How to play

Egyptian Kalah · 6 cups, 4 stones

Each side starts with six cups holding four stones each and an empty store. South's store is on the right; North's is on the left. South plays first unless you choose North starts.

1. Choose a nonempty cup on your side. Lift all its stones and sow one in each following cup counterclockwise. South moves right; North moves left.
2. Include your own store and skip the opponent's store. Keep going around the board when needed.
3. If the last stone lands in your own store, play again, unless the match has ended.
4. If the last stone lands in an empty cup on your side, put it and every stone in the opposite cup into your store. This Egyptian Kalah variant banks the landing stone even when the opposite cup is empty. A capture does not give an extra turn.
5. When either side's six cups are empty, move all stones in the other row to that row's store. The larger store wins; equal stores draw.

Choose your opponent

Play as South against the computer, or choose two players on one screen. Choose Gentle or Steady computer difficulty. Match settings take effect when you choose Start match.

Undo, hints and practice

Undo restores the previous South decision against the computer, or one move in two-player play. Hint marks a legal suggestion. Pause stops play and the computer's turn.

Capture study is an original end position. Choose South starts and play South cup 5. Its last stone captures the opposite cup and ends the match.

Keyboard

Tab to the cups. Use arrow keys to choose a cup, Home or End for the first or last cup, and Enter or Space to sow. Outlined cups are available on your turn.

Rule reference: Princeton: The Rules of Kalah, Scientific American: Computer Gamesman.