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.