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The Object

Be the first player to move all your pieces into Finish.  Or trap your opponent's King piece in Chebache, to win the game.

 

Path of Movement

The Path.  A player's path zigzags horizontally across the board three times on its way from Start to Finish.  Each path alternates between Squares (or Tivits) of the player's own color and Intersections where white and black Squares meet.

 

Black Path

Intersection - All odd numbered spaces.

Squares - Even numbered spaces 4, 6, 12, and 14.

Tivits - Even numbered spaces with black angle marks 2, 8, 10, and 16.

 

White Path

Intersection - All odd numbered spaces.

Squares - Even numbered spaces 4, 6, 12 and 14.

Tivits - Even numbered spaces with white angle marks 2, 8, 10, and 16.

 

 

The Turn

During each turn, 2 separate Phases determine how a player may move pieces:

Phase I: Rolling Dice and Moving Pieces. Phase II: Jumping.

Phase I.    Rolling Dice and Moving Pieces.

A. Dice/Movement.  Players take turns rolling dice,  then moving pieces along their own path.  The number on each die represents 1 move and determines the number of spaces a piece may travel.  A piece only lands on the last space as the result of a move, passing over any other spaces and pieces along the way.

Rolling the dice gives several options for movement:  either 2 pieces move separately (1 piece per die) or 1 piece moves twice (1 move per die).  A roll of doubles means double the movement ( i.e., double 3's enables you to make 4 separate moves of 3 spaces each).

Note: You must complete all moves according to the dice.  (For exceptions see Phase I-I).

B.  Tivits. You may move pieces either forward or backward from Tivits,  but may never move backward into Start.  When a piece takes more than 1 move with a turn, that piece may make a move forward then a move backward, or backward then forward, as long as any backward move always begins from a Tivit.

C.  No Return To Stay.  No piece may return to stay on the same space from which it began that turn, but may return and land on that space, as long as it moves or jumps elsewhere before the end of the turn.

D.  Stacking Limit.  You may stack up to but not more than the equivalent of 4 pieces on any space along your path.  If the equivalent of 4 pieces occupy a space, no additional pieces of that color may land there as the result of any move.  A moving piece may pass over and land beyond a stack of 4 only if it does not land upon the stack as the result of a move along the way.  Start and Finish have no stacking limit.

E.  Stacking Order.   When moving pieces to or from a stack, you must move pieces to or from the top of the stack, piece by piece, except when jumping (see Phase II).

F.  Controlling Spaces.  There are 2 ways of controlling spaces, depending upon the type of space:

  1.     Intersections:  If 1 or more of your pieces occupy an Intersection, you control it.  Opponent's pieces may not land there as a result of any move, unless attacking (Phase I-G1).
  2.     Squares or Tivits:  To control an opponent's Square or Tivit, you must form a Chebache (Rule 6).  This threatens pieces already on that space and prevents your opponent's pieces from landing there.

G.  Sending Pieces Back to Start:  There are 2 ways to send an opponent's pieces back to Start, depending upon the type of space they occupy:

  1.     Attacking (Intersections):  You may only attack your opponent's pieces on an Intersection by landing on them with at least an equivalent number of your own pieces within a given turn.  Attacking pieces may move from different spaces and from either direction.  Your attacking pieces then take control of the Intersection and send your opponent's pieces back to Start.
  2.     Trapping in Chebache (Squares or Tivits):  When your opponent's pieces occupy a Square or Tivit, you may only send them back to Start if those pieces are unable to break or escape a Chebache you form to threaten them  (See Rule 6 regarding Chebaches)

H.  Moving into Finish.  You need an exact roll to move a piece into Finish,  unless all your pieces are within 5 spaces of Finish.  Then, you may move your piece furthest from Finish into Finish using a die roll greater than the number of spaces needed for this move.

Once you move pieces into Finish they must remain there, out of play.

After moving 1 piece into Finish, from that moment on you must always move any pieces in your Start out of Start before moving or jumping any other pieces on the board (including any pieces sent back to your Start during the rest of the game).  This gives your opponent a decisive advantage if they are able to control spaces which prevent you from moving pieces out of Start.

I.  Completion.  You must complete all moves according to the dice, unless:

  1.     You choose a move which prevents you from completing any others.
  2.     All your pieces are within 6 spaces of Finish and the only available move is backward, whether from the Tivit near Finish (space 16) or with a King (Rule 7).  Then you may either forfeit the move or move backward (from the Tivit or with a King)  in order to complete the turn.  If all your pieces are not within 6 spaces of Finish, you may be forces to move backward or into Finish to complete Phase I. 

 If you cannot complete all the moves according to the dice or if you forfeit a backward move from the Tivit (space 16) or with the King, you may not Jump ( Phase II).

