Surakarta

Surakarta is a traditional Indonesian strategy game named after a city in Java. Its unique feature is the capture mechanism: pieces capture by traveling along curved loops (arcs) in the corners of the board, making it unlike any other abstract strategy game.

Capture all of your opponent's pieces.

The game is played on a 6x6 grid with curved arcs connecting the corners. Each player has 12 pieces arranged in the two rows closest to them (24 pieces total). Players choose colors; typically dark moves first.

1. On your turn, either move one piece or capture one enemy piece.
2. Regular movement: Move one piece orthogonally (up, down, left, right) to any adjacent empty square.
3. Capture: A piece captures by traveling along at least one corner arc and landing on an enemy piece.
4. Capture paths must pass through at least one arc loop before hitting the enemy piece.
5. The capturing piece can travel any distance along straight lines between arcs.
6. The captured piece is removed; the capturing piece takes its place.
7. You cannot capture without using at least one arc.
8. You cannot pass over your own or enemy pieces during a capture path (except the target).

Win by capturing all opponent's pieces. If neither player can capture, the player with more pieces wins.

• *Positioning near arcs gives you more capture opportunities.
• *Keep pieces defended - isolated pieces are vulnerable to arc attacks.
• *Look for long capture paths that your opponent might miss.
• *Control the center and the arc entry/exit points.
• *Avoid leaving pieces in straight lines connected by arcs.
• *Study the arc patterns to visualize possible capture routes.
• *Sometimes a seemingly safe piece is vulnerable from a distant arc.

Surakarta is named after the city of Surakarta (Solo) in Central Java, Indonesia. The game's origin and age are uncertain, but it has been played in Java for generations.