Bao
Introduction to Bao
Purpose of this Article
This leaflet is meant for people who want to learn about the
East-African game known as Bao, and who want to know how to play
this fascinating game. The most important and most common rules are
presented here in a logical order. Additionally, some notes on
tactics and a few sample games from the Zanzibar 1994 Championship
are presented.
Mancala
Bao is what we call a mancala game. Mancala is the term to
denominate games with one shared characteristic: moves are not
executed as in chess or checkers, instead moves are executed by
sowing seeds (or other other playing pieces) into holes. Mancala
games occur mainly in Africa and Asia, and in parts of the New
World settled by natives of those regions.
Wari is another Mancala game that is reasonably well known in
Europe and America. Wari is also known as Owari, Awari or Awele.
Wari originates in West Africa while Bao is played in East Africa
(Tanzania). Bao is very popular in Zanzibar, even more popular than
soccer. Bao is reckoned to be the most complicated of all mancala
games: not only because of the complexity of the rules, but also
because of the strategies and tactics it offers to its players. It
is one of the most attractive mancala games to play. Together with
Wari it is the only mancala game to have championship tournaments.
This article may be your first step to discovering the pleasure Bao
has to offer.
Characteristics of Bao
Bao (Swahili for 'wood', 'planck') is played in Zanzibar and on
the mainland of Tanzania. It is mainly played by men in clubs
(because boards are too expensive for individuals to afford).
One of the characteristics of Bao is that the situation on the
board can change dramatically with each move. So it is hard to say
which player has the advantage just by looking at a position on the
board. The rapid changes also make it difficult to plan ahead.
The board has four rows containing eight holes. Each player owns
the two rows closest to him/her (since the game is played by males
in Africa I will refer to 'he/him' throughout this text). Each
player has a front and a back row. The aim of the game is to either
clear your opponent's front row of all seeds or make it impossible
for him to move.
The Rules
Frequently in Bao several rules are applied at the same time. In
those situations, it is important to apply the rules in the correct
order. The hierarchy of the rules is of extreme importance. In this
leaflet I will present the rules in as logical an order as
possible. After reading and playing the rules you can use the
scheme presented below to clarify the order of application of the
rules when various rules come into conflict.
Variations in Rules
The rules presented here were collected by Alex de Voogt between
1991 and 1995. He was helped by Bao masters from Zanzibar. It is
very possible that you will encouter different or additional rules
to the ones presented here. These variants can be a lot of fun to
play, but they are not the rules used during championship
tournaments. In this article, I will only present the official
rules as Alex de Voogt describes them.
The Beginning
Diagram 1 presents a view of a Bao board as seen from above. The
rectangular holes called nyumba are clearly shown. The top two rows
belong to your adversary; the bottom two are yours in this
article.
diagram 1: the Bao board seen from above (note that this image
has not yet been reproduced. Instead, we present a textual version
using the numeral 1 to indicate the nyumba and 0 to represent all
other holes)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
In diagram 2 you see the same board, with the holes replaced by
numbers. A 'zero' means that there are no seeds in the hole, any
other number represents that number of seeds in that hole.
diagram 2: schematic representation of the Bao board in the
starting position
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 2 2 6 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 6 2 2 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
As you see, each player has ten seeds at the start. The seeds
are called kete (plural: kete). The other 22 seeds are kept off the
board and are brought into play one by one. The process of
introducing the additional kete divides a Bao game into two stages.
During the first stage each player brings one seed into play each
turn. This is called the Namua stage. If you win during the namua,
you win mkononi ('in hand') because there are still seeds left in
hand to bring into play.
If there is no winner during the first stage, players keep on
playing with the seeds on the board until there is a winner. This
is called the Mtaji stage. There are no draws in Bao.
Theoretically, draws are possible, however, when, for example, a
move sets up an endless cycle.
In presenting the rules, I will begin by explaining namua, the
first stage. After that I will present the mtaji stage.
Goal of the Game
Before starting I would like to repeat the victory conditions of
the game. In order to win you must either deplete the front row of
your opponent or deprive him of all legal moves.
Namua Stage
Enter from the Stock
To start your move you have to look for a hole on your front row
that already contains one or more seeds. Ignore the empty holes.
Now select a hole with seeds that has an opposing hole that also
contains one or more seeds. Ignore the occupied holes with empty
opposing holes.
Take a seed from your stock and put it in the hole you have
selected. Take the seeds in the opposing hole. Now you have
captured these seeds.
