Alquerque

Age 5 to 18

This game was played in ancient Egypt as far back as 1400 BC. The game was taken by the
Moors to Spain, where it is mentioned in 13th century manuscripts, and the Spanish name
Alquerque derives from the Arabic El- quirkat. 

A game for two players.

Resources:
12 counters each. 
A 5x5 board as above.

To start:

 Place your counters on the board as in the diagram above. 

 You can move a counter from any point to any adjacent empty point along a line (the
only points allowed being those occupied at the start and the centre point).
 If an adjacent place is occupied by an opponent's piece and the next point beyond is
empty, then the player can capture the opponent's piece by jumping over it and remove it
from the board.
 If another piece is then at risk it is taken in the same move by jumping over it, a change
of direction being allowed.
 If a piece can make a capture it must do so and if it does not do so it is 'huffed' and
removed from the board.
 If there is a choice of capture, the greater number must be taken in preference to the
lesser, otherwise the capturing piece is 'huffed'.

The winner: is the player who captures the most counters from the other player.