SQUEEZE

Copyright (c) 1984 Christian Freeling

This game is played on an empty 8x8 square board. There is 2 Kings of each color plus 19 stones off board.

 

SETUP - One of the players drop 4 Kings (2 of each color) on empty cells near the edge. Then he drops some (or all) of the 19 stones on empty cells inside the central 6x6 board area. The stones (if any) not placed on the board are called the bait. Then, the other player chooses who starts.  If he decides to start, he chooses color and turn and gives the bait to the other. Otherwise he keeps the bait and the other chooses color. TURN - On each turn, each player moves one of his Kings. Kings slide a (orthogonal or diagonal) straight line of empty cells (like the chess Queen) and must stop at an empty cell. Kings capture by custodian. When the King stops, any unbroken (orthogonal or diagonal) line of stones between itself and another King (of either color) are captured. It possible to capture two or more lines in the same turn. A King can also capture another King by custodian but that capturing line cannot be composed of a mix of stones and Kings. GOAL - A player wins by capturing 10 stones.

 

An example [from here] The King at g7 may slide to cell [1], capturing two stones: b2 and c3 (by custodian with the Green King at a1) and the Black King at d5 (by custodian with the Black King at d6).

Some words from the author: [...] it's the threat of capturing a piece rather than the actuality, that directs the game. Here an piece adjacent to an opponent can block it in one direction while threatening capture. The games strategy is obvious, but its tactics allow degrees of refinement that ensure interesting play. And again, knowing the tactical secrets of a number of particular initial set-ups, comes in handy. There's also a hexagonal variant, HexSqueeze.

A twin game also by Freeling is Swish where the setup and goal are identical but the move and capture rules are different. The King may slide any number of empty cells and then jump (in the same direction) an unbroken line of stones (or enemy Kings, but not a mixed line) landing on one of the next empty cells. All the jumped pieces are captured.