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Mancala
Mancala is one of the oldest known board games, with evidence of play in Africa and the Middle East dating back at least 1,300 years. The name refers to a family of "count and capture" games — this version uses Kalah rules, the most common variant in North America and Europe. The game is played with stones (or seeds) distributed across pits on a wooden board.
Mancala Rules
The board has 6 small pits on each side and a large store (mancala) at each end. Each player owns the 6 pits on their side and the store to their right. The game starts with 4 stones in each of the 12 small pits.
On your turn, pick up all the stones from one of your pits. Moving counter-clockwise, drop one stone into each subsequent pit, including your own store but skipping your opponent's store.
If your last stone lands in your store, you get another turn. If your last stone lands in an empty pit on your side, you capture that stone plus all stones in the opponent's pit directly opposite — both go into your store.
The game ends when all six pits on one side are empty. The other player collects all remaining stones on their side into their store. Whoever has the most stones wins.
Mancala Strategy & Tips
Go for extra turns early
Count the stones in your pits and look for moves where the last stone lands in your store. Getting consecutive turns is one of the strongest advantages in Mancala, especially in the opening. A pit with exactly the right number of stones to reach your store is a setup worth protecting.
Set up captures on your side
Keep empty pits on your side when your opponent's opposite pit is full. Then maneuver stones so that a single stone will land in that empty pit, capturing the entire opposite pile. The bigger the opposite pile, the more devastating the capture.
Don't let your opponent's side empty out
If all six of your pits are empty, the game ends and your opponent takes everything on their side. Conversely, if you can empty your opponent's side when your store is ahead, that's a win. Watch the stone counts and control the pace of the endgame.
Accumulate stones in your rightmost pits
The pits closest to your store are the most versatile. Stones there can reach your store in one move (for extra turns) and are harder for your opponent to influence. Build up your right side in the midgame for a strong finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the rules for Mancala?
Pick up all stones from one of your pits and drop them one at a time into subsequent pits counter-clockwise, including your store but skipping your opponent's store. Landing in your store earns an extra turn. Landing in an empty pit on your side captures those stones plus the opposite pit's stones. Most stones in your store at the end wins.
How does capturing work in Mancala?
If your last stone lands in an empty pit on your side, and the opponent's pit directly opposite contains stones, you capture both your landing stone and all stones in the opposite pit. They all go into your store. This only works when landing on your own side in an empty pit.
Is Mancala a solved game?
The Kalah variant with 4 stones per pit has been solved — with optimal play, the first player wins. With 5 or 6 stones per pit, the analysis is more complex, but the first-player advantage generally holds. The game tree is much smaller than Chess but large enough that memorizing the solution isn't practical.