FLAG GRID

Copyright (c) 2004 Bill Taylor

This game is played in the following 9x9 square board:

 
  • BASE - Red has his bases on a1 and i9, while Green has them at a9 and i1.
  • FLAG - The neutral stone starting at the center cell.
  • TURN - On each turn, a player must move one of his stones.
    • A stone moves (orthogonally or diagonally) a number of cells equals to the number of stones in its row or column..
      • Stones may jump friendly stones but not enemy ones.
      • Stones may land on an empty cell, an enemy stone (which is captured) or on the flag.
      • If a stone moves to the uncaptured flag, or captures an enemy stone with the flag, he captures the flag and keeps it until captured.
  • GOAL - Wins the player that takes the flag into one of his own bases.
 
A starting example

Red started. The initial moves were:

1. b8-d6 i7-g5
2. d6-e6 b2-b3
3. i3-i6 h8-g7

Both players are resisting the temptation of capturing the flag. If Red moves e6-e5, it will allow Green's g5:e5.

In the last move, Green is threatening to capture the flag with g7:e5, while protecting with g5. At the same time, he is attacking g1 with g5, which may result on a piece advantage.

The move mechanism is based on Lines of Action. However, the game's goal provides a totally new dynamic, with lots of traps and threats starting already at the initial turns.

A possible variant (which could also be applied to LoA) is to change the move mechanism by stating that a friendly piece may be optional to compute the move range of a stone. As an example in the previous diagram, the Green stones at column 'g' could move 1, 2, 3 or 4 cells.