To repeat, in order to capture seeds from the opponent you must
satisfy three conditions:
there must be one or more seeds in your own hole in the front
row
there must be one or more seeds in the opposing hole in his
front row
you put one seed from your stock into the appropriate hole in
your front row
Diagram 3 shows a situation in which you can capture:
diagram 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 1 8 1 2 0 0
0 0 0 0 7 0 2 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
You own the bottom two rows. You can capture by taking a seed
from your stock and placing it into the hole with seven seeds. Now
this hole contains eight seeds. Take the seed from the opposing
hole. Now you have captured that seed. The next section describes
what to do with captured seeds.
You Must Capture If You Can
It is important to know that you have to capture if there is a
possibility to do so. Let's return to diagram 3. The capture that
the player executed was the only possible one. Although he had
other holes with seeds, none of them had seeds in the opposite
holes.
Entering Captured Seeds
In diagram 3 you just captured a seed. In Chess or Checkers the
opposing pieces are removed from play; in Bao the captured pieces
(seeds) are brought back into play immediately.
Put the captured seed in the extreme left or right hole of your
front row. These holes are called kichwa (literally 'head').
Let us reconsider diagram 3. If we enter the captured seed in
the extreme left hole, the situation in diagram 4 arises:
diagram 4: entering the captured seed in the left hole
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 1 8 0 2 0 0
1 0 0 0 8 0 2 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The seed is entered in the left kichwa. Because it landed in an
empty hole, the move ends here.
NB: captured seed(s) are always entered in the first hole, known
as the kichwa, never in the second or another hole.
Entering More Than One Seed
We have seen a situation in which we captured one seed and
entered it in our front row.
Suppose we capture a hole with more than one seed, what will
happen? Take all the seeds en sow them in your front row, beginning
in the left or right kichwa.
Sowing means that one seed is put in the hole that lies next to
the hole that received the previous seed. Always sow one seed a
time and never skip a hole.
See diagram 5. Capture the three seeds opposing the hole with
seven seeds.
diagram 5: capturing more than one seed
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 1 8 3 2 0 0
0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
If you capture by placing a seed in the hole and taking the
opposite seeds, then the situation in diagram 6 will occur:
diagram 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 1 8 0 2 0 0
0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sow the seeds you just captured, starting from the left side.
The result is diagram 7:
diagram 70 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 1 8 0 2 0 0
1 1 1 0 8 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The last seed falls in the third hole from the left. The move
then ends, because the last seed fell in an empty hole. It is also
possible to enter the seeds from the right side. In that case, we
end up with the siuation in diagram 8:
diagram 80 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 1 8 0 2 0 0
0 0 0 0 8 1 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The last seed falls in the third hole from the right (which is
the sixth from the left).
Kichwa and Kimbi
Until now I presented situations were you could choose whether
to enter the seeds from the left or the right. But there are
situations in which you can not choose. You cannot choose if you
capture seeds from the two holes on either end of the board. In
that case, you must enter the captured seeds on the same side where
you captured them. These two holes on the extreme left and right
have special names. The outer ones we already know as kichwa. The
second holes from left and right we call kimbi.
To make this new rule clearer, see diagram 9:
diagram 90 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 3 1 8 0 2 5 6
1 2 0 0 8 0 3 4
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
If you capture by placing the seed from your stock in the hole
with one seed, you capture four seeds. These four seeds have to be
sown from the left; you are not allowed to sow them from the right.
If you capture the three seeds opposing your two, you also must sow
them beginning in hole one. If you capture the five seeds opposing
your three, you must start sowing from hole eight (the kichwa from
the right). If you capture the six seeds opposing your four, you
also must enter them starting from the right side.
The result of these capture possibilities I present in diagrams
10, 11, 12 and 13. For convenience, only the front rows are shown,
because there are no seeds in the back rows.
diagram 10: after capturing the first hole from the left
0 3 1 8 0 2 5 6
3 3 1 1 8 0 3 4
diagram 11: after capturing the second hole from the right
4 3 1 8 0 2 0 6
1 2 0 1 9 1 5 6
diagram 12: after capturing the second hole from the left
4 0 1 8 0 2 5 6
2 4 1 0 8 0 3 4
diagram 13: after capturing the first hole from the right
4 3 1 8 0 2 5 0
1 2 1 1 9 1 4 6
Capturing with Captured Seeds
Yes, the above title is true: if you capture seeds, they
immediately change sides and can capture even more opposing
seeds!
In diagrams 10 through 13, the last seed ends in an empty hole,
ending the move. In some situations the last seed to be sown falls
in a hole already containing seeds. If this happens you can capture
the seeds in the opposing hole. Of course, this can only happen if
there are seeds in the opposing hole. If there are none, then take
all the seeds from this last hole and sow them again, sowing in the
same direction.
