A territorial game with time as a special feature! The second game of Project GIPF. For 2 players.
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1 game board Set-up 1.
Starting position: see
diagram below. Place the
red and black hour-glasses on the 6 corner spaces of the board,
so that the hour-glasses of both players alternate: black, red,
black, red, black, red. The upper parts must be empty before
starting a game. Aim You and your opponent start the game with 32 rings each. The player with the fewest rings left at the end of the game is the winner. (This counts for all 3 levels.)
TAMSK is not difficult to learn, but
because you'll have to play under constant time pressure, we
advise you to get used to the rules in three stages.
1.
Start: Level 2 : with time pressure
The second level is played as
described under Level 1, but with additional rules for the
hour-glasses. The 15-second hour-glass is still left out of the
game. The aim of this version is to get used to the time pressure
caused by the pieces (i.e. the hour-glasses) and to see how it
will influence your strategy. 1.
Start: Level 3 : with the 15-second timer The complete game, played under constant time pressure caused by the hour-glasses and the 15-second timer. It is played as described under Levels 1 and 2, but with additional rules for the use of the 15-second hour-glass. 1.
Start: Option It
is also possible to start a game of TAMSK with the hour-glasses
of the board. If you want to make use of that possibility, then
use your first 3 moves to place your hour-glasses in spaces at
choice with the time running, and you may immediately start
dropping rings. |
Level
1: without time pressure
Rules
to learn the strategy of moving the hour-glasses without turning them
over. Use them as normal pieces, not as hour-glasses.
1.
Start:
Draw lots to
determine who will play with the red hour-glasses. Red begins, then
take turns moving your hour-glasses.
2.
A move:
Each turn you
must move one of your hour-glasses. You may move it to any adjacent
vacant space.
3.
Dropping a ring:
After
moving an hour-glass, you may play one ring: take a ring from your
ringholder, put it over the hour-glass you moved and then drop it.
(For the remainder of the game, the ring you dropped will serve as an
indication that the space has been visited earlier on.)
Note:
playing a ring is optional, but since getting rid of rings is the aim
of the game, you should do it (or rather: don't forget to do it). If,
for any particular reason, you decide not to play a ring and your
opponent notices it, then he may play one of his rings where you
didn't, and he may still make his regular move.
4.
The different spaces:
The
spaces (tubes) on the board have different heights. Once the rings
around a space are level with the height of the tube, that space may
not be visited again for the remainder of the game.
· 18
spaces around the edge of the board may only have 1 ring.
·
The next tier of 12 spaces may have a maximum of 2 rings.
·
The inner tier of 6 spaces may have a maximum of 3 rings.
·
The central space may have 4 rings.
Note : you may never move
an hour-glass to a space which already has its maximum number of
rings. If you do, you lose the game at once. So, watch the rings on
the board carefully.
5.
Passing your turn:
When
you cannot move any of your hour-glasses (because all three are
blocked by your opponent's hour-glasses and/or spaces you may not
move to any more), you must pass your turn. You must continue to pass
until you are able to move again - or until the game ends.
6.
The end:
The game ends when no more moves can be made. The
player with the fewest rings left wins the game. Most of the time
this means that the first player who has to pass because he cannot
move his hour-glasses any more, will lose. So, the aim is to get rid
of rings, but it could also be said that the aim is to be the first
to block all three of the opponent's hour-glasses.
7.
A tie:
If both players
have an equal number of rings left, the game ends in a tie.
Level 2 : with time pressure
The second level is played as described
under Level 1, but with additional rules for the hour-glasses. The
15-second hour-glass is still left out of the game. The aim of this
version is to get used to the time pressure caused by the pieces
(i.e. the hour-glasses) and to see how it will influence your
strategy.
Note:
Level 1 is a game on itself,
and so is level 3. Level 2 is an intermediate level; just play it a
few times as an introduction to level 3.
1.
Start:
The starting position remains the same.
2.
The first 3 turns:
You
and your opponent are obliged to use your first 3 turns to move each
of your 3 hour-glasses. When moving an hour-glass, it must be turned
over. Thus, after you and your opponent have made 3 moves each, the
time of all 6 hour-glasses on the board will be running.
3.
A move:
You must try to keep your hour-glasses alive. Each time
you move an hour-glass to a vacant adjacent space (in fact, while you
are moving it), it must be turned over. In other words: each turn you
must reverse the time of one of your hour-glasses. A move must be
made with a fluid motion; you may not keep an hour-glass in a
horizontal position. You must let go of the hour-glass as soon as it
is moved, i.e. you may not prevent your opponent from starting his
move by holding onto your moved hour-glass. (See point 5 below:
Timing of a move.)
