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The game opposes a player handling 24 White pieces ,
with a player handling 13 Black pieces
.
The goal of the play is the conquest and the occupation, by the Blacks,
of all Brochs occupied by the White.
One Black piece differs by its shape and colour from the others and
is called the "main piece " (or Sorcerer, or Master, or well..whatever
you like).
The initial provision of the board is indicated on figure below :
Note: historically, Brochs are cylindrical keeps (Antiquity, at the beginning of Chistian era) located at the North and the North-West of Scotland, islands of Skye, the Orkneys and Shetlands. Their dimensions are approximately 10 meters in height and as much of interior diameter; they are equipped with walls of approximately 4 meters thickness, sometimes hollow. Their exact role is still badly known today.
At the time of his turn of play, the Black player chooses among one of the possibilities described hereafter :
A player who happens to be unable to play (for example for lack of pieces able to move) must pass his turn. Each player can also choose voluntarily to pass his turn.
Each Brochs'piece move is comparable with that of a tower in the game of chess.
Moreover :
(eg : in line)
Thus a given piece is taken if 2 opposite pieces are installed on the
couple of squares (South,North) or on the couple of squares (Est,West).
The same rule applies to the main piece ,
which makes its capture very easy if it is not protected.
If a piece voluntarily infiltrates into a gap between two opposite pieces, it is not considered as captured.
If a piece voluntarily infiltrates in a Keep between various opposite pieces, it is not regarded as not captured. A new configuration of four pieces (for example by two moves bringing back to the initial configuration) must be established in order to declare the new capture.
For example, the Western Northern Keep is occupied by a Black piece. The Black player can thus carry out a remote capture in the Southern quadrant (SE).
Even a White piece occupying a Keep can by this mechanism be withdrawn from the play (it is in general the last one which the white player wishes to withdraw). The capture followed by the occupation of a Keep by the Blacks thus makes easy the capture of that of the opposite quadrant.
However, the remote capture is authorized only if absolutely NO OTHER Black Piece does not occupy the quadrant where the capture is aimed to take place (in the example: no the Black piece in quadrant SE)
Note: the 29 boxes of the line and the column central squares do
not form part of any quadrant.
The White pieces are thus always in security on those, for the capture
in distance.
To help to locate those central boxes, they are marked of
a point.
If a White piece voluntarily infiltrates a gap between two Black pieces, it is not regarded as captured.
It is possible to introduce a Black piece by setting it on a free Keep, for example on the stroke which follows the capture of this Keep by the Blacks.
At a given moment, a Keep belongs to the side whose piece occupies it.
No stroke can be played any more if the game is declared finished.
Once the game declared finished, one determines the winner by the following rule :
The initial reactions of a new player are in general to think that the involved forces are somewhat unbalanced. For example, one frequently imagines that the White forces, twice numerous, are thus twice powerfull. Sometimes on the contrary, one thinks that the Blacks are likely more to gain, because of their very higher capacities.
A few games are enough to demonstrate the opposite : one single stroke can abruptly alter the game (tactical level); sometimes on the contrary a bright start is transformed little by little into enlisement because of lack of long term strategy.
Each player should simultaneaously consider each stroke with the greatest attention while thinking of the possible counterattacks of his adversary (tactical level), and plan the rest of the game according to a longer term (5 strokes in advance and more) thus having his troops suitably deployed on the board (strategic level).
What follows gives some tricks and hints to improve your style, to include/understand
in little time the principal challenges and the proper way of using resources
of each side: setting new pieces, remote captures and capture of the main
piece for Black troups; strenght, initial board setting and deployment
of the troops for White troups.
Lastly, it is completely necessary to use the higher mobility of the
Noirs pieces enabling them during their moves to jump over one or
more other black pieces. Do not forget this asset !
Possibilities of relief of guard (even multiple relief) must be prepared
early by the defenders.
This will oblige the attackers to completely surround the Keep to prevent
from having it reinvested at once by one of its 4 sides N, S, E, or W.
First of all, the white player should begin the evacuation of a sector
when he feels a Keep will be conquiered soon by opposite side. He should
at the same time use the evacuated pieces like offensive elements. This
means : not just park them anywhere «out of danger » but also
where they can really useful.
Moreover, it is not a good idea for the black player to immediately
set a piece on the Keep which has been just released in an evacuated sector
because he may not cast imprecations any more.
A trick may be for instance to let the Blacks seemingly encircle a Keep,
then suddenly carry out a capture (typically right before the capture of
the Keep).
Same way, the Blacks can simulate the attack of a Keep, then at the
last moment, whereas the White approach to counter-attack, play in defense
by taking them in a trap, for simply decreasing their numerical strenght.
Another significant aspect is the dynamic cover of the board, i.e. controls it maximum number of lines and/or columns. It thus confers a better potentiality on the side of carrying out a capture at any place of the board.
Do explore without a priori these 5 possibilities, then the others, and you will undoubtedly see some rather distinct results appear, more or less interesting then others by the development which you will be able to find to them. They will be the beginning of your style of play.
It can be useful, during the game, to build such configurations, even of modest size (example : 2-3 pieces), to reinforce defense capacities. Still, avoid grouping pieces in a too big amount or duration for it will restrict mobility.