Bão board game

Bão is a variation of a board game played all through Africa and South East Asia. We knew it as Wari from Mali and Kalah from Malaysia, but each culture has different rules. The one unifying factor is that the game can be played with stones in cups dug in the dirt - you don't need any high-tech facilities to enjoy a game. In Mozambique and Malawi we saw hundreds of differently carved bão boards. The big ones, most satisfying to play on, were too difficult to carry home, and the little ones were a bit too 'toy', so we intend to make our own. In Africa the locals use Marula seeds as stones, but any smooth roundish seed, bean, or even polished stone would do nicely.

The Board

Bão boards have four rows of eight holes, two rows for each player, with two end cups:

The board is set up with two stones in each cup.

The Rules

Each player moves only within his/her own two rows.
The first player can start by taking the stones from any of the holes on his side and redistributing the stones, one at a time, into the subsequent holes, either clockwise or anti-clockwise.
If the last stone lands in an empty hole (one without stones in it) the play switches to the second player.
If, however, the last stone lands in a hole that is already occupied by one or more stones, there are sub-rules:
- if the hole is in the inner row, and is adjacent to a hole belonging to the other player with stones in it, then those stones are captured, and re-distributed along the inner row of holes, starting from the end. If you were already going clockwise, start from the left end and distribute clockwise; if you were going anti-clockwise, start from the right end. However, if your previous move terminated in one of the last two holes, reverse direction for the distribution of the captured stones.
- if the hole your last stone lands in has stones but is either in the outer row or is in the inner row but opposite your opponent's empty hole, then you just pick up the stones in the hole you finished on and continue in the same direction around the board, distributing the stones one by one
If any first move is open to you that will capture your opponent's stones, you must make that move rather than make a play that will not capture stones
If your first move doesn't make a capture then nor can your subsequent moves - they can only shuffle stones around the board to re-arrange things
You cannot pick up a singleton stone and move it unless no other move is open to you
Play ends when the inner row of one of the players is empty

Easy, eh? I'll illustrate a few moves. The point-of-view (clockwise or anti-clockwise) is always from the player's perspective, but I will refer to positions on the board from a single point-of-view: that presented in the diagram.

The board is set up for play, two stones in each hole. Player 'A', at the bottom of the board is going to play, and will select the stones from the outer [bottom] row, second from the right

'A' has taken the stones from his outer row, second from the right, and distributed them, one by one, in an anti-clockwise direction, finishing at the first hole in the inner row. There are stones belonging to his opponent in the adjacent hole, so he will capture them

'A' takes the stones from the right-most hole of his opponent's inner row, and re-distributes them in his own inner row, starting from the right and going in an anti-clockwise direction. He finishes the move in the hole second from the right, opposite more stones belonging to his opponent, and will capture them for the next move

A' captures the stones and once again re-distributes them anti-clockwise into his own inner row, starting from the rightmost hole. His last stone lands in the second hole, which is opposite 'B's empty hole - no capture this time

Because he landed in a hole with stones, 'A' continues to play, picking up the stones from where he last landed (second from the right) and re-distributing them anti-clockwise in the next four holes. He ends in the hole third from the left, opposite 'B's stones, which he will capture

'A' takes the two captured stones and redistributes them anti-clockwise, starting from the right, along his inner row of holes. They end in the second hole from the right, which is empty, and play passes to 'B'

'B' chooses the stones in his inner row, fourth from the left, and distributes them clockwise, terminating in the hole second from the left and opposite 'A's stones, which he will capture

Because the capture was in a hole second to the end, when 'B' re-distributes the stones he changes direction, now going anti-clockwise, starting from the leftmost hole in his inner row. The last stone lands in the hole second from the left, with no stones opposite to capture

'B's last move landed in a hole with stones, so he just picks them up, and continues in the same direction (anti-clockwise, now), along his own inner row, ending in the hole third from the right, opposite three of 'A's stones. He captures them

The captured stones are re-distributed, still in an anti-clockwise direction. His last stone lands in the hole third from the left, and he captures his opponent's stones, opposite

Again, the captured stones are distributed anti-clockwise, ending again at the third hole from the left. There are no stones to capture

'B's last move landed in a hole with stones, so he just picks them up, and continues in the same direction. His last stone lands in the empty hole second from the right, and play passes back to 'A', who will probably go anti-clockwise, starting inner row, fourth from the left, capture 5 stones, switch direction to clockwise, come back, capture 4 stones, redistribute them, and so forth and so on....

Want to have a try? A first attempt at writing a Javascript version of Bão is provided for your enjoyment.

What about the funny square holes and the holes on the sides? They are used in an extension of the game, where the stones aren't pre-distributed but are played from those holes onto the board. I'm afraid we didn't learn that bit.

Incidently, this is just what we gleaned from our playing of the game. If anyone has a better description, or knows the rules better than this, please feel free to let us know, and we'll update this page.

	The board is set up for play, two stones in each hole. Player 'A', at the bottom of the board is going to play, and will select the stones from the outer [bottom] row, second from the right
	'A' has taken the stones from his outer row, second from the right, and distributed them, one by one, in an anti-clockwise direction, finishing at the first hole in the inner row. There are stones belonging to his opponent in the adjacent hole, so he will capture them
	'A' takes the stones from the right-most hole of his opponent's inner row, and re-distributes them in his own inner row, starting from the right and going in an anti-clockwise direction. He finishes the move in the hole second from the right, opposite more stones belonging to his opponent, and will capture them for the next move
	A' captures the stones and once again re-distributes them anti-clockwise into his own inner row, starting from the rightmost hole. His last stone lands in the second hole, which is opposite 'B's empty hole - no capture this time
	Because he landed in a hole with stones, 'A' continues to play, picking up the stones from where he last landed (second from the right) and re-distributing them anti-clockwise in the next four holes. He ends in the hole third from the left, opposite 'B's stones, which he will capture
	'A' takes the two captured stones and redistributes them anti-clockwise, starting from the right, along his inner row of holes. They end in the second hole from the right, which is empty, and play passes to 'B'
	'B' chooses the stones in his inner row, fourth from the left, and distributes them clockwise, terminating in the hole second from the left and opposite 'A's stones, which he will capture
	Because the capture was in a hole second to the end, when 'B' re-distributes the stones he changes direction, now going anti-clockwise, starting from the leftmost hole in his inner row. The last stone lands in the hole second from the left, with no stones opposite to capture
	'B's last move landed in a hole with stones, so he just picks them up, and continues in the same direction (anti-clockwise, now), along his own inner row, ending in the hole third from the right, opposite three of 'A's stones. He captures them
	The captured stones are re-distributed, still in an anti-clockwise direction. His last stone lands in the hole third from the left, and he captures his opponent's stones, opposite
	Again, the captured stones are distributed anti-clockwise, ending again at the third hole from the left. There are no stones to capture
	'B's last move landed in a hole with stones, so he just picks them up, and continues in the same direction. His last stone lands in the empty hole second from the right, and play passes back to 'A', who will probably go anti-clockwise, starting inner row, fourth from the left, capture 5 stones, switch direction to clockwise, come back, capture 4 stones, redistribute them, and so forth and so on....