Svendo

Board games designed specifically for three players, and requiring only skill, are rare. To fill this need, Svendo was invented in 1964 by Steve Avery. The rules of the game are very simple, but the strategy and tactics can be complex. Luck plays no part in this game.

Equipment:
1. The game is for three players, and is played on a rectangular board of sixty dots, called points, as shown in Figure 1. A board is available for printing (<Ctrl+P>), so that you can play the game.

Figure 1

2. Twenty-seven pieces, or stones are used. Of the twenty-seven stones, eight are black, eight are white, eight are red, and three are green, called master stones. Ordinary plastic counters of four contrasting colours can suffice.

Set up: Each player takes eight stones of the same colour, which become his set, and one of the master stones.

Placing stones: Each player in turn places his stones one at a time on the board.

Objective: Once all the stones have been brought into play, the objective of the game is to use them to form a line. A line is completed, when a player has positioned three of his stones in a row, either orthogonally or diagonally, on alternate points, termed base points. Those in between are called check points, which must be unoccupied, to make a winning line (Figures 2 & 3).

Moves: After the last stone has been placed on the board, each player, in turn, moves one of his stones, or one of the master stones, any distance and in any direction he wishes along one of the straight lines marked on the board.

A stone must move in a straight line from one point to another, and may not alight on, or pass over, an occupied point.

The master stones: A master stone may be moved by any player under the conditions governing the movement of a common stone. It then becomes part of that player's set for that move only.

Player's responsibility: A player's responsibility lies mainly with the adversary immediately following him. If the situation arises that both of his opponents are in winning positions, and either can win at his next turn, then he must block the following player, if he can, and not the player who precedes him. If he does not do this, the preceding player can claim the win, provided that he calls the error before the following player moves.

Winning: The game can be won by one of three methods:
1. By capturing a third base point;
2. By moving from a check point, having already occupied three base points, thereby leaving both check points unoccupied;
3. By forcing an opponent to move from one of your check points, leaving your three occupied base points in line.

Note that a line formed with a master stone can win, only if formed by the first method.

A situation illustrating the third method is shown in Figure 4. Black has moved from point A to point B. Because Red is White's immediate responsibility, White must move from point C to point A, to block Red, thus allowing Black to win.

Figure 4                 Example of a forced win

The block: A winning position can be blocked by moving a stone either to the opponent's third base point or to one of his check points.

Announcing the win: If player A can achieve a winning line on his next turn, and cannot be blocked, he should announce the fact. Then player B may not move a stone that would enable player C to win (unless there is no alternative).

Invalid lines: The game can be won only by the movement of a stone. A line left on the board after the first twenty-seven moves, or after a master stone has been used to block a base point, is invalid.

Scoring: The number of moves the winning player makes to form a line is the number of points awarded to him for that game. The placing of his nine stones at the beginning of the game do not count as moves.

Strategy: Contriving such situations, as illustrated in Figure 4, is a major element in the strategy of Svendo, and requires forethought. Unless you become adept at this, it is unlikely that you will be able to beat skilled players.

The rules and board of Svendo may be distributed freely, provided that no alterations are made to them, and this copyright message accompanies them unchanged.
© Avery Productions Ltd 1964/2001. All rights reserved.