NB: If you captured a kichwa or kimbi, the direction of sowing
can change according to the kichwa and kimbi rule presented
above.
Remember that you always keep on sowing or capturing. Your turn
can only end when your last seed falls in an empty hole.
Multiple Captures
By capturing with captured seeds, multiple captures are
possible. To explain this multiple capturing, see diagram 14. Enter
a seed in the hole that contains two seeds and capture the opposing
three.
diagram 140 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 3 4 8 0 2 5 6
0 2 1 0 8 0 3 4
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Because it is a kimbi hole, you must start sowing from the left
kichwa.
You capture the three opposing seeds. Because it is a left sided
kimbi hole, you start sowing on the left side. The last of the
three seeds ends in the third hole. This hole already contains one
seed, so you capture the four seeds of your opponent. Take these
then and start sowing from the left. You have to start on the left,
because you were already sowing in that direction. The last of
those seeds falls in the fourth hole. Because the fourth was empty,
the move ends.
diagram 15: result of capturing the second hole in diagram
14
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 8 0 2 5 6
2 5 3 1 8 0 3 4
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Now, go back to diagram 14 and capture the right side kichwa.
After completing all sowing you will get the postion in diagram 16
as a result.
diagram 16: result of capturing the eight hole from the left in
diagram 14
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 3 0 8 0 2 5 0
1 3 3 2 0 2 5 7
1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0
To Keep on Sowing
In some situations the last seed won't fall in an occupied hole
having seeds in the opposite hole. Take a look at diagram 17.
diagram 170 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 7 0 0 0 2
0 2 3 2 0 2 5 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
You capture the seven seeds from your opponent. If you start
sowing from the left, you will end with your last seed in the
seventh hole. It is not empty, so your move doesn't end, but
there's nothing to capture either. In that case take all of the
seeds from that hole (there are now six) and start sowing again,
not changing direction and starting with the very next hole. In
this case you will end up in the back row, the fourth hole from the
left. You can see this result in diagram 18.
diagram 18: result of capturing the seven seeds, starting from
the left
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
1 3 4 4 1 3 0 1
0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1
If you capture the seven seeds and start sowing from the right,
you will eventually end up in the back row, the third hole from the
left.
To Sow Around the Corner
In the situations above there were more seeds to sow than there
were holes. In that case, you keep on sowing in the back row. It is
even possible to return to the front row, again, if you have enough
seeds!
No Capturing = Takasa
In some situations, you can not start a move by capturing
opposing seeds. Take a look at the starting positions (diagram 2)
and you will know what I mean.
Moves where you cannot start with a capture we call takasa.
If you can't start with a capture, just put a seed in one of
your holes with one or more seeds, take all seeds and start sowing
them. Keep on sowing until your last seed encounters an empty hole.
During the move, no captures are allowed! This is because you
didn't start with a capture.
Rules of the House, Nyumba
The nyumba (Swahili for 'house') is the hole marked with a
rectangle. This is always the fifth hole from the left on the front
row.
The nyumba ceases to be a nyumba as soon as the seeds it
contains are sown. After that it is an ordinary hole just as all
other holes.
The nyumba has some special rules that add flavor to the game.
These rules concern, amongst others, keeping on sowing and emptying
the nyumba in takasa situations. These special rules do not apply
if you have fewer than six seeds in your nyumba.
To Stop Sowing
In the above paragraph 'To Keep on Sowing' I told you that you
have to continue sowing if your last seed falls in an occupied hole
with a hole opposite with no seeds. The nyumba is an exception to
this rules. If the last seed falls in the nyumba and the opposing
hole is empty, the player may end his turn if he wishes. The
opponent then starts his move. See diagram 19.
diagram 19: capture the four seeds and start sowing from the
right
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 2 10 4 4 0 0
2 1 0 0 12 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
You take the four seeds opposing your nyumba (the nyumba is
underlined) and start sowing from the right. Now your last seed
falls in the nyumba. According to the rules, you may either start
sowing the seeds or you may stop. If you continue sowing, you will
end up capturing no other seeds. So, in this case, you decide to
stop and wait for better chances in later turns.
Why Stopping?
As I already said, sometimes it is advantageous to wait for
better times. If you sow the seeds from your nyumba at the right
time, the result can be devestating.
