Setup and opening position
Three concentric squares joined at their side midpoints create twenty-four playable points. Both players begin with nine men in hand and place one man per turn on an empty point.
Nine Men's Morris
Win by reducing the opponent below three men after placement or by leaving the opponent with no legal slide or flight.
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How to play
Win by reducing the opponent below three men after placement or by leaving the opponent with no legal slide or flight.
- Three concentric squares joined at their side midpoints create twenty-four playable points. Both players begin with nine men in hand and place one man per turn on an empty point.
- Completing a straight three-point mill grants a separate removal; a man outside every enemy mill must be taken when possible. After all eighteen placements, men slide along one line, while a player with exactly three men may fly to any empty point.
- Win by reducing the opponent below three men after placement or by leaving the opponent with no legal slide or flight.
Strategy tips
- During placement, threaten two mills with one point and keep routes between the three squares open. Later, use a mobile man to open and reform a mill while denying the opponent the same shuttle.
- Three consecutive points around a square's corner are not a mill: the three men must be collinear on one square side or on one of the four midpoint connectors.
- When either side reaches three men, recalculate every empty point as a possible landing because flying ignores adjacency; a four-man side must still follow the printed lines.
Complete guide
Rules, scoring, and strategy
Nine Men's Morris is a complete browser implementation with its own versioned rules profile. Build mills on the classic twenty-four-point board, remove exposed enemy men, and outmaneuver the opponent through placement, sliding, and flying.
Legal moves and game flow
Completing a straight three-point mill grants a separate removal; a man outside every enemy mill must be taken when possible. After all eighteen placements, men slide along one line, while a player with exactly three men may fly to any empty point.
Winning and terminal positions
Win by reducing the opponent below three men after placement or by leaving the opponent with no legal slide or flight. When either side reaches three men, recalculate every empty point as a possible landing because flying ignores adjacency; a four-man side must still follow the printed lines.
Practical strategy
During placement, threaten two mills with one point and keep routes between the three squares open. Later, use a mobile man to open and reform a mill while denying the opponent the same shuttle. Three consecutive points around a square's corner are not a mill: the three men must be collinear on one square side or on one of the four midpoint connectors.
Questions players ask
What is the objective in Nine Men's Morris?
Win by reducing the opponent below three men after placement or by leaving the opponent with no legal slide or flight.
Which moves are legal in Nine Men's Morris?
Completing a straight three-point mill grants a separate removal; a man outside every enemy mill must be taken when possible. After all eighteen placements, men slide along one line, while a player with exactly three men may fly to any empty point.
What should I plan first in Nine Men's Morris?
During placement, threaten two mills with one point and keep routes between the three squares open. Later, use a mobile man to open and reform a mill while denying the opponent the same shuttle.
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