Parcheesi

A game many Americans (boomers, gen-Xers)likely recall from their childhood. We had a board. Likely adapted from the ancient Indian game (parchisi), dating to 1100-800 BCE, the game involves 2-4 players and takes about an hour to play. Other, even older, games we played: chess and Ur, the ancient game of Sumer.

Unfun fact: There are ~10⁴³ possible permutations of situations in chess and ~10³⁰ in a game of Parcheesi (4-player).

Game Setup

1. Seating
   • Two players sit opposite each other.
   • Three or four players sit anywhere.
2. Pieces Each player takes four pieces of the same color and places them in their starting corner to the right.
3. Determine Starting Player: All players roll both dice once; the highest total goes first.

Starting the Game

• Entering Pieces: Before moving around the board, a piece must enter its blue starting space. This occurs only on a roll of five: either a single die showing 5, or a combination of the two dice (3+2, 4+1).
• Multiple Entries:
  • Rolling two 5s allows a player to enter two pieces and take an additional turn.
  • If a roll of 5 is rolled alongside another number, the player may enter one pice and use the remaining count to move another piece already in play.
• Missed Roll: If the player does not roll a 5, their turn is skipped.

Movement of Pieces

• Direction: Move pieces counter-clockwise along the cream track toward your blue space, then up your red path to the central Maple Leaf.
• Using Dice:
  • Players may move one for each die or combine the dice to move one piece the total amount.
  • You cannot split one die to move multiple pieces.
• Exact Count Rule:
  • Blue entry and cream track spaces do not require exact counts.
  • The Maple Leaf must be reached by the exact count using one die or the total of both dice.

Capturing Opponent Pieces

• A player may capture an opponent’s piece by landing on it with an exact count on a cream space.
• Captured pieces are sent back to their starting corner.
• The captured player must re-enter the piece on their next roll of 5.
• Safety:
  • Blue spaces are safe; pieces resting on them cannot be captured.
  • No two pieces of different colors may occupy a safety space simultaneously, but passing over is allowed.
  • Red paths are exclusive; piece’s cannot enter an opponent’s red path, ensuring safety.

Blockades

• Creating a Blockade: Two of the player’s same pieces on the same space (cream or blue) form a blockade.
• Effect: No piece, including the blockader’s own, may pass or stop on a blockade.
• Obligatory Movement: Players must move pieces if possible. If movement is blocked and no alternative exists, a piece in the blockade itself must be moved.
• Turn loss: If no legal moves exist, the player loses their turn.

Doubles

• Rolling doubles: Grants an extra turn.
• Continue rolling as long as doubles occur.
• Limitation: No extra turn if the total movement cannot be completed legally.

Winning

• Victory: The first player to move all four pieces around the board and into the Maple Leaf wins.
• Exact Count: The final space must be reached with an exact dice roll.