Blogokamnemove by move: a guide to classic board games

An independent reference about classic board games. It does not sell games or sets, does not run tournaments and is not connected with the former site on this domain.

Terms

Game terms

Board games have a language of their own: players say “he got a king”, “the group has no liberties left”, “she gained a tempo”. If words like these sound unfamiliar, have a look at this glossary. Each term is explained briefly and in general terms, without long analysis or examples from famous games. The strategy section and the game cards say more about the ideas behind the words.

Knowing the name of an idea means spotting it on the board before your opponent does.

— From the editors

How the glossary works: the terms are grouped into three sets. In different games and schools the same word is sometimes understood slightly differently.

Draughts and nine men's morris

King
A piece that has reached the far row. In Russian draughts a king moves any distance along a diagonal, which makes it far stronger than an ordinary man.
Capture
Taking an opponent's piece by jumping over it. In Russian draughts capturing is compulsory, and a man captures both forwards and backwards.
Mill
Three pieces of one player in a row along a line in nine men's morris. A completed mill lets you remove one of your opponent's pieces from the board.

Go

Liberties
The empty intersections next to a stone or group of stones. Stones with no liberties left are removed from the board.
Komi
Compensation White receives for moving second. Its size depends on the rules in use and is agreed before the game.
Territory
Empty intersections surrounded by one player's stones. The aim in Go is to surround more territory than your opponent.
Eye
An empty intersection inside a group of stones, enclosed by the group itself. Secure eyes keep the group's liberties, so the opponent cannot capture it.

General terms

Sowing
The basic move in mancala games: pebbles or seeds are taken from a pit and dropped one at a time into the following pits.
Draw
A game without a winner. When it is declared depends on the game and the agreement: because of a repeated position, by mutual consent or when nobody can win.
Endgame
The final stage of a game, when few pieces remain on the board and precise calculation matters most.
Tempo
A move as a unit of time in a game. To “gain a tempo” is to make a useful move your opponent has to answer.
Exchange
Trading one of your pieces for one of your opponent's. It pays off when your position becomes simpler or more solid afterwards.
  • Strategy

    The centre, tempo, exchanges, sacrifices, weak points and the endgame — general strategic ideas for any board game.

  • Games

    Game cards: Russian draughts, Go, reversi, nine men's morris, mancala, gomoku and ugolki — the board, the aim and where to start.

  • Rules

    Why one game can have several sets of rules and how to agree on them before the first move.

  • Questions

    Answers about the guide, rules and disputes at the board, teaching children and playing as a family.

What we rely on

  • Rulebooks of federations and clubs (in general terms)
  • Editorial material of this guide

We describe the rules in general terms. Clubs, families and different rulebooks have their own variations, so before a serious game check the rules you agreed on at the board.