Horseshoe

Alternate Names

Do-guti (India), Pong hau k’i (China), Hoe Chess (China), Ou-moul ko-no or Umul Gonu (Well Gonu or River Gonu, Korea), Sua tok tong (Thailand).

No. of Players

Two

Equipment

A Horseshoe board and two each of black and white counters are required for play. This simple game could easily be played with paper and pencil while using some coins for counters. The simple board could easily be drawn in sand or dirt and played with pebbles, as it is often is by children in its native distribution.

There are many different variations known of the Horseshoe board. The differences, however, are only stylistic. All are topologically equivalent with the same number of positions.

History

Historical references to this game are scant at best, but it is widespread in Asia.

Objective

Both players’ objective is to immobilize their opponent’s counters.

Play

Players take turns moving their counters to adjacent vacant intersections, attempting to block their opponent’s legal moves on the next turn. The first player to do so is the winner.

Variations

In one variation each player enters their counters alternately into play, and when all are placed movement may begin. The opening position shown below may also be utilized, but must have the additional stipulation that the first player must allow a first move to the second player. Otherwise, the game would be over after the first move.

Sources

1. Bell, R.C. Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations. Revised Edition. Oxford University Press, 1969. 0-486-23855-5

2. Pentagames. Compiled by Pentagram. 1990. Fireside, Simon & Schuster Inc. ISBN 0-671-72529-7.