Rules of the hall

Nine men's morris

Three squares, twenty-four points, nine men each. Place, then slide along lines. Three in a line is a mill and removes an enemy man, never one from a mill unless all are. Two men left or no move loses. Three men may fly.

Six men's morris

Two squares, sixteen points, six men each. Mills only along the sides of the squares. Flying is off by default.

Twelve men's morris

The nine men's board plus four diagonals, twelve men each. Twenty mills. A full board after placement is a draw.

Draughts

8 × 8, twelve men each on dark squares. Men step diagonally forward, captures are compulsory and chains must be completed. Kings step one square in any diagonal direction. English: Dark first, any capture. Italian: Light first, the largest capture, men cannot take kings.

Reversi

8 × 8, four discs in the centre. Each disc must enclose a straight line of enemy discs, which flip. No move means pass; when nobody can move, more discs wins.

Four in a row

7 columns × 6 rows. Discs fall to the lowest free space. Four in a line in any direction wins; a full grid is a draw.

Five in a row

15 × 15 intersections, one stone per turn. Five in a line wins; with the exact rule six or more does not.

Dots and boxes

Draw one line between neighbouring dots. Completing a box claims it and you draw again. More boxes wins.

Guides

• Surviving the placement phase — Most games of nine men's morris between new players are decided before a single man has moved. Here is how to come out of the first eighteen moves with a position you can play.
• The flying endgame — With the flying rule, a player down to three men may jump to any empty point. That turns a weak side into a slippery one, and the side with more men needs a plan.
• Chains and control in dots and boxes — Dots and boxes looks like a game of taking boxes. It is really a game of deciding who has to open the long chains, and that is decided by a simple counting habit.