Breakthrough

Players: Two.

Equipment: Chessboard and 16 playing pieces (checkers pieces) of two colours.

Initial Board Setup: Each player -- black and white -- has sixteen counters occupying two rows on opposite sides of the board (exactly as Chess is set up).

Rules: Win by moving one piece to the opposite side. Pieces move one space forward or diagonally forward, and capture diagonally forward.

Features of the game: Breakthrough has one of the simplest rule sets among boardgames. The game develops quickly because pieces have no choice but to move forward. Draws are mathematically impossible, which is a rare feature for move-based games.

The game strategy is novel and sophisticated. A piece can "skirt" around an opponent piece by moving directly in front of it, where it cannot be captured, then moving diagonally around it. As a result, a single piece cannot by itself prevent an opponent piece from "breaking through" the ranks.

Defence consists of arranging pieces in tandem so that the opponent cannot skirt around them. Basic offence consists of attacking opponent pieces that guard multiple attack routes, which may open up a route.

The game is intuitive and immediately playable, but very difficult to master.

Breakthrough © copyright 2001 Dan Troyka