 

Phase II.    Jumping

If (and only if) you succeed in completing all Phase I moves according to the dice, you have the option of jumping pieces from a Square (forward) or Tivit (forward or backward), over an Intersection you control, to the next Square or Tivit along your path or movement.  You may not jump from Intersection to Intersection.

   
A.  Jump Sequence.  After successfully completing all moves from Phase I, you may jump your piece(s) over Intersections you control starting from 1 Square ot Tivit of your choosing. You may jump your piece(s) once or make a series of jump moves along your path of movement over consecutive Intersections you control.  You may only take 1 jump or jump sequence per turn.

B.  Jumping Stacks.  You may choose to jump any number of pieces from any of your existing stacks of pieces occupying Squares or Tivits.  They must jump together as a unit and maintain their stacking order.   You may not drop off or pick up pieces along a sequence of jumps.   

C.  Jump Limitation.  You may only jump pieces onto a Square or Tivit if the resulting stack (including pieces already on that space) complies with the  4-piece stacking limit.  This applies to individual jumps as well as to every jump within a jump sequence, since each jump is considered a separate move (i.e., a jumping stack of 3 pieces may never land in a Square or Tivit containing 2 or mover pieces as the result of any jump).   

D.  Jumping from Tivits.  You may jump either forward or backward from Tivits.  You may only take 1 backward jump unless the jump is onto another Tivit (Jumping from Tivit space 10 to Tivit space 8 allows an additional backward jump to Square 6).   

E.  Forbidden Jumps.  You are not allowed to jump pieces:

 

The Chebache

A Chebache is an angle formation created when you occupy 3 consecutive spaces along your own path,  controlling 2 Intersections and occupying the Square or Tivit between them. Forming a Chebache enables you to control your opponent's Square or Tivit and prevents pieces from landing there.  It also threatens all pieces already occupying that space.  Your Chebache traps any threatened pieces remaining in Chebache at the end of your opponent's next turn, sending them back to Start.

 

Black Chebache
White Chebache

 

A capital letter labels the central Square or Tivit of each Chebache.  The same letter in lowercase labels the controlled Square or Tivit directly from the Chebache.

 

Black Chebaches
Either player may form a Chebache using the same Intersections, at different times.  Red dashed lines from the "side" Chebaches (C, F) point to threatened Squares (c, f).

 

White Chebaches

 

A.  Possible Chebaches.  Each player may create 8 different Chebaches (A-H).  A Chebache controls the opponent's Square or Tivit directly across from its center position toward which its angle opens, either closest to (a, b, d, e, g, h) or across the board from (c, f) the Chebache. 

B.  Courses of Action.  If you form a Chebache, an warning will appear above the dice area at the start of the opponent's turn.  The blinking "CHEBACHE" warning means that piece(s) are threatened and in jeopardy of being trapped (sent back to Start if they remain in Chebache at the end of your opponent's next turn).  Once your piece(s) are in Chebache, you have several options:

  1. Escape: Move piece(s) out of Chebache (s) as part of Phase I; or in Phase II jump piece (s) out of Chebache'd Spaces (c or f only) over a relevant Intersection they control.
  2. Break the Chebache: Take control of as least one of the Chebache's Intersections by attacking it.
  3. Sacrifice Piece(s): Leave piece(s) to become trapped in Chebache in exchange for a preferred move.  The trapped piece(s) are sent back to Start at the end of that turn.

C.  Restricted Movement.  You may not land in a space controlled by a Chebache without first breaking the Chebache.  However, you may pass over the Chebache if the die roll allows.

 

The King

The King is a special piece with the power and stance of 2 pieces for the purposes of attacking and stacking.  However, it moves as 1 pieces with the added ability to move either forward or backward from any location on the board (except not back into Start or out of Finish).   All jumping rules apply to a King (Phase II), except that Kings may also jump backward from any Square or Tivit  (except not out of Finish).

  1. Covered King.  A King with pieces stacked on top of it may not move until those pieces are moved, except when the stack is jumping.
  2. Attacking / Stacking Order.  When attacking with or stacking a King with 1 or 2 pieces, there is no required order of stacking.  However, you will cover your King if it is not the last piece to move.
  3. King versus King.  A King may not attack a King or take part in attacking a stack containing a King.
  4. King Capture.  You may capture your opponent's King, if it is alone on an Intersection, by attacking it with 2 regular pieces.   Flip it over to your color and place it on top of your attacking pieces.  It then becomes your piece instead of being sent back to Start.  Rolling doubles may allow you to capture a King stacked with 1 or 2 additional pieces using 3 or 4 of your own pieces, respectively.  Two of your attacking pieces capture the King and then stack beneath the flipped King.  Your extra attacking pieces (s) send the opponent's regular piece(s) back to Start.  Then, you must sacrifice these extra pieces by sending them back to your Start to obey the stacking limit.
  5. Controlling Both Kings.  If you control both Kings, you may stack them together.  Your opponent may move 4 pieces (using doubles) to attack and capture your stacked Kings, which flip and remain on the Intersection.  Your opponent sacrifices all 4 attacking pieces.
  6. A Draw.  If your opponent's last piece in play is a King and you capture it, then the game ends in a draw (neither player wins).
  7. Sudden Win! Trap the King in Chebache.  If you Chebache your opponent's King, and during the following turn your opponent cannot free the King either by escaping or breaking the Chebache, then you win the game. Note:  If your opponent controls both Kings, you only need to trap 1 King in Chebache to win.

