Saalu Mane Ata is a traditional board game which is otherwise known as Jodpi Ata or Char-par in Kannada, as Navkakri in Gujrati and as Navakankari in different parts of India.
– other names – Saalu Mane Ata or Jodpi Ata or Char-Par in Kannada and is popular as Navakankari in various parts of India
It is also known as ‘Daadi’in Telugu, ‘nine men’s morris’ or ‘Rural Folks Chess’ in the Western parts of the world.
Contents
Game Origin ( Who made the Game)
It is an ancient civilian game and used to act as a good physical and mental workout for civilians. The term ‘Navakankari’ is a Sanskrit term and means nine pebbles.
According to many historians, the Saalu Mane Ata game originated in India and then got spread to the west. Some other historians argue that this board game had originated in Egypt and then spread to the West during the time of the Roman Empire. However, the actual origin of the game is still unknown and unconfirmed to the world.
Components
The game is usually played on a board that consists of three squares that are concentric and are connected by the help of lines. These lines generate from the middle of each of the sides of the inner square and proceeds until the middle of the outer square’s corresponding side.
The two major components of the game are 1 game board and 18 pawns. There are two players in the game and each of the players will receive 9 pieces or pawns made up of different colors.
In this game, the pieces or the pawns are placed on those points where there is an intersection of two or more lines and thus, there are 24 playable points.
The objective of the game
The main objective of a player in the game is to create ‘Mills’. ‘Mills’ are known as vertical or horizontal lines generated out of three coins which are of the same color. With the creation of every mill, a piece of the opponent is removed. So, the main objective of the game is to bring about a reduction in the number of pawns of the opponent to two.
How to Play the Game / Strategy & Game Rules
The steps involved in playing this game can be listed as below.
When the game begins, the board of the game is empty.
When there is a turn, only one pawn can be played. Pawns can only be placed in the intersection of lines.
The players toss a coin to decide the order of the game. The game is executed in two phases i.e. Phase 1 and Phase 2.
In Phase 1, all players will place their pawns on the game board alternately. Once, a player places a pawn on a ‘Mill’, it would block the pawn of the opponent. Those pawns which have been placed on the ‘Mill’ cannot be removed. When a mill is formed by a player he can remove the opponent’s pawn from the game board. The phase gets over when all the 18 pawns have been placed on the game board.
Now in Phase 2, the players will start moving their pawns. At a turn, only one pawn has to move to an adjacent empty point. A player can make as many mills with the help of his pawns. A mill can be broken by its owner only by removing any of the pawns from it and can be remade even but there are only 2 chances available for this.
A particular player will lose the game when he has only two pawns left or is not able to move any of his pawns further.
Benefits of playing this game ( for kids and elders)
The Saalu Mane Ata game is beneficial as it helps in building strategy and planning. It helps in developing thinking abilities, is an exciting game and playing this game can be adventurous.
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