Sep 14, 2015

KOERIER

A strategic Booard-Game for 2 Persons © Fred Horn 1982

by Fred Horn: In the early eighties of the last Century I came in contact with the famous game-inventor from New York mister Sid Sackson and we did exchange some ideas about games, but mostly I did, in those days by mail and sometimes with a telephone-call, provide information on (to him) unknown Dutch games out of my Colllection. I also send him some of my own invented games I had worked on in the years before, to get his valuable opinion and commentary. This game was an adaption of the game “Blue & Grey” out of his book ‘A Gamut of Games’ for  the ‘Dambord’ 10 x 10 which I had developed for Hans van Maanen as a possible item for his booklet “Geen Wolf en Zeven Geitjes”. But it was too complicated, because of the drawing on the board, for issue in that book. From Sid I got a nice review.

The goal is to bring your ‘Koerier/Courier’ from his start-corner to the opposite corner of the board
along the the squares with a blue line.

Board:

Game- Pieces:

Each Player receives 10 Pieces in his colour RED or YELLOW:
  • 1 Courier
  • 3 Guards
  • 6 Horsemen

Setup:

The Courier is placed on the square in his Corner of the corresponding colour.

The 6 Horsemen are placed on the squares in the Outer-Court (of the Castle) with the corresponding colour.

The 3 Guards are placed on the following squares inside the Castle. For RED: A9; B9; B10 and for Yellow:  I9; J9; J10

Movement of the Pieces:

The Courier moves 1 square along the squares with a straight (no dots) blue line, always forward, in the direction of its Castle.
The Guards move over empty squares along a diagonal line 2 squares.
The Horsemen move over empty squares (jumping is not allowed) 1 square orthogonal and thereafter 1 square diagonal in the same move.
Only the Guards and the Courier are allowed to go into and stay inside a Castle.

YELLOW starts then Turns alternate.

Blocking:

If a Piece occupies a square with a blue line it blocks the movement of the Courier.
N.B. This means for the Couriers that they must take a different route through the middle.
If a Guard blocks the blue line in a Castle just in front of the Courier, he has to wait a Turn and than captures the blocking Guard.

Capture:

The Courier cannot capture or be captured, only blocked.
Only inside the Castle a Courier is allowed to capture a blocking Guard à see above.

All other Pieces capture or be captured by ‘replacement’.
When it is possible in a Turn to reach the square occupied by an opponents’ Piece, this Piece may be captured (not obliged).
A Horseman can capture Horsemen and Guards outside the Castle.
A Guard can only capture Guards also inside the Castle.

Win:

The first Player reaching his opposite Corner, wins.
If RED manages to go to his Corner in the direct following Turn, it is a draw.

Sep 10, 2015

KASTEEL

2 Asalto-like Games for 2 Players © Fred Horn  1982


Game I: Board and Startposition:

 Goal for White: To occupy all squares in the KASTEEL or To immobilize all Black Pawns so they cannot move.
Goal for Black: To reduce the amount of attacker-Pawns to 5 or less.

Rules
  • White begins, than Turns alternate.
  • In his Turn White moves 1 Pawn 1 square to an adjacent empty square left or above.
  • In his Turn Black moves 1 of his Pawns along a straight line in any direction over empty squares to land on an empty square.
  • When Black can jump over a White Pawn during his move and land on an empty square after the Pawn, this Pawn is captured and removed directly from the Board.
  • When Black starting from that square again can jump over a Black Pawn he can do so and also capture this one and remove it, and so on till he cannot capture a Pawn.
Game II: Board and Startposition:

Goal for White: or To occupy all squares in the KASTEEL or To immobilize the Black King so he cannot move anymore.

Goal for Black: To reduce the amount of –attacker-Pawns to 3 or less.

Rules
  • White begins, than Turns alternate.
  • In his Turn White moves 1 Pawn 1 square to an adjacent empty square left or above.
  • In his Turn Black moves 1 of his Pawns along a straight line in any direction over empty squares to land on an empty square.
  • When Black can jump over a White Pawn during his move and land on an empty square after the Pawn, this Pawn is captured and removed directly from the Board.
  • When Black starting from that square again can jump over a Black Pawn he can do so and also capture this one and remove it, and so on till he cannot capture a Pawn.
  • Next to moving a Pawn, Black may also move his King 1 square in any direction within the KASTEEL. The King cannot capture.

Sep 7, 2015

HAALMAA

Some HALMA-variants by Fred Horn   © Fred Horn 05-1983

Pawns
45 Pawns in 3 colours Red; Blue; Green = 15 Pawns per colour

For 3 players:

VARIANT  I      

All 3 Players start with their Pawns in the Corner opposite the Circles in their colour.
Goal: Be the first Player to occupy all opposite circles in your colour with your Pawns.

VARIANT   II

All 3 Players start with their Pawns on the circles with their colour.
Goal: Be the first Player to occupy first all the fifteen points in the opposite corner. 

VARIANT   III

Like VARIANT  I , but a Pawn now can only move in its Turn over one or two empty points to the next empty point in that direction, or to an empty adjacent point.

VARIANT   IV

Like VARIANT  II , but a Pawn now can only move in its Turn over one or two empty points to the next empty point in that direction, or to an empty adjacent point.

For 2 players:

VARIANT   V

Play is only with the Blue and Green Pawns.
Both Players start in a corner with their 15 Pawns.
Play is conform ‘normal’ Halma-Rules.
Goal: To occupy most points in the third corner.

VARIANT   VI

Play is only with the Blue and Green Pawns.
Both Players start on the circles of their colour with their 15 Pawns.
Play is conform ‘normal’ Halma-Rules.
Goal: To occupy most Red circles.

Sep 5, 2015

BRAINLINE

Here are the rules of Brainline from the magazine Games & Puzzles.