For example, take a look at diagram 20.
diagram 20: the opponents turn: he must capture the seed
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 2 16 0 0 2 0
2 1 0 0 14 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Your opponent has no choice: he has to capture the seed and put
it in his right side kichwa, thus ending his turn since it was
empty. The result is to be seen in diagram 21:
diagram 21: end of your opponents turn. Now you must capture
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 2 2 16 0 0 2 0
2 0 0 0 14 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Now you capture the seed opposing your two seeds. You enter the
seed in you left side kichwa. This captured seed is automatically
your last seed. The hole is not empty and since now there is
nothing left to capture, so you take the four seeds and start
sowing them ending in the nyumba. If you decide to sow the seeds
fom your nyumba you will capture all other seeds from your
opponents front row. We call this Bao Hamna: clearance of the front
row. You win!
Sowing the seeds from your nyumba at the right time is very
tricky to do. It is like a climax and is one of the focal points of
the Bao game.
A Takasa Situation with Only Your Nyumba Remaining
This is the second special rule concerning the nyumba. Take a
look at diagram 22. In this situation you cannot make a
capture.
diagram 22: only the nyumba left in a takasa situation
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 2 9 0 2 0 0
0 0 0 0 9 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
If the nyumba is the only hole left and you can't capture, place
a seed in your nyumba then take out two seeds and sow them to the
left or to the right.
Always remember that these special rules do not apply if there
are less than six seeds in your nyumba.Summary of the Most
Important and Frequently Used Rules
you have to capture if you can
entering captured seeds must be done in the front row from the
first hole from the left or right
you have no choice whether to start from the left or right
when:
you captured a kichwa or kimbi hole
you have already sown in a direction
if the last seed ends in an occupied hole, capture the opposing
seeds
if there is nothing in the opposing hole, take the seeds from
you holeand sow them in the same direction
your move ends when your last seed falls in an empty hole.
Mtaji Stage
The mtaji stage begins when the namua stage ends. That means
that you start the mtaji stage when all seeds in the stocks have
been brought into play. The mtaji stage is not very different from
the namua stage.
Capture
In the mtaji stage you must capture if you can. Because no more
seeds can be brought into play, you must take a hole that, after
sowing the contents of it, ends with the last seed falling in a
hole having a hole with seeds opposing it. The opposing hole is
called mtaji (plural: mitaji).
So we can conclude:
sow seeds from a hole (that may be a hole from the front or back
row)
the last seed from that hole must end in a hole in the front row
having one or more seeds
there must be one or more seeds in the opposing hole (mtaji)
the seeds in the mtaji are captured
playing singletons (holes with only one seed in it) is not
allowed
if there is no mtaji, you play takasa (which will be explained
later)
In diagram 23 you have two possible mitaji. You can play your
three seeds to the right and capture five, or you can play your
nine seeds to the right (sowing around the corner) and capture
six.
diagram 230 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 5 6 0 0
0 3 0 0 4 1 0 0
0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0
Takasa
In the mtaji stage it is not uncommon to have situations in
which no captures are possible. This can be because there are no
occupied holes with occupied holes on the opposite side (mtaji), or
because there are no holes that when sown would end opposite
mtaji.
These situations are called takasa. In that case, a player must
take a hole from the front row and sow it to the left or right.
During the move captures are not allowed, just as in the namua
stage.
If there are no occupied holes in the front row, you may sow a
hole from the back row.
Take notice: you may never start by sowing a singleton hole.
If there is a hole that is the only mtaji left for your opponent
(mtaji moja), than this hole may not be sown in a takasa situation.
In diagram 24 your opponent has a takasa situation. This means that
he must sow his five or six seeds. Because you have only one mtaji
left (the hole with four seeds), he may not sow his five seeds. So
your opponent must sow his six seeds to the left or the right.
diagram 240 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 5 6 0 0
0 3 0 0 4 1 0 0
0 7 0 0 0 0 0 0
Notation
In order to facilitate writing down the moves, we designed a
notation system in cooperation with Bao masters. In this system
every hole has a number: one to eight for every row. The front row
is called 'A' (or 'a' for your opponent), the back row is 'B' (or
'b' for your opponent). The difference between the capital and
small letters is the difference between black and white in Chess.
'L' means playing (to the) left, 'R' means playing (to the) right.
'>' means that the seeds of the nyumba are sown. So 'A5R>'
means a seed is put in the fifth hole from the left on the front
row, capturing opposing seeds and entering those seeds sowing them
fromt he right. '*' means that there is no capturing (takasa). So
'A3R*' means that the seeds in the third hole from the left are
sown to the right, because no capturing was possible.
diagram 25: the numbers of the holes and the names of the
rows
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1b
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1a
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8A
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8B
Glossary
(From: Limits of the Mind, Alex de Voogt)
Bao
1. Game of Bao; 2. board; 3. goal (scored in soccer)
Bao Hamna
1. victory; 2. clearance (hamna = there is not)
kete
seed(s) used in Bao. The seeds are from the Mkomwe tree
kimbi
second and seventh hole in the front row
kichwa
1. Far-end hole on either side; 2. head
mkononi
'in the hand' victory within 22 moves (44 turns) when all of the
kete have not been brought into the game
Piga Tanji
to attack several houses at the same time
singleton
hole containing one seed
takasa (or takata)
to play without capture
takasia
to play without capturing while forcing the opponent to play
without capturing, after which is it possible to capture
Tactics of Bao
Tactical Combinations
We have now learned the rules to use in a game of Bao and how to
apply them. Let's continue and learn what are the best moves too
play.
