Knock Out Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• For Two Players
• Object
• Contents
• Set-Up
• To Play
• To Win

For Two Players

A simple strategy game that's easy to learn and fun to play. Try to trap your opponent's stoppers and knock them out with your own. Get more stoppers into the grid and you win!

Object

To have the most stoppers in the grid at the end of the game.

Contents

1 Plastic Grid with Base • 40 Plastic Playing Pieces (Stoppers).

Set-Up

1. Insert the foot of the grind [sic] into the slot in the base.
2. Remove the plastic playing pieces from the runner.
3. Place the grid between two players. Each player puts in three stoppers in the grid in alternating holes around the center.

[Figure 1: Starting Position. Looking at the grid from your side: yellow stoppers are your stoppers. Red stoppers are your opponent's.]

To Play

1. Choose one player to go first. Play alternates with each player taking turns putting in stoppers.
2. On your turn, you must put a stopper into your side of the grid next to any other stopper.
3. The yellow pieces on your side of the grid are yours. Your stoppers are used to trap or knock out your opponent's pieces.
4. If the stopper you put into the grid traps an opponent's stopper or stoppers in a straight line in any direction [See Figure 2], you must knock out these stoppers by replacing them with stoppers from your side of the grid.

[Figure 2: This stopper is now trapped by the stopper that was played & the stopper above it. Knock it out. This stopper was played.]

5. To trap means to put in a stopper so that it and another of your stoppers (already played) are on both sides of one or more of your opponent's stoppers in straight line (See Figure 3).

[Figure 3: This stopper was played by your opponent. These two stoppers are now trapped. They will be knocked out from behind.]

6. Trapping can be done in more than one direction in one play. Figure 4 shows an example of trapping in two directions.

[Figure 4: You played this stopper, and trapped two of your opponent's stoppers in two directions in one play.]

7. You do not have to trap opponent's stoppers on every move, but you do have to play next to another stopper. For example in Figure 4 a good play would have been to play into the right corner above the red stopper.
8. Knockouts must be a direct result of the stopper you play. Remember, stoppers can only be knocked out if they are in a direct line and trapped by the first stopper played in that turn (See Figures 5 & 6).

[Figure 5: This stopper will be knocked out because this stopper was played.]

[Figure 6: This stopper is not knocked out because it was not trapped by the first stopper played in Figure 5.]

9. The six corner spaces are strong spaces to secure as stoppers placed there cannot be captured by your opponent.
10. Play alternates between players until the grid is filled.

To Win

When the grid is filled, count your stoppers. You get 1 point for each yellow piece on your side of the grid. The player with the highest score wins the game.