Delta (1975)
Delta (1975) Rulebook
Table of Contents
Delta
Contents: 2 game boards, 19 stones.
Components: Game board of 5 x 5 rectangular spaces, 9 dark stones, 9 light stones.
Object of the game: Each player tries to be the first to form a "Staffel" (a row of four) with their stones: a line of four stones of the same colour on four adjacent spaces. The line may run horizontally, vertically, or diagonally (three examples are shown in Figure 1).
Figure 1 shows the five-by-five board with example lines.
Opening: White begins and places one stone on any space of the board. Black likewise places one stone on any space.
Move: The stone placed at the start is moved any number of spaces in a straight or diagonal direction, but at least 2 spaces (see Figure 2).
Figure 2 shows the possible directions of movement from a stone.
Moving and placing: The spaces marked with a point are the spaces to which the stone can be moved. The stone that is moved is the "Vorläufer" (leader). Immediately behind it, on the last space it passed over, a new stone is placed; this is the "Nachläufer" (follower).
Each turn therefore consists of moving one stone and placing one stone.
For the second player (Black) there is an exception on the first turn: Black may leave the first stone placed where it is and place a second stone, wherever Black wants. This applies only to the first turn.
Course of play: After the opening, the players alternate turns. A player uses any one of their own stones as the leader (on the first turn, the stone placed first) if it can move at least 2 spaces, and places a new stone behind it as the follower. Occupied spaces may be neither jumped over nor entered.
Winner: The winner is the first player to form a Staffel with four stones of their colour. That player scores one point for each empty space left on the board. A player also wins who has "pressed" the opponent (German: "press"), i.e. when none of the opponent's stones can any longer move two spaces. This win counts only one point.
When the players have used up their stones and no one has yet won, play continues: one of one's own stones is moved as the leader, as before, and a follower is placed behind it: any one of one's own stones is taken from the board and placed again. In this case the winner can still reach 7 points.
Several games: At the start, the players agree on several games and write down the winning numbers (scores). They begin the games alternately.
Draw: It can therefore happen that a player, using the red stone, completes a Staffel for the opponent and thereby loses. It can also happen that a player with the red stone completes a Staffel for oneself and for the opponent at the same time. In that case the game is a draw.
Win/loss variant: If the players prefer to play only for win or loss, without counting the empty spaces at the end, then a win counts 1 point and a "press" counts 1/2 point.
Neo-Delta
Components: Game board of 6 x 6 square spaces, 9 light stones, 9 dark stones, 1 red stone.
Neo-Delta has the same object, the same move and almost the same course of play as Delta. In Neo-Delta, besides the light and dark stones, the red stone also comes into play.
Opening: White may place the red stone on the board as the first stone. If White does not do so, White must then place it as the first follower.
Course of play: Once placed, the red stone may be used by both players. Either player may use it as a leader or as a follower. It can also take part in forming a Staffel for either player. A Staffel can therefore consist of three of one's own stones and the red stone.