You will find out that learning to play Bao in the best way will
take a lifetime, just like Chess, Checkers, Go and all the other
fascinating abstract boardgames. Yet, a teacher of, for example,
Chess will be able to explain the difference between a smart move
and not. He will tell you something about conquering the center of
the board, trying to castle as soon as possible, etc. I will also
try to give you some guidelines and general instructions about what
is smart to do. But always keep in mind that sometimes it can be
better not to follow the general instructions I present here, just
as sometimes it can be wise to give away a chess piece in order to
gain an advantage.
I will use parts of Alex de Voogt 's book, Limits of the Mind
(see Literature) in explaining the most widely used tactics.
Tactical Moves
It is important to recognise certain situations in order to be
able to apply a certain tactical moves. Those situations are
presented here. When you are able to understand and recognise a
situation when a given tactical move is appropriate, you can force
the opponent to play in such a way that the desired situation will
be created.
The Nyumba
"The nyumba is central during the first part of the Bao game.
Most situations seek to develop and empty the nyumba most
profitably. In order to acquire skill in the defence and
development of the nyumba one is required to know the various
combinations that empty the house, since it cannot be emptied
withut a preceding capture." (De Voogt 1995, p.55)
Combinations to the nyumba: short flank
We begin with the situation that you will easily recognise. The
'x' stands for the fact that you don't know the exact number of
seeds in that hole.
diagram 260 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 x 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 x 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
When you play A8 the last seed will end in hole A5. Because a4
is empty, you have to choose whether to play the nyumba or to end
the move. If you have 17 seeds then you can capture the nyumba of
the opponent. A variant of this situation is diagram 27:
diagram 270 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 x 1 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 x 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Playing A5R you can play the nyumba again.
The last variant is:
diagram 280 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 x 1 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 x 0 0 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Play A5R to play the nyumba.
Combinations to the nyumba: long flank
These combinations are less frequent and are more difficult to
create. In diagram 29 you can play the nyumba if you play A2.
diagram 290 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 2 0 x 0 0 0 0
0 1 0 0 x 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
In diagram 30 play A1.
diagram 300 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 x 0 0 0 0
2 0 0 0 x 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
In diagram 31 you can play A1 or A2.
diagram 310 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 1 0 x 0 0 0 0
1 1 0 0 x 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Try to keep these six situations in mind; they are important in
Bao. Notice that you don't have to play the house when these
situations occur, you just have to choose whether or not to play
the nyumba. That's always better than having no choice at all.
Let's see how you can create these situations.
Forced Moves
"Forced moves are situations where the player is forced to
accept the course of play, i. e. the opponent is able to reach his
objective without possible counterplay. " (De Voogt 1995, p.
53)
diagram 320 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 x 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 0 14 0 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
We see that player a has just one possibility to capture in
diagram 32. When he captures a2, the following situation will
arise:
diagram 330 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 x 0 0 2 1
0 0 0 0 14 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
In diagram 34 we see the situation in which A plays the long
flank. When he captures A3, the opponent must play a7. Player A
then has to capture A1 ans after that player a will defend his
nyumba, leaving A2 for player A to play the nyumba:
diagram 340 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 1 x 0 0 0 0
0 1 1 0 x 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
I will present the following diagram last. In this diagram there
is a forced move. Player a will defend his nyumba. No matter what
move he makes, player A will always be able to respond in such a
way that he can play his nyumba, even though it may take many moves
to play out.
diagram 350 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 2 x 0 4 1 0
0 0 1 1 x 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
General Principles
The Bridge
"The bridge is a choice of capture, where a captured seed is
entered into the front row in such a way that it reaches the
initial hole of capture again. This hole I will call the capturing
hole. This procedure enables the capturing hole to be continued
while at least two seeds have been added from the start of the
move." (De Voogt 1995, p. 62)
A good example is daigram 36, where the nyumba will be played by
A5R. Here the nyumba is the capturing hole and the captured seeds
allow the nyumba to be played.
diagram 360 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 16 1 0 1 1
0 0 0 0 15 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
In diagram 37 you can play A2. Because you will reach the kimbi
of the other flank you can keep continue capturing. The bridge in
this move is very effective.
diagram 370 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 6 0 x 1 0 1 1
1 1 0 0 x 1 0 3
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Capturing kimbi and kichwa holes allow you to change the
direction of sowing. So capturing a hole that allows you to capture
the kichwa or kimbi hole on the other flank gives you the
opportunity to capture many holes if you are low on seeds.
