 ancala
games are of extraordinary antiquity. Blocks into which pits had been carved to provide playing boards
can be found amongst those used to build the pyramids. The geographical range of these games is equally
impressive, covering as it does the whole African continent, the Indian subcontinent, the Philippines,
Indonesia and parts of China.
The basic playing concept underlining and
thereby defining mancala games is easily encapsulated in the description pit-seed-sow-capture. To explain more
fully, the playing surface or board consists of an arrangement of shallow pits for the reception of the playing
pieces—these are usually pebbles, shells or seeds that are similar in color and shape and thus
undifferentiated as regards ownership and powers of movement or capture. The game is played by
distributing seeds sequentially into pits, according to the pertaining rules of direction and
viability, with the aim either to capture pieces to add to one's stock of captured pieces or to
capture opponent's pieces for one's own use.
As could be expected with
such a long history and far ranging expansion, an enormous diversity of games has evolved within
the basic pit-seed-sow-capture concept. Across Africa, typically, the rules of a game will
vary slightly from one village to the next. Questions arising from the transmission of these
games and the adaptations imposed on the rules by the recipients are of great interest to
anthropologists. The term mancala is the anthropologists' generic term for these games
rather than the name of a single game.
In east and south Africa,
more or less congruent with the lands of the Bantu-speaking peoples, four row mancalas are played.
Bao has already been briefly described in Abstract Games. In this article I will present an
introduction to Omweso, a game from Uganda. This game is from further west than Bao and in
that sense perhaps more 'African.' Omweso seems to have first been described in European
academia in 1913 by M. G. Sanderson, and he and those following him referred to the game as
'Mweso' rather than 'Omweso.' I am informed by Brian Wernham of the International Omweso
Society that 'Mweso' is a "slang abbreviation," so in this article I will be using the term
'Omweso.' However, the reader should be aware that the two names refer to the same game, even
though under either name the game may be subject to some local variation.
I have the feeling that
many potential fans of mancala games are put off by the unavailability of playing equipment.
This should not be a stumbling block. The simplest way to play without a board is to draw out
a suitable grid on a piece of paper with a pen; the number of seeds in a pit can be indicated
by pencil slashes; when the seeds are picked up for sowing, an eraser will remove them. The
friend I play with in the UK has 32 small metal dishes sold for baking cakes, and these in
conjunction with a bag of suitably-sized beans can be arranged for use in most mancala games.
I am sure many alternative improvisations can be devised.
I will give the standard
rules of play that embody the full flavor of Omweso, further mentioning within these rules
only a couple of points of regional departure. The playing equipment is simply four rows of
eight pits arranged with the long side transverse between the players. Those who read the
Bao articles will notice that Omweso uses the same board as Bao but without the 'houses.'
Also in common with Bao each player is in control of the seeds in the two nearest rows.
The only other requirement is sixty-four seeds or similar playing pieces.
Play is basically anti-clockwise,
so that a player removes all the seeds from the pit of choice and sows them one into each of
the following pits through the loop described by the two rows, left to right in the outer
(closest) row and right to left in the inner (second-closest) row. Sowing by selection of
a pit containing a single seed is not permitted. Should the final seed of a sowing be into
an empty pit, the turn passes to the other player. Should the final sowing be into an
occupied pit, unless a capture is possible, the sowing process recommences with the picking
up of all the seeds from that pit. This process continues until either a capture is made
or a sowing ends in an empty pit. (I will refer to the distribution of seeds from an
individual pit as a sowing and the complete play of the player between the opponent's
previous and subsequent moves as a move.)
The conditions required
for capturing are that the final pit entered into during a sowing be occupied, in the player's
inner row, and that the pits opposite in both of the opponent's rows each contain at least
one seed. When a capture is effected, the seeds from both of the opponent's pits are picked
up and sown as if they had come from the pit from which the player's immediately preceding
sowing began. If a sowing ends in a situation where a capture is available the capture must
be made. However, there is no compulsion to select a move that will result in a capture.
These different move
types can be easily understood with an illustrated example, but first a few words about
notation. As mancala games do not have a written tradition, they lack an established
system of notation. The various authors who have described mancala games have for the most
part got around this by devising their own notation. All of the notations that I have seen
are readily understandable—nevertheless, I will follow suit and introduce an as yet unpublished
system that I have used for correspondence play. There are some points that will need to be
dealt with when they arise, but simply put the system numbers pits anti-clockwise from the left
outer, 1, to the left inner, 16; the pits are numbered according to the view point of the player
they belong to, so my 1 is on my left but my opponent's 1 is on my right. For basic moves all
that need be stated is the number of the pit from which the move commences.
