Sua Ghin Gnua

Sua Ghin Gnua is played on a 4x4 square grid and commences with the board empty of counters.

Alternate Names

Tigers and Oxen

No. of Players

Two

Equipment

A 4x4 square grid, three tiger counters, and twelve oxen counters are required for play.

History

R.C. Bell’s Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations seems to contain the only printed reference to this game, where it is described as Siamese. (Siam is today known as the country of Thailand).

Objective

The objective of the tigers is to capture all of the oxen counters. The objective of the oxen is to hem in all of the tigers so that they are unable to make any legal move.

Play

After deciding which player will control the tiger counters and which will control the oxen counters, alternate turns entail the placement of one of your counters at any vacant intersection on the board. After all of the tiger counters have been placed, that player may begin to move them along a line to an adjacent vacant intersection. Also, a tiger may capture and remove an oxen counter by jumping over it in a straight line to a vacant intersection just beyond. Only after all of the oxen counters are placed may that player begin to move them along a line to any adjacent vacant intersection. Oxen counters do not jump.

Variants

Lay Gwet Kyah from Myanmar is a game that is presumed to be similar to Sua Ghin Gnua.

Sources

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