The Most Exciting
Board Game Ever Known

The unusual title was given to this game simply because no fabricated name was found to express adequately the tension and frustration felt by the players towards the end of almost every game. This game is truly never won until it is lost, and never lost until it is won. One player may be far behind in the race, just as the opponent is on the verge of winning, when the opponent could suffer a sudden severe setback that the first player can take advantage of.

Although based loosely on The Royal Game of Ur, the rules have been amended and extended, and the board completely redesigned, by Steve Avery.

Equipment:
1. The board as shown in Figure 1. A full-sized board is available for printing (<Ctrl+P>), so that you can play the game.

Figure 1

2. Seven stones of any colour, and seven stones of a contrasting colour. Ordinary plastic counters can suffice.
3. Three identical cubic dice. Three faces show a single dot, and the other three faces are blank. Two of the dotted faces are opposite each other. If such dice are unavailable, three standard dice can be used, although they are not ideal. In this case, you could count the odd numbers as dots, and the even numbers as blanks.

Set up: Each player's seven stones are ranged along his respective side of the board.

Figure 2

Objective: The player's objective is to get all his stones onto the START, and around the board to the FINISH. The direction of travel is indicated in Figure 2, and on the board itself by the red arrows. The squares along the board's edges are safe. The central squares, however, are common territory, where stones may be hit, in which case they are removed from the board to start again.

Moves: Each player moves any one of his stones according to the cast of the three dice, as indicated in Figure 3.

Figure 3	Three dots. Move 5 squares, or enter a stone on the starting square (S); Throw again.
	Three blanks. Move 4 squares; Throw again.
	Two dots. Move 1 square; Throw again.
	One dot. No move; End of turn.

Throughout the game each player continues to throw the dice, until he ends his turn by throwing one dot, even if he has no stone on the board to move.

Three dots must be thrown, in order to enter each stone onto the START (S). (See also Awards below.) Alternatively, three dots can be used to move a stone 5 squares, once it has been entered.

Moves cannot be split between stones (e.g., moving one stone 3 squares and another 2).

Stones must reach the FINISH square (F) by an exact cast of the dice; they cannot overshoot. If a stone is moved beyond the FINISH square, it is treated as hit, is removed from the board, and must start again.

A move must be made for each scoring throw, even if the only possible move is to overshoot the FINISH square.

Hit: If a stone lands exactly on an opponent’s single stone in common territory (the central squares), the opponent’s stone is removed from the board, and must start again.

If a stone lands on two or more opponent’s stones on the same square, it is itself removed from the board, and must start again. There is no limit to the number of stones of the same colour on one square.

Awards and Forfeits:

Figure 4

Award: When a player ends his move on this square, he may enter another stone onto the START square (S). There are five of these squares on the board: two in each player's safe territory, and one in common territory (the central squares).

Figure 5

Award: When a player ends his move on this square, he must move the same stone forward again by the same number of squares in the move. There are two of these squares on the board, both in common territory (the central squares).

Figure 6

Forfeit: When a player ends his move on this square, the opponent immediately moves any one of his stones forward 4 squares, and obeys any resulting award or forfeit. The player then resumes his turn. There are three of these squares on the board: two in each player's safe territory, and one in common territory (the central squares).

Figure 7

Forfeit: When a player ends his move on this square, the opponent immediately enters a stone onto the board on the START square, if there is one to enter. If the opponent has already entered all of his stones, there is no forfeit. The player then resumes his turn. This forfeit is applied only to the first player to land on this square. There is only one of these squares on the board: at the point where each player's leaves his safe territory, and moves into common territory (the central squares).

The 'Touch' rule: Once the dice are cast, the player must move the first stone he touches. If he throws three dots, and touches a stone that is off the board, he must enter that stone.

Scoring: The quality of the win depends upon the deployment of the losing player’s stones at the end of the game. The winner gains points by calculating the total value of all the squares still occupied by his opponent’s stones.

The value of a square is determined by the number indicated at its corners. Where there is more than one stone on any square, the value of that square is multiplied by the number of stones occupying it.

The winner scores 10 points for any of his opponent’s stones still on the START square (S), and 25 points for any stones that have not yet entered the board at all.

Tactics: For a game whose rules are so simple, the tactics involved in The Most Exciting Board Game Ever Known are surprisingly complex. It is similar to Backgammon in this respect.

You need to be aware of the probabilities of the dice throws, and to deploy your stones in such a way as to maximise the chances of getting the last few to the end together, without being forced to overshoot the FINISH square by an untimely three dots or three blanks, or by your opponent forcing you to move 4 squares ahead. This is quite difficult. It happens more often than not, that you will not get the last stone to the FINISH without overshooting.

This is what makes the game so exciting; The opponent always has a good chance of winning, even with several stones left to finish, because he can use them to keep hitting the player's last stone. Even if the player gets it almost to the end, he may overshoot again. The more stones you have on the board, the easier it is to get them to the FINISH square. With no stones on the board to land on an 'Enter another stone' square, it can be difficult to enter the last stones, because only a throw of three dots can achieve this.

Here are the odds against throwing each of the possible dice combinations:

Figure 8	Three dots. 27 times in 216 throws, or 1 time in 8 throws, i.e., 7 to 1.
	Three blanks. 27 times in 216 throws, or 1 time in 8 throws, i.e., 7 to 1.
	Two dots. 81 times in 216 throws, or 3 times in 8 throws, i.e., 5 to 3.
	One dot. 81 times in 216 throws, or 3 times in 8 throws, i.e., 5 to 3.

You should also think about the effect of forcing your opponent to move 4 squares ahead. This may put one of his stones in a position where you can hit it, or even cause it to overshoot the FINISH square. Conversely, you should position your stones so that you can gain an advantage, if your opponent forces you to move 4 squares ahead.

The 'Opponent enters stone' square (Figure 7) is very advantageous to occupy with several stones. Not only does it make it difficult for your opponent to exit his safe area, but a throw of three dots puts a stone on the FINISH square (via the 'Move is doubled' square). This is the reason for the forfeit for the first player to land on it.

Common territory (the central squares) is a dangerous place to be. If all of your movable stones are positioned here singly, you are very vulnerable.

Generally, it is a good tactic to keep at least one stone on the START square for as much of the game as possible. Then, with a throw of three blanks, you can bring a stone onto the board with a move directly to the end of your safe area, and avoid the forfeit squares.

The rules and board of The Most Exciting Board Game Ever Known may be distributed freely, provided that no alterations are made to them, and this copyright message accompanies them unchanged.
© Avery Productions Ltd 1994/2001. All rights reserved.