Bao rules testing

From Wikimanqala

Bao rules are considered tricky and hard to learn, and some say it is not possible to learn bao just by reading the rules. So, these questions and answers are supposed to be a test to see if a player has mastered bao rules.

The answer must not be the best move, but all possible (legal) moves.

Contents 1 Questions 1.1 Question 1 1.2 Question 2 1.3 Question 3 1.4 Question 4 1.5 Question 5 1.6 Question 6 1.7 Question 7a 1.8 Question 7b 1.9 Question 8 1.10 Question 9 1.11 Question 10 1.12 Question 11 1.13 Question 12a 1.14 Question 12b 1.15 Question 13 1.16 Question 14 1.17 Question 15 2 Answers 2.1 Answer to question 1 2.2 Answer to question 2 2.3 Answer to question 3 2.4 Answer to question 4 2.5 Answer to question 5 2.6 Answer to question 6 2.7 Answer to question 7a 2.8 Answer to question 7b 2.9 Answer to question 8 2.10 Answer to question 9 2.11 Answer to question 10 2.12 Answer to question 11 2.13 Answer to question 12a 2.14 Answer to question 12b 2.15 Answer to question 13 2.16 Answer to question 14 2.17 Answer to question 15 3 References 4 Personal references

Questions

Question 1

North to play. Namua stage.

Question 2

North to play. North's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Namua stage.

Question 3

North to play. North's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Namua stage.

Question 4

North to play. North's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Namua stage.

Question 5

South to play. South's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Namua stage.

Question 6

North to play. North's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Namua stage.

Question 7a

North to play. North's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Namua stage.

Question 7b

North to play. North's ''nyumba'' does not exist. Namua stage.

Question 8

South to play. Mtaji stage.

Question 9

North to play. North's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Mtaji stage, but no capture has been done during this stage.

Question 10

South to play. Mtaji stage.

Question 11

North to play. North's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Mtaji stage but no capture has yet been made in this stage.

Question 12a

North to play. Mtaji stage.

Question 12b

North to play. Mtaji stage. North's nyumba still exists, and no capture has been made till now in mtaji stage.

Question 13

North to play, after South has played a takasa move. Mtaji stage.

Question 14

North to play, after South has played a takasa move. North's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Mtaji stage but no capture has yet been made in this stage.

Question 15

North to play, after South has played a takasa move. Mtaji stage.

Answers

Answer to question 1

North to play. Namua stage.

Just one possible move. Add one seed to the 2 on the front row and sow towards the center of the row.

You can not start on a back pit. You can not leave your front row empty.

Answer to question 2

North to play. North's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Namua stage.

Two possible moves, both starting at the nyumba. You take one seed from your reserve, one from the nyumba, and sow them to the right or to the left of the nyumba.

When the only non empty pit in the front row is the nyumba and you can not capture, you sow from it as if it was a singleton.

Answer to question 3

North to play. North's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Namua stage.

Two possible moves, both starting from the nyumba. You take one seed from your reserve, all the ones in the nyumba, and sow them to the right or to the left of the hose.

When the nyumba has less than 6 seeds inside, it is not (temporally) a nyumba. If there is no capture move possible, when there is no nyumba, it is not possible to start a takasa move from a singleton.

Answer to question 4

North to play. North's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Namua stage.

Two possible moves. After capturing on the singleton, you can choose start sowing on any kichwa.

If a capture is possible, it must be done. If there is no previous sense of sowing, and the capture is not done in a kichwa or kimbi, the player can choose from what kichwa start the sowing.

Answer to question 5

South to play. South's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Namua stage.

Two possible moves. South captures the singleton. He starts sowing on his right kichwa. He gets to the nyumba. Then, he must choose if he keeps on the move (safari) or stops it (lala)

If a capture is possible, it is compulsory. If a capture is made on a kichwa or kimbi, the sowing must start on the corresponding kichwa. If in a capturing move a lap ends in the nyumba the player can choose to safari or lala (keep on or end the move).

Answer to question 6

North to play. North's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Namua stage.

Four possible moves. Always adding a seed from the reserve, from the nyumba clockwise, from the nyumba counterclockwise, and from the pit with four seeds also clockwise and anticlockwise. If from the four clockwise, the nyumba is restored.