 

Strategic Hints:

  1. Try to control the 3 middle intersections (spaces 7,9,11) for their strategic value in creating Chebaches that control your opponent's central Tivits (spaces 8,10).
  2. Strengthen control of intersections by stacking 3 or 4 pieces upon them.
  3. Weigh the benefits of stacking pieces up with spreading pieces out to maximize the probability of benefiting from rolls of the dice.  Be prepared to use a shifting blend of these two strategies as the game progresses.
  4. Divert your opponent's attention and keep them on the defensive by attempting to control intersections and form threatening Chebaches.
  5. Set yourself up for using doubles effectively by stacking pieces together and/or occupying Tivits for backward movement.  This increases your chances of attacking or landing on and intersection with 3 or 4 pieces.
  6. Move your King into play as soon as possible.  Try to avoid covering Kings with other pieces whenever possible.
  7. Take advantage of the backward movement allowed by Tivits by leaving at least 1 piece on them whenever convenient.
  8. Take advantage of the King's ability to move backward by occupying non-Tivit spaces with the King, from which other pieces would not be able to move backward.
  9. As pieces progress farther along the path of movement, the cost of having them sent back increases.  Thus, be liberal in attacking or creating Chebaches within the first 6 spaces of your Start.
  10. Occasionally choose fewer pieces for jumping in order to land upon partially filled spaces along the jump sequence, so that you may continue jumping further along.
  11. Try to prevent your opponent from moving pieces out of Start by creating Chebaches near your opponent's Start.
  12. Weigh the benefits of capturing your opponent's King to gain power with the disadvantage of having 2 more pieces than your opponent to move into Finish, especially near the end of the game.
  13. Try to avoid moving pieces into Finish prematurely if it is likely that your opponent may prevent you from moving pieces out of Start.  However taking this risk may give you a winning head-start.
  14. Once you move a piece into Finish, be careful not to leave your King vulnerable to Chebaches, especially if you have or are likely to have pieces in Start.
  15. Be one with the dice.

 

Chebache Notation

This notation system was originally designed for play via email.  It is now used to notate games for Chebache Online and will also be a standard notation for recording Chebache games for tournaments. Here are several symbols used to describe aspects of a player's turn in the order in which they are notated for each turn, if relevant :

1W:  =  First turn is for White pieces

2B:   =  Second turn is for Black pieces

3W:  =  Third turn is for White pieces ...(the turn number increases by 1 and alternates from  W: to B:  for each consecutive turn throughout the game

[ ]  = Roll of dice.  Examples: [5 2] = a roll of a 5 and a 2.  [3 3] = A roll of Double 3's

S  = Start

F  = Finish

1-17  =  Spaces along a players path of movement from Start to Finish.

1,2,3,4 and/or K = number of pieces and/or King(s) moved, stacked, attacked or sacrificed

  The positioning of these numbers within the notation signifies whether they refer to pieces or spaces. If only 1 piece is moving, attacking or jumping it is not necessary to notate it.  If more than 1 piece is involved in the movement. The number of pieces is listed first, followed by the numbers for spaces from where the piece(s) move from and land on, along with the following symbols for direction of movement and attacking.

 /  =  Forward move   Example: 2/7 = Move 1 piece forward form space 2 to space 7.

\ =  Backward move   Example: 8\6 = Move 1 piece Backward from space 8 to space 6.

X = Attacking either forward or backward. Example: 3X9 =  Attacking opponent's piece(s) on space 9 with 1 piece from space 3.

( )  = Moving with more than 1 piece together from and to the same space (with a roll of Doubles) or the King.

Note: Notation for Chebache Online will show each move seperately.

         Examples: 3(2/5), 12/15 = Moving 3 pieces forward from space 2 to space 5 ...and 1 piece forward from space 12 to space 15. 

                         4(10\9) =  Moving 4 pieces backward from space 10 to space 9.

                         2(3X7) =  2 pieces attack opponent's piece(s) on space 7 from space 3.