Utitiri
"In a situation where many seeds from the front row have been
captured, it is often wise to launch a singleton attack [this
strategy is called utitiri 'chicken lice']. I consider as a
singleton attack every move which fills the player's row with one
seed per hole while the opponent's row is occupied with (many) more
seeds. The difficult defense makes an easy attack in the next turn,
since various occupied holes will be exposed to capture. The
defence against a singleton attack consists of neutralizing the
singletons position. A player should destroy bridges that enable
the opponent to travel up and down the front row. Large holes of
one's own should only be defended if they allow long combinations.
Many times the holes with many seeds end somewhere in the back row
and cause only limited damage compared with other combinations "
(De Voogt, p. 62/63)
An example of utitiri is shown in diagram 38. Play A1R to launch
a singleton attack.
diagram 380 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 6 0 x 4 3 4 1
5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Piga Tanji
"To piga tanji is to attack (usually) two holes, both with many
seeds, in one move. This often forces an opponent to abandon one of
them. This is comparable to the fork attack in Chess. If one of the
holes is a kimbi hole, players usually abandon the kimbi hole to
avoid kitakimbi." (De Voogt, 1995, p.63)
Kitakimbi is a specific trap that forces a player to defend his
kimbi hole. Since it is difficult to defend that hole, he soon
abandons his other holes.
An example of piga tanji is presented in diagram 39. If player A
plays A6L, he will attack the kimbi and the nyumba at the same
time:
diagram 391 1 0 1 1 0 2 1
0 6 0 15 0 4 0 0
0 0 0 0 x 1 0 0
0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
Short Wins
"A short win is a game with less than 22 moves (44 turns). In
that case, not all seeds have entered the game and a player is
beaten mkononi which means 'in the hand' (which refers to the seeds
still held in the hand). (De Voogt 1995, p. 63)
Here are a few examples of short games:
(1) A6L* a6R; Normally not a good move: the nyumba should be
defended.
(2) A4R a6R; By making a bridge hole A1 is reached. A dangerous
situation arises: player A can play the nyumba if he wants (see how
diagram 40 resembles diagram 36: there is one seed opposing the
nyumba, one seed in the right kichwa and one seed opposing that
kichwa.
diagram 400 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 3 0 1 1 1 1 1
0 0 0 3 8 1 3 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
(3) A5R> Player A decides to play the nyumba. He now thinks
he has a clear advantages. He captured the opponent nyumba and
managed to spread sow the seeds of his own nyumba.
diagram 410 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 3 0 1 0 1 1 0
1 1 1 4 0 2 4 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
(3) A5R Hamna! All seeds have been captured! Player A loses.
Another short game demonstrating the awesome nature of Bao:
(1) A6L* a5R;
(2) A3R a5R;
(3) A3R a5R;
(4) A7R a8R;
(5) A3L This moves proves to be a mistake. From here on all the
following moves are compulsory; no counterplay for player A is
possible if player a plays a7.
(5) a7;
(6) A1 a5R; Player A must capture with hole A2, preparing a
situation like in diagram 36 for player a
diagram 421 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 4 0 10 0 0 0 0
0 1 0 0 9 0 0 1
1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
(7) A2 a5R> Hamna!
Judging a Position
We have seen a couple of situations that deceive the eye in the
examples above. It looks like everything is going okay for one
player, while it turns out that the other player is winning, after
all. Play can shift quickly in Bao, because changes are frequent
and can alter the situation dramatically. So how can you tell who
has the advantage in Bao? There are a couple of clues.
Take a look at the back rows. Seeds in the back row have three
advantages. Seeds in the back row:
cannot be captured and therefore are always yours;
are necessary to help form a bridge if you leave the front row
sowing 'around the corner' and want to get back to the front
row;
are savings against hard times in the mtaji stage. Play seeds to
the front row in times that you are low on seeds in the mtaji
stage.
The more seeds in the back row, the better. You have more
chances and opportunities to create the right move.
If you want to judge a position, take a look at the back row.
The one who manages to accumulate most seeds in as many holes as
possible, often manages to win the game. But when developping the
back row always remember that seeds on the back row are worthless
without seeds in the front row!