In the example above we are here considering possible moves by the player controlling the bottom
two rows. A possible single sowing move would be 8, resulting in an empty 8, two seeds in each of
9,10,11 and 12, and a single seed in 13. A possible multiple sowing move would be 5, resulting
in an empty 5, six in 6 and 8, two in 9 and 11, and one in 7, 13 and 14. A possible single sowing
with capture would be 6, resulting in an empty 6, seven in 8, three in 9 and 10, two in 7 and 12,
and one in 13 and 14. A possible multiple sowing with capture would be 1, resulting in an empty
1, seven in 6 and 8, six in 4, five in 2, three in 9 and 11, two in 7 and 12, and one in 3 and 13.
Finally, it is also possible to make clockwise captures from pits 1, 2, 15 and 16. The
reverse movement is only allowed for a capturing sowing, but may be chosen at any stage
in a move should it be available. A reverse capture is indicated in the notation by the
pit number followed by a bracketed number; this bracketed number tells us on which sowing
from this pit the reverse option was exercised.
An example should make things clear. Again from the diagram, but this time with the top
player to move, single sowing reverse captures are possible by 1(1) or 2(1). A multiple
sowing with reverse capture is available by 9,1(1), resulting in an empty 9, nine in 10,
seven in 6, five in 2, 3 and 13, four in 14, two in 12, 15 and 16, and one in 4, 5 and 7.
Should a player decide to make more than one reverse capture from the same pit before
resuming clockwise sowing the number of captures is indicated in the notation as follows,
1(1x3), the example being for a case in which three reverse captures were made from an initial
sowing. H. J. Braunholtz mentions a rule local to Entebbe in which a player may reverse without
capturing.
A game of Omweso is decided when one player has possession of all the seeds or has reduced the
opponent to possession of singletons only. In either case the opponent is unable to move and
thus loses. A player is also considered to have won if within one move the seeds from all the
pits at the extremes of the opponent's rows are captured, i.e. capturing from pits 1+16 and 8+9.
When beginning a game, both players first
set out their 32 seeds along their outer rows, four
in each pit. This is simply to ensure that the correct number of seeds is present. Lots are
then drawn to decide who will play first. However, play does not begin from the initial set
up—instead the players take turns to arrange their seeds according to preference. The player
to make the first arrangement is also the one to make the first move. Except in tournament
games players are usually restricted to a maximum of ten seeds in any one pit.
In a sense, the initial arrangement is the most intimidating phase of the game for the beginner
as he has no knowledge or experience of the characteristics associated with the various typical
opening set ups. On the other hand, there are so many possible arrangements that we have great
freedom to experiment. As an alternative, we can adopt the style of players from east Uganda,
where they begin the game with two seeds in each pit and play their first move simultaneously,
and the player whose move lasts the longest is awarded the first 'real' move.
I have not yet tried this, but my experience with the Philippino game Agsinnoninka, in which the
entire game is conducted with the players moving simultaneously and continuously, suggests it
would be good fun. Seeds vulnerable to capture have often become safe by the time one's own
seeds get round to the capturing pit, which is amusingly confusing.
In order to explore further the issues involved in Omweso play I will now look at a recent
tournament game. Tournament games are scored one point for a normal win, two points for
'cutting off the head' (or capturing from the end pits as explained above), and six points
for a 'billion win.' In tournament play a 'billion win' is awarded if all the opponent's
pits are occupied and the player captures all the seeds with the final move being into an end pit.
The following game was played between Umaru Semakula and Sofasi Ddamba in the 2000 Baganda
Clan Championship. Ddamba plays first.
[1] 15 15* (In tournament play there is no restriction on the number of seeds placed in a pit.
Choosing more than sixteen for a pit ensures that at any point the player will be able to get
round and keep sowing. A further difference in tournament play is that when a player sows from
a pit containing three seeds, two seeds are sown into the first pit rather than one in each of
the three, so Semakula now has two in 16 and one in 1. I mark such moves with an asterisk just
as a reminder. This rule only applies until the first capture is made.) [2] 16 16 [3] 13* 1 [4] 1 2
[5] 2 12* (So far both sides have been shuffling their least-aggressively positioned seeds,
waiting for an opportunity to attack. Semakula's 5th move is very interesting.)
