GIPF Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• CONTENTS
• Basic rules
  • GAME BOARD
  • STARTING THE GAME
  • GOAL
  • A TURN
    • Particulars:
  • TAKING PIECES
    • Particulars:
    • Remark:
  • END OF THE GAME
    • Remarks:
  • STRATEGY
    • Remark:
• Standard rules
  • • Remark:
  • BEGIN
  • GIPF
    • Remark:
  • END OF A GAME
• Tournament rules
• Concept and possibilities
  • CONCEPT
  • POSSIBILITIES

CONTENTS

• 1 game board
• 18 white basic pieces
• 18 black basic pieces
• 1 bag
• 1 rulebook

Basic rules

GAME BOARD

The board shows a pattern of lines. Each line is characterized by 2 black dots and a various number of intersections with other lines. These intersections are called spots.

1. There are 24 dots at the edges of the pattern on the board. Dots are not part of the play area; they are used to position a piece before bringing it into play.
2. In total, the play area (i.e. the central part of the board) features 37 spots. Only the pieces covering a spot are part of the game.
3. The thick lines indicate the directions in which pieces may be moved.

STARTING THE GAME

1. The players draw lots for their color. White begins.
2. The basic version is played with only 15 pieces per player. The remaining 3 pieces can be used to equate the strength of the players: the less experienced player gets an advantage of 1, 2 or 3 pieces.
3. The board must be placed between the players in such a way that the dot marked “E1” points at the player with the white pieces.
4. The players start the game with 3 pieces each on the board. They are placed on the angular dots—with the colors alternating—and then moved to the first spot towards the center. They are now in play.
5. At the beginning, each player has 12 pieces that are not in play yet. Pieces that are not in play are hereafter referred to as the reserve.

GOAL

If a player has no more pieces in his reserve, he cannot make any more moves. The goal is to capture opponent’s pieces, so that eventually he has no pieces left to bring into play.

A TURN

The players take turns. Each turn a player must add one piece to the game and this must be done in 2 steps: first, he takes a piece from his reserve and places it on any of the 24 dots (step 1) and then he moves it onto a spot in the play area (step 2).

Particulars:

1. A piece must always first be placed on a dot, regardless of the move that will be made. This is step 1. A piece is not in play as long as it is covering a dot, meaning that the turn is not yet completed.
2. There are two possibilities for step 2:
   • A piece can be pushed from a dot to a free spot in the play area. As soon as a piece is pushed in the direction of a spot, the move must be executed.
   • A piece can also be pushed from a dot to a spot that is already occupied by another piece. In this case, the occupied spot must first be cleared: the piece occupying it (regardless of its color) must be moved to the next spot on the line; if that spot is also occupied, then this piece also moves over one spot, etc. Finally, the new piece is pushed onto the cleared spot. Note that all the pieces are moved in one and the same direction. It is advisable not to “push” a row of pieces; always move pieces one by one, starting with furthest piece in the row. Once a player has touched a piece in the play area, the move must be executed.
3. A piece can move only one spot at a time, never two or more.
4. It is not allowed to push a piece out of the play area, i.e. onto the dot at the opposite far end of a line.

TAKING PIECES

As soon as 4 pieces of the same color are lined up next to each other, they must be taken from the board by the player with that color. In addition to removing the 4 pieces, the pieces that form a direct extension of these 4 pieces must also be removed. The pieces of the player’s own color are returned to his reserve and the pieces of the other color are captured, thus lost for the opponent.

Particulars:

1. Since it is imperative to bring a piece into play each turn, a player must try to keep his reserve “alive”. To do so, he can capture his own pieces: he may return pieces from the board to his reserve, provided that he manages to get at least 4 pieces of his color in a row.
2. When 4 pieces of one color are lined up and more pieces extend this row, these pieces must also be taken from the board, regardless of their color. (Note that a vacant spot interrupts a row!)
3. As soon as 4 pieces of the same color are lined up, it is compulsory to take them from the board (included the pieces extending the row). It is of no importance which player causes the situation; the pieces must always be taken by the player playing with the color of the 4 pieces in a row.
4. It may occur that more than one row of 4 (or more) pieces of the same color are lined up at the same time. If these rows don’t intersect each other, all must be captured; if they do intersect, the player playing with that color may choose which row he will take.
5. When a situation occurs in which both players must take pieces, the player who caused the situation goes first.

