Talpa
Talpa Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
TALPA includes:
- 64 squared pieces in 2 colours - red and blue (32 each)
- A square board of 8x8 cells, with an inner board of 6x6 cells for shorter games
- Carrying case
Setup
TALPA is played on an 8x8 board. The inner smaller board (6x6) can also be used by beginners or for quick games. The left and right edges are colored blue while the top and bottom edges are colored red.
Initially the board is filled with red and blue pieces arranged in the checkerboard pattern. Each player has an allocated colour (red or blue).
Rules
Players move alternately, starting with the player controlling the red pieces.
A player moves by picking up one of his pieces and capturing an opponent's piece on an horizontally or vertically adjacent square. The captured piece is removed from the board and the capturing piece moves to its square. The capture is mandatory if possible. When capturing becomes impossible, players remove one of their stones per turn.
Game End
The goal of TALPA is to open a path of orthogonally connected empty spaces linking the opposite edges of the board marked by your color without opening a similar path between your opponent's edges.
A player loses the game immediately if he makes a move that opens the path of empty spaces between the opponent's edges even if this move opens the path between his own edges the same time.
A corner is considered to be part of both adjoining edges.
No draws are possible in TALPA.
Example of a game won by BLUE (figure in the printed rulebook): a black path of empty spaces links the blue left and right edges.