The goal
Connect your two opposite edges with an unbroken chain of cells in your colour. The starting player connects top and bottom; the other player connects left and right. Corner cells touch both adjoining edges. There is always a winner: a draw is impossible.
A turn in three steps
- Place one gem in any empty hole.
- Claim cells when your gems reach the required number. A single gem can claim up to three cells.
- Check your connection. If your cells connect your two edges, you win. Otherwise the other player takes a turn.
When does a cell become yours?
The empty board has 69 holes and 41 cells. Most holes influence three adjacent cells. The four outer corner holes and the centre hole influence only one cell each.
2 / 3Edge cells
Occupy two of the three surrounding holes.
3 / 6Inner cells
Be the first to occupy three of the six surrounding holes.
3 / 5The centre cell
Occupy three of its five holes, including the hole in the middle as an ordinary option.
The pie rule
After the first gem has been placed, the second player may use their turn to replace it with a gem of their own colour instead of placing a gem in an empty hole. Play then returns to the original starting player. The connection directions do not change. This encourages a balanced opening: choose a first move you would also be willing to give away.
The physical game
Each player has 25 gems and 25 ownership markers. If gems run out, gems no longer needed to determine ownership of adjacent cells may be reused; ownership markers remain in place. In a series of games, alternate who starts. For unequal playing strengths, the weaker player may start by placing two or three gems as a handicap before normal alternating play begins.
Playing on Yucata
- Click a free hole to place a gem. On the second turn, click the first gem to use the pie rule. Confirm using the standard framework controls; undo remains available until confirmation.
- Claimed cells are coloured automatically. The latest gem has a small star-shaped highlight. The star after a player's name marks the original starting player.
- Your name appears first. Your own connection initially runs top to bottom. The button at the lower-right corner mirrors the board diagonally; A1 remains at the upper-left corner. Coordinates continue to identify the same holes.
- Use the framework's colour settings to change your display colours. Colour and board orientation are presentation preferences only.
- The online version always uses the pie rule and has an unlimited virtual gem supply, matching the earlier Yucata implementation. It has no handicap option or gem-recycling action.
- Use the standard log and replay controls to inspect earlier moves. Select a coordinate in the log to locate its hole.