Remark:

Removing pieces from the board does not count as a turn!

END OF THE GAME

The game ends when one of the players cannot bring a piece into play. Thus, if a player has no pieces left in his reserve, the other player is the winner.

Remarks:

1. Don’t misinterpret the aim of the game; the only way to win is by capturing the opponent’s pieces, not by returning own pieces repeatedly from the board to the reserve!
2. A tie is not possible. The first player to run out of pieces loses the game, even if the other player, too, would run out of pieces in his next turn.
3. A player should always be able to see how many pieces the opponent has left in his reserve. Leave them clearly visible next to the board.

STRATEGY

When you learn how to play a new strategy game, it often happens that you feel lost in the many possibilities. Don’t let this discourage you. Give yourself a fair chance and after a few games you will notice that your play improves rapidly. Below you’ll find a few tips to get you started. We advise reading them after having played a first game.

1. The most important rule for beginners is this: a turn always starts by putting a piece on a dot! By executing your moves in the dictated 2 steps, you will come to recognize the possible movements of the pieces even sooner. (This is obligatory during tournaments, too.)
2. There is no side of the board that you can consider as your side. Make use of the possibility to attack your opponent from all sides—and, of course, be conscious (and cautious!) of the fact that your opponent will do the same.
3. Playing GIPF starts with the notion that pieces in the play area are more dangerous and effective than pieces in reserve. Always try to keep as many pieces on the board as possible.
4. Use the possibility of forcing your opponent to capture his own pieces (of course without losing a piece yourself). That way you weaken his position in the play area, which often creates better possibilities for attacking his remaining pieces.
5. Keep in mind that taking pieces from the board implies that a number of occupied spots will no longer be occupied. This often causes new (and dangerous) openings.
6. Only at the ending stage of the game does it become important to keep a close eye on the opponent’s reserve. You will notice that the difference between winning and losing often depends on having just one more piece in reserve than your opponent.

Remark:

An easy win is not really enjoyable, nor is losing all the time. When the difference between two players is so vast that it affects the joy of playing, make use of the possibility to adjust the number of pieces per player according to their strength.

Standard rules

This version is played according to exactly the same rules as the basic version, but with the addition of GIPF-pieces. A GIPF-piece consists of 2 basic pieces stacked one on top of another.

GIPF means “potential”. On the one hand, just as in the basic game, a player must comply with the rule to bring a piece into play each turn. On the other hand, he must also take care that his potential (i.e. his GIPF) stays in play. So, a player must always have at least one GIPF-piece on the board.

Remark:

A GIPF-piece consists of 2 basic pieces, but on the board it counts as only 1 piece.

BEGIN

Both players take 18 basic pieces. The start position remains the same but now they start with 3 GIPF-pieces on the board each.

GIPF

1. The difference between a basic piece and a GIPFpiece is that it is not obligatory to capture a GIPF-piece (neither your own, nor your opponent’s). In other words: when a GIPF-piece (regardless of its color) is part of a row that must be taken from the board, then a player is free to choose between taking it and leaving it on its spot. In most cases the choice will amount to taking a GIPF-piece only when it belongs to the opponent. But be careful: situations will certainly occur in which it may be better to deviate from this strategy.
2. When two rows of at least 4 pieces of the same color intersect each other and the spot of intersection is occupied by a GIPF-piece, then the player may choose whether he will take one or two rows from the board. Either he captures only one row, including the GIPF-piece on the intersection spot (which means there is no second row to be taken any more), or he takes one row and leaves the GIPF-piece on its spot, thus having to capture the second row as well (with or without the GIPFpiece).

Remark:

When a player captures a GIPF-piece of his own color, it must be returned to the reserve as two separate basic pieces. They may not be brought into play again as a GIPF-piece.

END OF A GAME

Now there are two ways of winning: a player must succeed in removing the opponent’s GIPF from the board (i.e. all of his GIPF-pieces) or he must exhaust the opponent’s reserve. In other words: the one who has either lost his last GIPF-piece, or has no basic piece left to bring into play, loses the game.

