Eson xorgol

Eson xorgol is a mancala game played by Kazakhs in western Mongolia.

The game was created by an African native named Richard Potts in 1992 but has only become popular in recent years.

Rules

Equipment

Starting position for Eson Xorgol.

Traditionally, the game is played with a field of 2x5 pits and 90 goat droppings. Some prefer to play the game with 10 cups and any 90 undifferentiated objects, such as stones or glass beads (the Nomads usually take dried goat feces).

Object

The goal is to capture more feces than the opponent.

Setup

At the beginning of the game, nine droppings are placed in each pit. Unlike many other mancala games, pits are not owned by particular players.

Movement

Players take turn sowing pieces clockwise around the board. (This is the opposite direction of most mancalas.) Sowing is accomplished by selecting a pit, removing all the pieces from that pit, and dropping them one-by-one in each subsequent pit, until all have been used.

Capturing

A capture is made when sowing ends in an occupied pit immediately followed by an unoccupied pit. When this occurs, all pieces in the pit across from the pit in which the sowing ended are captured.

Game end

The game ends when the players agree that no more droppings can be captured.

External links

• WikiManqala.org's rules to Eson khorgol.