How to play kōnane

One kind of move, no draws, and a game that gets sharper as the board empties. It takes about a minute to learn.

The board

Kōnane is played on a grid, traditionally carved into stone, in a range of sizes. This version uses a 6×7 board. Every square starts covered, alternating black and white.

The board as it is set up.

Opening

Black begins by removing one black stone. It can be any stone except those along the edges, though the corners are allowed. White then removes one of its own stones directly beside that empty square. Play begins with two gaps and Black to move.

Every square Black may open from.

Moving

There is only one kind of move: a jump. Move one of your stones over an adjacent opposing stone and land in the empty square directly beyond it. The stone you jumped is removed from the board.

Jumps go up, down, left and right, never diagonally. There are no quiet moves either, so if you cannot jump, you cannot move.

The only move there is: over a neighbour, into the space beyond.

Multiple jumps

After a jump, that same stone may jump again, but only in the direction it was already travelling. It cannot turn a corner mid-turn. You may stop after any jump, and you are never forced to take everything available.

One stone, three jumps, one direction — and you may stop after any of them.

Winning

There is no capturing everything, no reaching the far side, and no draws. When it is your turn and you have no legal jump, you lose. That is the only way the game ends.

White is to move and has no jump anywhere. Black wins.

What to think about

Stones are not points. Being ahead in captures means nothing if you run out of moves first. What matters is how many jumps remain available to you compared to your opponent, and whether the ones you have can be taken away.

Black is two stones ahead with 2 jumps left. White has 5.

Play a game