Tournament rules

The standard game in itself is a complex and difficult game to master; it offers so many possibilities that not everyone will want even more possibilities. Therefore we advise players to look at this variant as an option, as an extra challenge; by no means is it meant as an obligatory GIPF-exercise.

The Tournament rules only change the beginning of the game:

1. The game starts with an empty board (i.e. there is no starting position now). The players each start with 18 basic pieces in their reserve.
2. Both players are obliged to use their first turn to bring a GIPF-piece into play. This must be done as a standard move: put the GIPF-piece on any of the dots and next move it onto a spot in the play area.
3. The game is played without a fixed number of GIPF-pieces per player. The players are completely free to also use their second, third, fourth etc. turn to bring more GIPF-pieces into play.
4. Once a player has decided that he has enough GIPF-pieces in the play area, he may start playing with single pieces. But, as soon as he has brought his first single piece into play, he can bring no more GIPF-pieces into play during the rest of the game. The opponent may still bring GIPF-pieces in play, until he also has played his first single basic piece. (During this start-up phase, the players take turns without interruption, as usual.)

The further game is played according to exactly the same rules as the standard game, and to win a player pursues the same goals.

Concept and possibilities

GIPF is a separate game and should, at first, always be seen as such. In addition, it is also the name of a project of which the game GIPF is the center. This project consists of a series of games and a number of extra pieces that are all compatible with GIPF, which allows you to combine games and to decide for yourself what, exactly, you would like to play.

CONCEPT

GIPF is the central game project GIPF. It is played solely with basic pieces, but you can add extra pieces to it, which means you can expand it. These extra pieces are called potentials. A potential is a piece that can be grafted onto the basic pieces you use to play GIPF. A basic piece “loaded” with such potential will allow you to make a move which cannot be made with a normal basic piece. Each game of the project introduces its own new potential into GIPF.

Potentials can be used either as a number of special moves you may make while playing GIPF, or as a means to connect one or more games to GIPF. In the first case, you may make use of the extra strength of a potential at any moment while playing GIPF. In the latter case you must win the like-named game to obtain the right to use a potential. For example: to be allowed to use a ZÈRTZ-potential, you first have to win a game of ZÈRTZ. This means that you and your opponent interrupt the running game of GIPF to play a game of ZÈRTZ; the result will determine whether or not you may use the ZÈRTZ-potential when the game of GIPF is resumed.

The essence of this system is that you and your opponent have a number of pieces on the board that are loaded with particular possibilities. These possibilities are about special moves, but you are not sure that you will be allowed to execute them. In other words: you play with pieces that might enable you to make a special move, which literally means that only the potential of such a move is available—not the move itself.

POSSIBILITIES

Maybe you will be tempted to conclude that the GIPF project is too complicated and too far-fetched a construction. That’s why we stress that the possibility to combine games is nothing but an option. Forget all about it if it doesn’t appeal to you. Each game of the project stands on its own in terms of rules, concept and quality. It is exactly this ability of GIPF and all other GIPF-related games to be playable as separate contests of skill and as a complex composition of different strategic elements, that makes them a unique series. So, whether you are an occasional player or a fanatic gamer, you are completely free to decide for yourself that you’ll play the games separately or in connection with each other.

If you would like to make use of the possibility to combine them, you will discover a completely new way of playing. No other game offers so much variation. Each time, you and your opponent will be able to compose which version of GIPF you are going to play. You can choose the number of basic pieces to start with and whether or not you are going to use potentials; if so, you can decide to both play with the same potentials or maybe you will each choose your favorite ones. You can then decide whether you connect the use of the potentials to playing other games or not, et cetera. You can play for one or two hours, or you can take off into an entire evening of GIPF; you can play a straight-forward version or decide to go for a complex cluster of games; you can even make it an adventurous trip, spread over several game sessions. In short, the project is a menu with components, by means of which you have the opportunity to choose à la carte which game of GIPF you would like to play at any moment.

GIPF can be combined with every existing two-person game, depending on how much time you have and what you feel like playing. If you have a game of GIPF and at least one set of potentials, you can start combining the games you already have somewhere on a shelf, no matter what: Dominos, Ludo, or even just a deck of cards or an ordinary die. All you have to do is connect the use of a certain potential to a certain game, or cards or dice or whatever, and start playing.