Bao Tournament Games (Zanzibarian championship 1994)
Maulidi (A) - Kijumbe (a) 11-10-94
(1) A7L * a5R;
(2) 6L * 5R;
(3) 2 6L;
(4) 1 5R;
(5) 3R 1;
(6) 5R 3L;
(7) 7 3L;
(8) 2R * 5L;
(9) 5R 3R;
(10) 3L 3R *;
(11) 3L 4R;
(12) 4R 2;
(13) 6R 5R;
(14) 3L 3L;
(15) 5R 5R;
(16) 5L 2;
(17) 5L 6L;
(18) 5L 3L;
(19) 5L 5R;
(20) 5L 3L;
(21) 4L 3R;
(22) 1
(Before playing, Kijumbe points to A2 and b3,
a forced move combination to capture the house)
2;
(23) A2R b3L
(captures the house with 19 seeds);
(24) (A) resigns.
23 moves (46 single-moves), 17 minutes S0 seconds.
Kijumbe (A) - Maulidi (a) 11-10-94
(1) A7L * a5R;
(2) 6L * 5R;
(3) 2 6L;
(4) 1 5R;
(5) 3R 1;
(6) 5R 3L;
(7) 7 3L;
(8) 2R * 3L;
(9) 5R 5R;
(10) 3L 3R *;
(These moves were played in only 30 seconds.)
(11) 3L 4R;
(12) 4R 2;
(13) 4R 6L;
(14) 6L 2;
(15) 6R 1;
(16) 6L 5R;
(17) 5L 5L;
(18) 6R 7;
(19) 6R 2;
(20) 5R 6R;
(21) 5R 2;
(22) 2 4R;
(23) A2L * a4R;
(24) B7L * b8R;
(25) B1L a4R;
(26) B5L * a1R;
(27) B2L b5R;
(28) A4R * b6R;
(29) B6R b1L;
(30) B8R b7L ... Bao hamna! (a)
wins.
30 moves (60 single-moves), 22 minutes.
Maulidi (A) - Shamte (a) 12-10-94
(1) A6L * a5L;
(2) 3L 7;
(3) 1 5R;
(4) 2 5R>;
(5) 5L 3R;
(6) 8 7;
(7) 5L 7;
(8) 7 3R;
(9) 4R 7L *;
(10) 7 3L;
(11) 8> 3R;
(12) 4L 4R;
(13) 8 4R;
(14) 4R 2
(A long move of more than 5 rounds, Maulidi clearly
miscalculated,
while Shamte was obviously familiar with this trap)
Bao hamna! (a) wins.
14 moves (28 single-moves), 7 minutes.
Kijumbe (A) - Majaliwa (a) 15-10-94
(1) A7L * a5R;
(2) 6L * 5L;
(3) 3R 7;
(4) 3L 1;
(5) 5R 2;
(6) 8 3R;
(7) 1 5R;
(8) 7 5L;
(9) 6L 5R;
(10) 8> 7;
(11) 6L 6L;
(12) 6L 5R;
(13) 7 5L;
(14) 6R 1;
(15) 2 5R;
(16) 1 5R;
(17) 3R * 5L;
(18) 7 5L;
(19) 2R * 5L;
(20) 7 5L;
(21) 3R 3R;
(22) 5R 5L;
(23) A3R - (a) resigns (b8R is a forced move which followed by
A6L
allows the opponent to capture the house of 27 seeds which
results in Bao hamna.)
23 moves (45 single-moves), 9 minutes 5 seconds.
Maulidi (A) - Ramadhan (a) 16-10-94
(1) A7L a5R;
(2) 6L 5R;
(3) 2 3L;
(4) 1 5R;
(5) 3R 1;
(6) 5R 3L;
(7) 8> 2;
(8) 1 5R;
(9) 2R * 5L;
(10) 7 3L;
(11) 4L 4L;
(12) 6R 1;
(13) 7 3R;
(14) 2 3L;
(15) 4L 7;
(16) 7 7;
(17) 4R
(This move takes several laps, both Ramadhan and Maulidi
did not foresee a direct win until Maulidi was halfway
through the move)
Bao hamna! (A) wins.
17 moves (33 single-moves), 6 minutes 30 seconds.
Nasoro (A) - Abdallah (a) 17-10-94
(1) A6L 5R;
(2) 3R 5L;
(3) 8 7L *;
(4) 5L 8>;
(5) 3R 3R;
(6) 3L 8;
(7) 3R 3L;
(8) 7R * 1;
(9) 5R 3R *;
(10) 5L 6R;
(It should be noted that these 10 moves were completed
in the record time of 31 seconds, with players playing
almost simultaneously.)
