Isolo (Sukuma women)
From Wikimanqala
Isolo
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| Isumbi, women's game |
| Played in: Usukuma (Tanzania) |
| Two cycles |
| Multiple lap |
| Captures are reintroduced |
| 8 holes per row |
| Four rows |
Isolo (according to Kalumbete also called isumbi) is the name given to three related mancala games played by the Sukuma, in Tanzania. This is the more simple one, the "women's game" (in fact, the girls' game).
Contents |
Rules
The game begins with 2 seeds per hole.
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On the first game the beginning player is chosen at random. On the following games, it alternates.
Each player controls the two rows closer to her.
Moves are multiple lap.
On her turn the player takes all the seeds from a hole on her side and sows them one by one on the following holes on her side, on a counterclockwise sense.
If the last seed of a lap is sown in an empty hole the move ends.
If the last seed of a lap is sown in a hole not allowing a capture she takes all the seeds on this hole and keeps on sowing another lap.
If the last seed of a lap is sown in a hole of the inner row and on the opponent's facing holes there are any seeds she captures them and sows them in another lap starting on the same hole the capturing lap started.
If on her turn a player can not move (she has no seeds, or all of them are singletons) she has lost the game.
References
- Kalumbete, Bela B.
- (2001) ISOLO, or Bao played by the Sukuma [Online], available at http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0003aj [13 Oct 2006].
- Popova, Assia
- (1979) 'Isolo, jeu royal des Sukuma', in Cahiers d'études africaines, 73-76, XIX-1-4.
See also
External links
- Sukuma people on wikipedia
