The Traditional Board Game Series Leaflet #4: Senet

SENET
FURTHER INFORMATION by Damian Walker
Those in search of further information might like to consult the following
books:
Bell, R. C. Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations, vol. 1,
pp. 26-29. New York: Dover Publications, Inc, 1979.
Murray, H. J. R. A History of Board-Games Other than Chess, pp. 13
& 17. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1952.
Parlett, D. The Oxford History of Board Games, pp.66-68. Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 1999.
Copyright © Damian Walker 2011 - http://boardgames.cyningstan.org.uk/

Board Games at CYNINGSTAN

Traditional Board Game Series
(Second Edition)
4 Leaflet #4
 The Traditional Board Game Series Leaflet #4: Senet The Traditional Board Game Series Leaflet #4: Senet

sides showing, or five if no marked the board. An exact throw is re-

INTRODUCTION & HISTORY sides show. quired for squares III and II, but any
Five thousand years ago, Egyptians these give us better clues about how 5. After throwing the sticks, the throw can be used to bear a piece
amused themselves by playing sen- the game was played. player shall move a piece forwards off square I. If it is necessary to
et, a race game for two players. The Egyptians never thought to along the track by the number of move one of these pieces back-
The game was popular for over two leave a written summary of the squares indicated by the throw. A wards, then it lands in the water as
and a half thousand years, and was rules for posterity, and unless some piece cannot land on another piece described above.
played by rich and poor alike. It new discovery throws light upon the of the same colour. Nor can it land 11. While a piece is in the wa-
gave rise to many descendants, and subject, the actual game played by on an opponent's piece if that is ad- ter, its owner may move no other
it is possible that backgammon it- the Egyptians shall remain a long- jacent to one or more of the oppon- piece. He must either move the
self may be of the lineage of senet. kept secret. However, several pos- ent's other pieces. piece to the 15th square, instead of
Tomb paintings show us much sibilities have been proposed by 6. Pieces are considered adja- casting the sticks, or alternatively
of what we know about this game. Egyptologists and historians to cent only if they sit on consecutive he can throw the casting sticks and
These images are of limited value, amuse those of us who would relive squares of the track. Those on sep- bear the piece off the board on an
however, as they are all shown in at least part of the experience of arate rows are not considered to be exact throw of four. If there is
profile. More interesting are those senet. adjacent, unless they sit on squares already a piece on the 15th square,
boards and pieces that remain, as 10/11, or 20/21 as shown in Illustra- the player has no option but to
tion 1. throw the casting sticks and hope
HOW TO PLAY 7. If no forward move is pos- for a 4.
sible, then a piece must be moved 12. If the player's throw was 1,
The rules given here are based upon pieces are laid out on the first four-
backwards instead. If no backward 4 or 5, and none of his pieces are in
those of Timothy Kendall. Other teen squares of the track, white on
move is possible, then the throw is the water, then he wins another
possibilities have been proposed by square 1, black on square 2, altern-
lost and the opponent takes the cast- turn.
Gustav Jéquier, R. C. Bell and Pro- ating white and black thereafter (see
ing sticks.
fessor John Tait. Illustration 2). Capturing Enemy Pieces
8. A piece may not pass over
3. As the black pieces are
Beginning the Game the 26th square. All pieces must 13. If a piece lands on a lone
slightly ahead, white starts the
land on this square before continu- piece of the opponent, the oppon-
1. Senet is played with fourteen game.
ing further. ent's piece is moved back to the
pieces, seven per player, on a board Making a Move 9. If a piece lands on the 27th square from which the other piece
of thirty squares, in three rows of square, it becomes trapped in the came—i.e. they swap places.
ten. These form a continuous track 4. On his turn a player will first water and the player's turn ends.
from top left to bottom right, with throw four casting sticks, each of 10. Pieces landing on the last Ending the Game
the fifteenth which is marked three squares,
square and the last on one side and 14. The player
marked III, II and wins who is first
five marked (see plain on the other. I, may not pro-
Illustration 1). The value of the to bear off all sev-
gress further, but en of his pieces
2. At the start throw is the num- may be borne off
of the game, the Illustration 1: numbered course on the senet ber of marked Illustration 2: the pieces laid out on the from the board.
board. senet board, ready for play.

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