Long Tau
Long Tau is a 1943 game by M.J.G.Thomassen.
Below you'll find the rules and some comments by Fred Horn.
LONG TAU
The Chinese DRAGON-game
© M.J.G.Thomassen Illustrator
29 May 1943
Introduction by Fred Horn:
In the late Seventies of the last Century I
was asked to make an inventory of all
games stored in the Attick of the Jumbo-headquarters in Amsterdam. One of my finds there was this game which mr.
Thomassen had send to Jumbo in 1943 to get an ordeal about the possibilities of
publishing it. That never did materialize and Jumbo also did
not returned the Prototype.
When I tried to find more about the Game and
its Author, privacy-rules made it (for me) impossible to get access to the
Files: you have to be Family or you must have a declaration of a University
that you are doing scientific research.
The prototype is now in the Amsterdamsch
Historisch Museum. The Speelgoed-Museum in Deventer also owns a
version of the game, which could indicate that (probably in small numbers) the
game has been published elsewhere.
The Game-Rules I present here in English are
an exact translation of the original typed rules from mr.Thomassen. He then (1943) lived in Amsterdam;
Leonardostraat 3 (1 hoog); tel: 22234
===================================================================
LONG TAU, the Chinese dragongame
LONG TAU is an old Chinese game, in which the
dragon who has to be sitting in the middle of the game-board on his golden
chair, presses his mark.
Within Chinese thoughts a dragon cannot be
killed, only tied, so the aim of the game is not to “capture” opponents’ pawns,
but to “besiege” these pawns and make them harmless.
Around the Golden Chair are 4 play-areas,
connected by straight lines, each with 22 squares. When LONG TAU is played with
TWO , only 2 opposite areas are used and
both players place 22 pawns on the squares.
(N.B. handwritten is added: ‘color!’
à so each player has his own color.
F.H.)
Players draw lots who starts.
The pawns can only move along the straight
black lines, as far as possible, which means:
till the end of the line or when meeting an
own pawn or an opponents pawn. This strange way of movement of the pawns is one
of the ‘enchanting things’ of LONG TAU.
Jumping over pawns during a move is not
allowed.
Players turns are alternately.
When a player succeeds in completely
surrounding an opponents pawn, he removes this pawn in his next turn and also
moves one of his own pawns.
A pawn is besieged when he is completely
surrounded by enemy-pawns and cannot move. Sometimes a player needs 3,
sometimes 4 pawns for this enclosure. This depends on its place on the board.
If a pawn is surrounded by 3 opponents pawns and one own, and this own pawn can
still move, then de besiege is not complete and the pawn cannot removed.
It is also possible to besiege a whole group
of pawns. The one condition is that the surrounding is really complete. In that
case the complete group may be removed from the board.
If a player can occupy during his turn the 4
squares of the Golden Chair then he can remove in his next turn the 4 opponent
pawns which are situated the farthest from the Golden Chair.
If a player want to do this agsin he first has
to move one of his pawns from the squares around the Golden Chair, to return in
his next move. This gives the opponent the opportunity to occupy this empty square and thus save his
game.
The first player without pawns on the board,
looses the game.
Is LONG TAU played with FOUR, then each player
starts in his area with 12 pawns, situated on the 12 squares the nearest to the
players edge of the board. The 2 opposite players play against the other 2.
(N.B. it is clear that the “partners” play
with the same color. F.H.)
Necessaries: 48
pawns, in 2 sete of 24 pieces, in 2 colors.
====================================================================
On 29 May 1943 –the date I did use for the
copyright date- mr. Thomassen send a Letter to Hausemann & Hötte in which
he gives a further explication of the rules.
====================================================================
Dear Sirs,
As a result of our conversation on the
telephone, I summarize below in short the rules!
The game may be played by 2 or 4 persons,
respectivily with 22 or 12 pawns ( the line-up with 12 pawns is upon the
squares at the back part of the board).
The game is based on the principle of removing
pawns of the opposite party by:
1) enclosure /besiege
2) ‘making’ the Golden Chair (the inner
Square)
A pawn is besieged when it is completely
surrounded by enemy pawns and is unable to move.
Also more pawns (grouped together F.H.) may be
besieged as a whole,
When the Golden Chair has been ‘made’, 4
opponents pawns may be removed from the outside squares.
The movement of the pawns is along a straight
line. A pawn must move up to the end of the line where this line changes
direction, or up to the point where another pawn ‘blocks’ further movement.
If you require further verbal explication, I
will be with pleasure at your diposal.
I do hope to hear from in the near future,
yours faithfully,
M.J.G.Thomassen
====================================================================
N.B. Unluckely for mr. Thomassen, Jumbo never
answered!
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