Achi: A Traditional African Game

Achi is a traditional board game originating from Ghana, and is similar to the game of “Nine Men’s Morris” (or “Mill”), but it has a unique structure and rules. The game is widely played in several African countries, including Nigeria, Senegal (where it is known as Care), and others. It is classified among alignment games, which also include games like Tapatan, Tant Fant, Shisima, and Pong Hau K’i.

Objective:

The goal of Achi is to form an uninterrupted line of three pieces of the same color, placed on the same horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line. Once a player achieves this, the game ends immediately, and that player wins.

Equipment:

The game consists of:

• A board with 9 intersections (as shown in the diagram).
• 8 pieces: 4 white and 4 black. Pieces are placed on the intersections, not within the squares of the grid.

Players:

The game is played by two players, who take turns.

Rules:

There are two main phases in the game: the Placement Phase and the Movement Phase.

1. Placement Phase:

• During the Placement Phase, players take turns placing one piece at a time on any available intersection on the board.
• Pieces cannot be moved during this phase.
• This phase ends once all 8 pieces (4 for each player) have been placed on the board. After this phase, there will be only one empty intersection left on the board.
• The initial setup leaves the board empty, and either player can start.

2. Movement Phase:

• Once all pieces are placed, the game transitions into the Movement Phase.
• From the fifth move onwards, players can move their pieces. A piece may be moved to an adjacent intersection (orthogonally or diagonally), as long as the target intersection is empty.
• Players continue to move their pieces, aiming to align three of their pieces in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally).
• The game ends as soon as a player forms a line of three pieces of their color, either during the Placement Phase or the Movement Phase.