THE GAME AT A GLANCE
Small board.
Big consequences.
Leap like a knight. Capture diagonally forwards. Use forced captures to set a clever trap.
Learn on the board →
1. The board and the goal
The board has eight rows and five columns. Each player starts with five snakes on their back row. Ivory moves first. Capture all opposing pieces to win.
2. Leaping and capturing are different
Without a capture, a snake leaps in an L: two squares along, one across. It can leap in any direction, including backwards, and over other pieces. The destination must be empty. Capturing is different: one square diagonally forwards. Ivory advances towards row 8; Onyx towards row 1. Land on the opposing piece and remove it.
3. If you can capture, you must capture
Check all your pieces. If any can capture, your move must be a capture. If several captures are possible, you choose which one. After that single capture, the other player moves. There is no extra leap or chain of captures in the same turn.
4. Become a King Cobra
A snake promotes on the centre square of the opposing back row: c8 for Ivory, c1 for Onyx. You may promote at most twice per game. A captured King Cobra does not restore a promotion allowance. On other back-row squares, a snake remains a snake.
5. The King Cobra has greater reach
A King Cobra moves along straight or diagonal lines as far as the board and other pieces allow. It cannot jump over pieces. When capturing, it lands on the first opposing piece along that line. Its available captures are also forced.
6. Winning and draws
You win when all opposing pieces have been captured. The game is drawn when the next player has no legal move; when the same position with the same player to move occurs for the third time; or after eighty half-moves (forty moves per player) without a capture or promotion. A capture or promotion resets that last counter.
Board coordinates run from a to e and from 1 to 8.