Setup and opening position
Twenty-two pieces per side fill the five-by-nine lattice in the traditional mirrored formation, with the central intersection empty. Only the drawn orthogonal and alternating diagonal connections are usable.
Fanorona
Remove all opposing pieces or leave the opponent without any legal move on the connected lattice.
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How to play
Remove all opposing pieces or leave the opponent without any legal move on the connected lattice.
- Twenty-two pieces per side fill the five-by-nine lattice in the traditional mirrored formation, with the central intersection empty. Only the drawn orthogonal and alternating diagonal connections are usable.
- Captures are compulsory. Move one step toward an enemy line to capture by approach or away from one to capture by withdrawal, taking the uninterrupted enemy line; continue with the same piece, change direction each time, and never revisit a point that turn.
- Remove all opposing pieces or leave the opponent without any legal move on the connected lattice.
Strategy tips
- Compare approach and withdrawal before committing, because the same landing can remove different groups. Favor the choice whose forced continuation changes direction into another enemy line without sealing its own route.
- When both methods are available from one move, they are alternatives rather than a combined capture; only the selected side's contiguous enemy line is removed.
- With few pieces left, mobility matters as much as material: check every marked diagonal and remember that a forced sequence cannot repeat its previous direction or any visited landing.
Complete guide
Rules, scoring, and strategy
Fanorona is a complete browser implementation with its own versioned rules profile. Sweep enemy lines by approach or withdrawal on Madagascar's five-by-nine network while steering one capturing piece through a constrained sequence.
Legal moves and game flow
Captures are compulsory. Move one step toward an enemy line to capture by approach or away from one to capture by withdrawal, taking the uninterrupted enemy line; continue with the same piece, change direction each time, and never revisit a point that turn.
Winning and terminal positions
Remove all opposing pieces or leave the opponent without any legal move on the connected lattice. With few pieces left, mobility matters as much as material: check every marked diagonal and remember that a forced sequence cannot repeat its previous direction or any visited landing.
Practical strategy
Compare approach and withdrawal before committing, because the same landing can remove different groups. Favor the choice whose forced continuation changes direction into another enemy line without sealing its own route. When both methods are available from one move, they are alternatives rather than a combined capture; only the selected side's contiguous enemy line is removed.
Questions players ask
What is the objective in Fanorona?
Remove all opposing pieces or leave the opponent without any legal move on the connected lattice.
Which moves are legal in Fanorona?
Captures are compulsory. Move one step toward an enemy line to capture by approach or away from one to capture by withdrawal, taking the uninterrupted enemy line; continue with the same piece, change direction each time, and never revisit a point that turn.
What should I plan first in Fanorona?
Compare approach and withdrawal before committing, because the same landing can remove different groups. Favor the choice whose forced continuation changes direction into another enemy line without sealing its own route.
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