From Urdu "Lakīr" meaning "line" — the core mechanic of forming lines
of
three aligned stones
🎯 Objective
Be the first to reduce your opponent to fewer than 3 stones on the board, so they can no longer
form
a straight line of 3. This ends the game in your victory.
🧱 Game Components
- A custom board shaped like a layered geometric frame
- 2 Players: Each with 9 identical stones
- A record of which lines have been claimed by each player
🪨 Phase 1: Stone Placement
- Alternate Turns: Players take turns placing one stone at a time on any
empty
node
- No Immediate Line Completion: No player is allowed to place stones that
form a
line of 3 (a "lakīr") during this phase
- Example: If you already have stones at 2 and 3, you cannot place at 1 to
complete 1–2–3 during this phase
⚔️ Phase 2: Movement & Captures
Once both players have placed all 9 stones (including any recaptured ones), movement begins.
🎲 Turn Structure:
- Players alternate turns
- On your turn, move one of your stones to any adjacent unoccupied point via a valid path
- No diagonal jumps, no stacking, no jumping over stones
- You cannot move a stone to a position that's not directly connected
📏 Capturing Mechanic
- Form a straight, unclaimed line with exactly 3 of your stones
- When this happens:
- You capture one opponent stone of your choice (it is removed from the board)
- You claim that line as yours (you can't score from that same line again)
- You get another turn immediately, but only to move a stone (not place)
- A player can only capture one stone per successful line formation
- The same line cannot be used again for capture by the same player
🧠 Strategic Consideration
While placing, you might place stones at 2 and 3, and not at 1 (since forming 1–2–3 is illegal
during
placement). However, once movement begins, you can move a stone to 1 and complete the line
1–2–3,
enabling a capture. This opens the game to trap-setting and anticipation.
🚫 Movement Restrictions
- Players may only move along valid paths (defined by the lines on the board)
- No jumping, stacking, or teleportation
- Movement is only allowed to immediately adjacent empty circles
🏁 Winning the Game
- A player wins if the opponent has less than 3 stones left
- Or, if the opponent cannot make a valid move (e.g., all stones are blocked), the player wins
by
stalemate
📝 Optional Add-ons:
- Maintain a record of claimed lines per player
- Agree beforehand on what counts as a valid straight line (usually visually connected by
drawn
paths)