Overview
Nine Men's Morris is an ancient strategy board game for two players. The board consists of three nested squares connected by lines. Players place and then slide pieces along the lines, trying to form 'mills' (three in a row) to remove opponent's pieces.
History
Nine Men's Morris is one of the oldest known board games, with boards carved into ancient Egyptian temples and the roof slabs of the Kurna temple (c. 1400 BCE). It was extremely popular in medieval Europe.
Around the world
- Nine Men's Morris
- Mill
- Mühle
- Merels
- Młynek
- Cowboy Checkers
Strategy
Control intersection points that belong to multiple potential mills.
During placement, prioritize positions that can form multiple mills.
Keep your pieces connected and mobile; isolated pieces are vulnerable.
The 'double mill' (two mills sharing a piece) is very powerful - moving the shared piece opens one while closing the other.
Block your opponent's mills while setting up your own.
In the endgame with three pieces, flying makes defense nearly impossible - try to reach this phase first.
Frequently asked questions
Reduce your opponent to two pieces (so they cannot form mills) or block all their pieces so they cannot move.