Hexade
The game commences with the board empty of counters. This game utilizes the same board as Havannah (large version), another game invented by Christian Freeling.
No. of Players
Two
Equipment
The large version of the Havannah board and up to 135 each of black and white counters are required for play. Probably far less than 135 counters will actually be used, however.
History
This game was invented by Christian Freeling in 1992 and published on the internet.
Objective
The game is won by the first player to complete a perfect six, which means creating an unbroken line, with all counters their color, of any one of the following structures:
A row or straight line of six friendly counters
A rosette, an empty hexagonal ring
A 1-2-3 triangle of six friendly counters
All three of the winning structures shown for black.
However, if a player's opponent immediately destroys their perfect six by capture on the next turn, the game goes on.
Note that there are no restrictions concerning stone connected to the perfect six structure. For examples, it does not matter if the cell inside a rosette perfect six is occupied by either player or vacant and it does not matter if a row of six is actually a line of seven or more.
Play
The game commences with the board empty. Alternate turns entail placing counters inside the cells one at a time with white moving first. To offset White's advantage of placing first an additional rule prohibits white's second stone placed from being closer than two cells distance from his first. This rule does not apply to Black.
White has placed his first stone, on his second move he is prohibited from placing at any of the locations marked with an "X".
A player captures his opponent's counters by a special kind of orthogonal custodianship of a pair of counters. If, on their turn, a player places a counter so that it then has a two opposing counters between it and another friendly counter, all in a straight line without any vacant cells, the opposing counters are then captured and removed from the board. It is possible to capture multiple pairs of opposing counters in one turn.
Black places at the indicated position and captures, by custodianship, the two opposing white counters.
Black places at the indicated position, simultaneously capturing six (in three pairs) white stones by custodianship.
Strategy
Variations
Sources
Schmittberger, R. Wayne. New Rules for Classic Games. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York, 1992. ISBN 0-471-53621-0
Hexade at Mindsports. http://mindsports.nl/index.php/the-pit/532-hexade