the remaining number may be used to advance any pawn that has entered the racetrack.

ADVANCING A PAWN:

1. The player may advance any pawn a number of spaces clockwise around the track equal to the numbers rolled. The dice may both be used for one pawn or may be split between two pawns.

2. If doubles are rolled, the player rolls again for another set of moves. If three consecutive doubles are rolled, the player forfeits the third roll and must move his pawn nearest to Home back to the Starting-Lane. The play immediately passes to the next player.

3. If a player is unable to advance the number shown on both dice, then one or both dice may be ignored.

4. SLIPPING: Only one pawn may land on any space. If a move would result in a player landing on one of his other pieces, the pawn being moved may "slip" forward ONE space. If that space is occupied by an opponent, the normal rules for capturing apply. If the opponent's piece is SAFE (and cannot be captured), then the move may not be made. If the space is already occupied by the player (forming a BLOCKADE), then the move may not be made.

5. Upon completing one circuit of the racetrack, a player's pawn enters its home lane. The pawn may pass the home lane, if the player desires, but it must then complete another full circuit before entering the home lane.

6. A player may NOT enter an opponent's start or home lane at any time.

CAPTURES:

1. If, by exact count of one or both dice, the player lands on a space occupied by an opponent, the opponent's pawn is captured and sent back to its starting-lane.

2. For capturing an opponent's pawn, the player is allowed a bonus move of 10 spaces by any one pawn. If no pawns are able to move the full 10 spaces, then the bonus is forfeit.

3. If the opponent's pawn is resting on one of the spaces occupied by a coin, the pawn may not be captured (it is SAFE), UNLESS the coin is at the player's entry or exit space (adjacent to the players start and home lanes, with the player's suit up) in which case it may be captured (by the player whose suit is indicated).

BLOCKADES:

1. When any two consecutive spaces are occupied by pawns of the same color, it is called a blockade. NO pieces may pass over a blockade, even if the blocking pawns are owned by the moving player.

2. The blockade may remain as long as the blocking player can move another pawn. It must be ended, however, if there is no other way to use both die rolls.

3. Pieces forming a blockade may be captured by exact roll as normal.

MOVING HOME:

1. Pawns may enter HOME only by exact count.

2. A bonus of five spaces is awarded for bringing a pawn home. However, this bonus MUST NOT be used to bring another pawn home or to enter a pawn from the start lane. If no pawns can move the full five spaces the bonus is forfeit.

3. The first player to bring all his pawns HOME is the winner!


CategoryGame RaceComplexCategory MechanicRollAndMoveCategory MechanicCaptureByDisplacementCategory CategoryPortedGame GamesForChildrenCategory