4.
Dropping a ring:
After
moving an hour-glass, your turn is over, although you may still play
a ring. But you must do it immediately and without hesitation after
making your move. If you don't, you lose the opportunity to play a
ring that turn. As described under Level 1, your opponent may put a
ring where you didn't, before making his move.
5.
Timing of a move:
Immediately after you have moved one of your
hour-glasses, your opponent may start his move. In other words, he
does not need to wait until you have dropped your ring. But as soon
as he moves an hour-glass, he may not play an extra ring if you
didn't play one.
6.
Losing an hour-glass:
When
an hour-glass runs out of time, it is lost. A lost hour-glass remains
on the board but may not be moved any more.
Note: you may lose
an hour-glass on purpose!
7.
15-second rule:
Even
though you don't use the 15-second hour-glass, its principle is
introduced as a "gentlemen's agreement": the players have a
maximum of 15 seconds to make their move. (Since it is a "gentlemen's
agreement" only, there is no penalty when a player takes a bit
more time than is strictly allowed. Just play quickly.)
8.
The end:
The aim
remains the same: getting rid of as many rings as possible.
9.
No more tie:
Unlike level 1, this level cannot end in a tie. If
both players have an equal number of rings left, then time will
determine the winner:
·
Remove the hour-glasses that
have already run out of time from the board and put them aside.
·
Watch the remaining hour-glasses closely. Each hour-glass that runs
out of time is to be taken from the board, and lined up in the order
removed.
·
The player with the last "living" hour-glass on the board
wins the game.
·
In the rare case that the last hour-glass of both players run out of
time at exactly the same time, then the player who had the
last-but-one hour-glass on the board wins.
Level 3 : with the 15-second timer
The complete game, played under constant time pressure caused by the hour-glasses and the 15-second timer. It is played as described under Levels 1 and 2, but with additional rules for the use of the 15-second hour-glass.
1.
Start:
Red begins; black may decide whether the 15 second timer
is to be placed to the left or right of the board.
2.
The 15-second rule:
The 15-second hour-glass is available to
you during your opponent's turn, but you are not obliged to use it.
You may use it (i.e. turn it over) if you want to force your opponent
to make his move within 15 seconds. Of course, your opponent may use
it too when it is your turn.
3.
The use:
To use the 15-second timer, simply turn it over, but
you may only do so when the upper part is empty. So, on occasions you
may have to wait until it runs out of time before you can use it
against your opponent.
Note: when you have used the 15-second
timer against your opponent, it is your turn again as soon as he made
his move; you do not have to wait until the 15-second timer is empty.
4.
Private:
If you start your move but don't finish it in the
allowed amount of time (i.e. when you don’t let go of the
hour-glass you moved before the 15-second timer runs out of time),
you may complete the move, including dropping a ring, but you’ll
have to face a penalty. Your opponent may now drop two
rings with his next turn. He starts his turn with his regular (i.e.
he moves an hour-glass and puts a ring in the newly covered space),
and next he may drop a second rings in any space on the board, no
matter whether the space is occupied by an hour-glass (of either
color) or not. Of course, it is only possible to drop a ring in a
space that has not yet its maximum number of rings.
Note:
this is an adjusted rule. The original rules said that you had the
right to play twice when your opponent didn’t finish his turn
in time, but this could cause confusion in the ending stage of the
game. That is fixed with this new rule.
5.
Timing:
You may start
your move as soon as your opponent releases the hour-glass he moved,
or, if he hasn't finished his move yet, the moment the 15-second
timer runs out of time (i.e. in this case you must not wait until
your opponent releases the hour-glass).
6.
Passing a turn:
If you
have not started to move an hour-glass when the 15-second timer runs
out of time, you forfeit that turn. In other words: unlike in Level
1, you may now pass your turn, but the consequence is the same as
when you have not finished your turn in time, as explained in point
4. above.
Note:
when you cannot make a move, this does not count as passing a turn.
So, in this case the opponent may not drop 2 rings.
7.
The end:
The game ends as described under level 1 and 2.
Option
It is also possible to start a game of
TAMSK with the hour-glasses of the board. If you want to make use of
that possibility, then use your first 3 moves to place your
hour-glasses in spaces at choice with the time running, and you may
immediately start dropping rings.
Enjoy
the pressure!