Latrunculi

Latrunculi is a board game similar to checkers that was played by the ancient Romans. Scholars don't agree on the rules of the game, so this description may be slightly different than another game of the same name you have played before.

The game is played on a 8x12 board by two players using constrasting colors. Each player has two kinds of pieces: 12 normal pieces, which I will call pawns, and a single more-important piece, which I will call the king. (These names were chosen due to familiarity with other games; other names for the king are "dux" and "aquila".)

Rules for Latrunculi:

• The board is oriented with 8 rows of 12 columns, with the player's pawns on the back row and the king on the second row just to the right of the center.
• White moves first, similar to chess and checkers.
• Pawns move like rooks in chess. Kings move similarly, but only 1 square at a time.
• Pawn captures are made by surrounding an opposing piece on two opposing sides (i.e., in a line) with two of your own pieces; the edge of the board does not count as one of your pieces. The main exception is that captures of a pawn on a corner are made by surrounding the opposing piece on the two exposed sides.
• Kings cannot be captured, but they can participate in capturing opposing pawns as above.
• You can move a pawn between two opposing pieces without it being captured.
• Repeating sequences of moves are not allowed. The same position with the same player to move cannot occur more than three times in the game; after the third occurrence, that position is illegal.
• A player wins by:
  • Immobilizing the opponent's king, even if the opponent's own pieces are blocking it on some or all sides. This can happen even if the king is not surrounded on all sides if the open sides are illegal moves due to repetition.
  • Capturing all of the opponent's pawns.
  • Having more pieces on the board after 50 moves are made with no capture.

Note: this site is still under construction. A better layout is coming, along with an online version of the game. I do not know when it will be ready. Feel free to contact me: david at latrunculi dot com.