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 six Horsemen are placed on the squares in the Outer-Court (of the Castle) with the corresponding colour.
• The three 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 one 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 two squares.
• The Horsemen move over empty squares (jumping is not allowed) one square orthogonal and thereafter one 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.