In namua, when there is no capture possible a move can not be started from a singleton if there is no nyumba. If the nyumba, without having been takasaed or safaried, has at least 6 seeds again, becomes again a nyumba

Answer to question 7a

North to play. North's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Namua stage.

Two possible moves, starting from the singleton on the front row, clockwise and anticlockwise. If anticlockwise the move ends on the nyumba.

In namua stage, if there is the nyumba takasa can start from a singleton. If a takasa lap ends in the nyumba the move ends there.

Answer to question 7b

North to play. North's ''nyumba'' does not exist. Namua stage.

Two possible moves, beginning from the 9, clockwise and counterclockwise.

In namua stage, if there is no nyumba, a takasa move can not begin from a singleton.

Answer to question 8

South to play. Mtaji stage.

Two possible moves. From the four clockwise and counterclockwise.

A takasa move cannot begin from a singleton, and if there are non empty, non singleton pits in the front row, it must begin from the front row.

Answer to question 9

North to play. North's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Mtaji stage, but no capture has been done during this stage.

Eight possible moves. From the 2, 8, 2 and 10, both clockwise and anticlockwise.

In mtaji stage, while there has not yet been a capture, a nyumba can still exist, but the only rule that applys to it is that it can not be takasiaed.

Answer to question 10

South to play. Mtaji stage.

One possible move. From the fiver, clockwise.

If no capture is possible, player must takasa. If there is any non empty non singleton pit on the front row, player must takasa form the front row. The front row can not be empty, even temporally.

Answer to question 11

North to play. North ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Mtaji stage but no capture has yet been made in this stage.

Four possible moves. The three counterclockwise, ending in the nyumba and capturing 3 seeds. The nyumba clockwise, ending in the pit next to the nyumba, and capturing 2 seeds from the opponent's nyumba. The two clockwise, capturing one seed. The six clockwise capturing 2 seeds from the opponent's nyumba

If a capture is possible, it must be done. In mtaji stage, while there has not yet been a capture, a nyumba can still exist, but the only rule that applys to it is that it can not be takasiaed.

Answer to question 12a

North to play. Mtaji stage.

Three possible moves. The three counterclockwise, ending in the nyumba and capturing 3 seeds. The two clockwise, capturing one seed. The six clockwise capturing 2 seeds from the opponent's nyumba. The nyumba can not be played.

If a capture is possible, it must be done. A capturing move can not begin from a pit containing 17 or more seeds.

Answer to question 12b

North to play. Mtaji stage. North's nyumba still exists, and no capture has been made till now in mtaji stage.

Four possible moves. The three counterclockwise, ending in the nyumba and capturing 3 seeds. The two clockwise, capturing one seed. The six clockwise capturing 2 seeds from the opponent's nyumba. The nyumba clockwise capturing one seed.

If a capture is possible, it must be done. A capturing move can begin even from the nyumba in mtaji stage.

Answer to question 13

North to play, after South has played a takasa move. Mtaji stage.

Four possible moves, from both 10s clockwise and counterclockwise. If playing the kichwa counterclockwise the move will end at the two.

A takasiaed pit can not be played. If a lap ends in a takasiaed pit the move ends.

Answer to question 14

North to play, after South has played a takasa move. North's ''nyumba'' has not been captured or safaried. Mtaji stage but no capture has yet been made in this stage.

Four possible moves. Both the nyumba and the 2, clockwise and counterclockwise.

The house can not be takasiaed.

Answer to question 15

North to play, after South has played a takasa move. Mtaji stage.

Two possible moves. The 18 clockwise and counterclockwise. In any case, no capture is done.

The only non empty pit in the front row, or the only non singleton on the front row can not be takasiaed. A capturing move can not be started from a pit cotaining 17 or more seeds.

References

Kronenburg, Tom

(2006) Bao Zanzibar Rules, Nyumba Functions, email to Mancala Games maling list (mancalagames@yahoogroups.com), 16 Feb.

National Museum of Tanzania 

(1971) The Rules of Bao, Dar es Salaam.

Voogt, A. J. de. 

(1995) Limits of the Mind: Towards a Characterisation of Bao Mastership, Leiden: CNWS Publications.

Personal references

Bautista i Roca, V. 

Personal experiences on Zanzibar. Tanzania (short periods in 1997, 1998 and 1999).