                         K(4/10) = King moving forward from space 4 to space 10.

                         K(10\4) = King moving backward from space 10 to space 4.

  When moving the King according to the die rolls, it is always listed separately from moves by normal pieces and in the order in which the move occurs.

 Example: 2X5, K(11X5)   This makes it clear that the King would attack second (or move 2nd) and end up on the top of the stack  

X@...  = Opponent's piece(s) attacked at opponent's space .....

               Example: X4@17...so, ... [3 3]; 2(2X5), 2(8X5); X4@17... 

               The attackers space is 5 and the opponents number for the same space is 17.

       

        Note: Attacking, trapped and sacrificed  pieces are always sent back to Start, so,

                 there's no need to notate the Start square as S unless a movement is from Start.

 

 -   = Pieces sent back to Start when sacrificed  after attacking a King stacked with

        1 or 2 other pieces.

         *When pieces are sacrificed while attacking an opponent's stack including a King,

         the pieces and space referred to are the attackers.

         Example: White's turn:   [3 3]; 2(2X5), 2(8X5); X2K@17; K(B->W@5); -2@5

                        = White rolls double 3's; 2 pieces attack space 5 from space 2 and 2 more

                            attack space 5 from space 8. The Black King is captured and 2 of the

                            attacking pieces on the attackers space 5 are sacrificed and sent back to

                            Start due to the stacking limit of 4 pieces per space. (King = 2 pieces)       

                            The attacked pieces are listed just after the movement 

                                       

 ^  = Jumping/Jumped either forward and backward.

        Example: 4^6  = 1 piece jumping from sapce 4 to space 6.

 

( )  =  Also used here for listing jumps involving more than 1 piece or the King.       

          Examples:  2(6^8) = Jumping 2 pieces from space 6 space 8.

                       *  3(2^8) =  Jumping 3 pieces from space 2 to space 4 to space 6 to space 8.

                       *  K(9X5) = King attacking opponent's piece(s) on 5 from space 9.

 

         When notating a stack Jump using a stack or a portion of a stack that includes a King,

         the stacking order is shown by listing the King with the number of normal pieces

         involved in the Jump. The piece(s) listed from left to right = from bottom to top.

         Examples: 1K = King on top of 1 piece

                         2K =  King on top of 2 pieces.

                         K1 = King beneath 1 piece

                         K2 = King beneath 2 pieces

                         1K1 =  King between 2 pieces

                         1K1(2^10) = A stack with a King between 2 normal pieces Jumps from space 2 to 4 to 6 to 8 to 10.

 

-  = Also used to notate pieces trapped in Chebache and sent back to Start.

       *When the pieces are trapped in Chebache the space listed refers to the space of the

        trapped piece's own color, which is/are sent back to Start. The trapped pieces are

        notated near the end, before listing existing Chebaches. (Below)

        Example: -2@12 = 2  pieces trapped in Chebache on space 12 and sent back to Start.                     

        

< >  = In Chebache!  (White and Black spaces that are in Chebache are listed between these "Tivit-like" marks).

           Example: <W2,8; B4>  =  Chebaches on (controlling) White's spaces 2 and 8  and Black's space 4.

 

Sacrificed pieces that were involved in a King capture are listed after the King flips

K(W->B) and before the Jump(s)..

Pieces trapped in Chebache are shown after the Jump at the end of the turn before listing existing Chebaches, which is the last section. An example of a completed turn that would cover all these situations would look lie this:

  23W: [3 3]; 3(2X5), 8X5; X2K@17; K(B->W@5); -2@5; 1K(4^6); < B12;W14>

  Turn 23, Player playing White rolls double 3's and attacks space 5 with 3 pieces from space 2 and 1 piece from space 8, capturing the opponents King and sending 2 of the opponent's pieces back to Start. Also, sacrificing 2 of White's pieces. Then, continuing by Jumping a stack with a King on top of one normal piece from space 4 to space 6, creating a Chebache on opponent's space 12 along with an existing chebache on White's space 14.  (Not an average turn!)

  Often it is helpful to list the positions on the board after each turn. This makes it easy to correct mistakes when reviewing or playing through a game by following the notation. The positions on the board are listed for Black and White pieces with the number of pieces, an @ sign and then the space number for that color:

Examples: W: 2@S  = White has 2 pieces at Start...a complete list of both players' piece positioning might look like this: 

W: 2@S, 2K@2, 1@3, 1@5, 2@8, 2@10, 1@16, 1@F

B: 1@S, 3@4, 2@5, 1K@7, 2@8, 2@14, 1@

 

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Copyright ©1997-2014 by Pardee Games.  All rights reserved.  U.S. Patents 5,791,650; 6,062,562; D384,376, Chebache® is a registered trademark of Pardee Games.
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