(Semakula is going to have to lose some seeds next move whatever he plays.
Personally I would have played 3, and if the opponent captures by 12,15(1),
I could play 10 followed by 11, with a position that I think would give enough
attacking chances. However, after watching the development of this game I think
Semakula's move may be the more perceptively timed.) [6] 7 10 [7] 10 11 [8] 3 12 [9] 1 15(1)
(Although I have been playing for about fifteen years I am not an expert, so I do not know the
genuine motivation behind the play, but I would think that Ddamba is trying to delay breaking
up his heavily loaded pit until, as far as possible, Semakula's seeds are round the corner.
If Semakula has only ones and twos in his front row when he starts his counter attack, then
he is more likely to create empty pits that will stop his move. These heavily loaded pits
remind me of a well-developed house in Bao. In tournament play if a player captures on two
separate moves without a responding capture from the opponent it is already a win for the
player, so Semakula having captured on his last move can now relax while waiting to counter
attack.) [10] 16 16 [11] 14 1 [12] 11
(Ddamba could no longer avoid either exposing his 11 to attack or sowing it.
At last Semakula gets the chance he has been waiting for.) [12].....8,1(1) [13] 2 15 [14] 3 13
(If Ddamba can get several mobile seeds round the corner they will become very threatening
in conjunction with the two sets of four seeds in the reversing pits 15 and 16. Naturally
Semakula will try to prevent this, but with so many seeds it can be difficult to set up an
attack on the end pits in advance.) [15] 4 16 [16] 16 13 [17] 15 14
(Over the last two moves Ddamba has had no choice and is lucky still to be in the game.
He still has some chances as his seed in 16 is potentially well placed, but he would be
much happier if he had a seed in 9 instead of 10 as he has insufficient seeds to threaten
to reach 10 in one sowing.) [18] 1 8 [19] 2 12 [20] 4 2 (Semakula could have captured
here by playing 11. As it happens, he could have captured decisively on his next move with
3. Omweso tournaments are played at the very strict time limit of three seconds thinking
time per move; overstepping the time limit results in the move passing to the opponent,
so a player with a lot of mobile pits can easily be excused the missing of such opportunities.)
[21] 5 15 [22] 6 4 [23] 7 9
(Suddenly Ddamba has an almost ideal counter attacking set up.
With no inner-outer pairs of pits his seeds are quite safe while
he can arrange his front row to create various attacking possibilities.
As Semakula has a lot of singletons, I would probably play 12 at this point.
I imagine Ddamba did not want to over-extend his position while Semakula has
nine seeds in his 8.) [24] 13 15 [25] 14 13 [26] 15 1 (Semakula has been forced to expose
his seeds and Ddamba still has a promising attacking position.) [27] 12 2
(On his previous move Ddamba could have captured 11 seeds by 2(1),
but would have exposed his position as a result. Here with 8 he
could capture 19 seeds, but expose his position to an even greater extent.
Nevertheless, I would have been tempted to try that as there is a limit to
how long one can build up the tension.) [28] 11 16 [29] 2 1 [30] 13 2 (I get the
impression that once Semakula gets a material advantage he is primarily concerned
with keeping his position safe. I often find in various board games that players
stronger than myself play with what seems to me to be either excessive caution or
excessive aggression. Perhaps this demonstrates the greater depth of their positional
judgment.) [31] 14 3 [32] 12+15 (At this point, whether intended or not is unclear,
Ddamba made two moves before Semakula replied. At the speed they play, it is understandable
that confusion can occur.) [32].....4 [33] 4 8
(Now Ddamba makes the losing move. Had he played 8 on his next move
he would capture all the available seeds, 40 of them. Semakula would still
retain counter-attacking chances, but certainly it would have been much better
than the move Ddamba chose. It is very strange that he could miss this move, even
given the time restriction, as it is the natural culmination of his foregoing play.
I wonder if he realized that he had taken an extra move, and this threw his concentration
out of kilter.) [34] 5 9,1(1) [35] 6 6. (Semakula wins.)
To explore
Omweso further, I recommend visiting the site of the International Omweso
Society at www.omweso.org. The above game score is copyright of Brian Wernham of the
IOS, and I would like to thank him here for permission to use it and for providing
answers to many questions during my research.
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