(11) 5R 2;
(12) 1 7;
(13) 1 2;
(14) 5L 6L;
(15) 2 3L;
(16) 5R 5L;
(17) 5L> 5L;
(18) 6L 4L;
(19) 6R 4R;
(20) 3R 4R;
(21) 7 3L;
(22) 7 7;
(23) A7L b7R *;
(24) B6R b4L *;
(25) A7L b5R;
(26) B1L b6R *;
(27) A6R b1L;
(28) B3L a3R;
(29) B5R - (a) resigns.
29 moves (57 single-moves), 35 minutes 25 seconds.
Kijumbe (A) - Omar (a) 17-10-94
(1) A7L a5R;
(2) 6L 5R;
(3) 2 6L;
(4) 1 5R;
(5) 3R 1;
(6) 5R 3L;
(7) 7 3L;
(8) 2R * 3L;
(9) 5R 5R;
(10) 3L 3R *;
(11) 3L 4R;
(12) 4R 4L;
(13) 3L 7;
(14) 3R 3R;
(15) 4L 6L;
(16) 4R 2;
(17) 5R 1;
(18) 5L 6L;
(19) (Kijumbe was thinking for more than
six minutes here . . .)
6L 8;
(20) 3L 5R;
(21) 2 3L;
(22) 2 3L;
(23) B6R a3L *
(This moves attacks two kimbi holes at the same time,
a fork attack);
(24) A7R
(One kimbi is played)
b7R
(The other is captured);
(25) B2L a2R;
(26) B8R a4L *;
(27) B7R b1L
(The back row is practically depleted now);
(28) B5R
(b5L would give the possibility of capture with help
of the takasia rule, but apparently not enough) (a) resigns.
28 moves (55 single-moves), 24 minutes 50 seconds.
Ramadhan (A) - Kijumbe (a) 17-10-94
(1) A7L a5R;
(2) 6L 5R;
(3) 2 6L;
(4) 1 5R;
(5) 3R 1;
(6) 5R 3L;
(7) 7 3L;
(8) 2R * 5L;
(9) 5R 3R;
(10) 3L 3R *;
(11) 3L 4R;
(12) 4R 2;
(13) 5R 6L;
(14) 4L 1;
(15) 4R 2;
(16) 4R 6L;
(17) 4R 3R;
(18) 4R 4L;
(19) 8 4R;
(20) 6L 4L;
(21) 3L 1;
(22) 6L 7;
(23) A7L b8R;
(24) A6L a7L *;
(25) A5R b2L;
(26) A4L * b6R;
(27) B6R a7L;
(28) A8L * a8L;
(29) B2L b1L;
(30) B4L b8R;
(31) B7R a7L;
(32) A4R * b3L;
(33) B3R * a7L;
(34) B6R * (takasia) a6R *
(Takasia means that the opponent has to takasa
but is not allowed to empty a certain hole, c.q. a2.
Since a6R reaches this hole, this move ends/sleeps
at a2);
(35) B7R b8R;
(36) A7R (takasia)
(At this moment Kijumbe started to laugh, since this
takasia move came about just by luck, even Ramadhan
smiled when he understood the situation.)
a4R *
(As in move 36, this move ends on a1 which is takasia-ed.);
(37) B7R a6L;
(38) A8L b6L;
(39) A5R b3L;
(40) B5R a2R *;
(41) A4R b5R;
(42) B8R a7R;
(43) A7L b4L;
(44) A5L a8L;
(45) (A) resigns
(B2L is a forced move, followed by b8R is Bao hamna.)
44 moves (88 single-moves), 30 minutes 10 seconds.
Kijumbe (A) - Rajab (a) 19-10-94
(1) A7L * a5R;
(2) 6L * 6R;
(3) 5R 5R;
(4) 2 8;
(5) 2 6R;
(6) 1 5R;
(7) 3R 2;
(8) 8 5L;
(9) 7 5L;
(10) 5R 3L;
(11) 8 3R;
(12) 2 6R;
(13) 2 5R;
(14) 3R> 5R>;
(15) 3L 3L;
(16) 5R 5L;
(17) 7 5R;
(18) 2 8;
(19) 5L 6L;
(20) 5L 2;
(21) 5R 2;
(22) 6L 7;
(23) B3L b6R;
(24) B7R b2L;
(25) B1L a1R;
(26) B2L a3R *;
(27) A3R b2L;
(28) A2R a1L *;
(29) B1L b1R *;
(30) A8L b5L *;
(31) A2R b7R;
(32) B3L a4R ... (a) resigns.
32 moves (64 single-moves), 41 minutes 15 seconds.
