Kalah Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description

Kalah

Ranks: Two

Sowing: Single lap

Region: Not available

Kalah, also called Kalaha and often simply Mancala, is a game in the mancala family introduced to the West by William Champion in the 20th century. When someone refers to "the game Mancala", they are probably referring to this game, although there are deeper mancala games available: this game heavily favors the starting player. Confusingly, this variant is also sometimes referred to as Warri or Awari although those names more properly refer to the game Oware.

Rules

Equipment

The Kalah board has six pits in front of each player, and one pit at each end which stores captured seeds Each player controls the six pits on their side of the board, and their score is the number of seeds in their right-hand house.

The only pieces are 36 undifferentiated seeds.

Setup

At the beginning of the game three seeds are placed in each pit except the end pits. Typically, the winner of the previous game starts the next game.

Object

The object of the game is to capture more seeds than one's opponent. Since the game has only 36 seeds capturing 19 is sufficient to accomplish this. Since there are an even number of seeds it is possible for the game to end in a draw, where each player has captured 18.

Sowing

Players take turns moving the seeds. On a turn, a player chooses one of the six pits under their control. The player removes all seeds from this pit, and distributes them in each pit counter-clockwise, including their own scoring pit, but not the opponent's.

Extra turn

If the last seed landed in the player's own scoring pit, they win an additional turn. As long as the last sown seed keeps landing in the player's scoring pit, they earn additional turns.

Capturing

If the last sown seed lands in the current player's empty pit, directly across from an opponent's pit containing one or more seeds, both the last seed and the facing seeds are captured, placed into the player's scoring pit.

Variation

Instead of three seeds, players may begin with four, five, six, or more seeds in each pit.

External links

• The Museum and Archive of Games article on "Kalah".
• Rules from an online "Awari" game.
• Solution to Kalah variations.

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