Tri-Camelot Rules

THE WORLD CAMELOT FEDERATION
OFFICIAL RULES OF TRI-CAMELOT

PLAYERS: The game of Tri-Camelot is played between three opposing players. The three players are called Blue, Red, and Green. The players’ positions, moving clockwise around the three sides of the Tri-Camelot Board, are Blue, Red, and Green. The three players make moves in the following repeating order: Blue, Red, and Green.

PLAYING SURFACE: The Tri-Camelot Board contains 73 regular hexagons of identical size. Ranks are rows of hexagons, numbered 1 through 18, running horizontally from one side of the board to the other. Files are columns of hexagons, lettered A through K, running vertically from one end of the board to the other. The hexagons of the board, with their actual Tri-Camelot designation used for game notation, from the bottom rank to the top rank, from the left-most file to the right-most file, are: F1, E2, G2, D3, F3, H3, E4, G4, D5, F5, H5, C6, E6, G6, I6, D7, F7, H7, C8, E8, G8, I8, B9, D9, F9, H9, J9, C10, E10, G10, I10, B11, D11, F11, H11, J11, A12, C12, E12, G12, I12, K12, B13, D13, F13, H13, J13, A14, C14, E14, G14, I14, K14, B15, D15, F15, H15, J15, A16, C16, E16, G16, I16, K16, B17, D17, F17, H17, J17, C18, E18, G18, I18. Three of the hexagons are designated Castle Hexagons. Blue’s Castle Hexagon is F1, Red’s Castle Hexagon is A16, and Green’s Castle Hexagon is K16.

PIECES: The pieces are called Knights and Men. Each player begins the game with eight pieces: three Knights and five Men. The starting positions are: Blue Knights on E4, F5, and G4, Blue Men on D5, H5, E6, G6, and F7, Red Knights on B13, C14, and C16, Red Men on B11, C12, D13, D15, and D17, Green Knights on J13, I14, and I16, and Green Men on J11, I12, H13, H15, and H17.

THE PLAIN MOVE: A piece (either Knight or Man) may move one hexagon in any direction (vertically or diagonally) to any adjoining unoccupied hexagon.

THE CANTER: A piece (either Knight or Man) may leap in any direction (vertically or diagonally) over a friendly piece (either Knight or Man) that occupies an adjoining hexagon, provided that there is an unoccupied hexagon immediately beyond it in a direct line onto which the leap may be made. This move is called a Canter. Pieces cantered over are not removed from the board. A player may canter over more than one piece during the same move, but may not make a Canter that ends on the same hexagon from which it began. When cantering over more than one piece in a move, the direction of the move may be varied after each Canter. A player is never compelled to canter, nor when cantering is he compelled to canter as far as possible.

THE JUMP: A piece (either Knight or Man) may leap in any direction (vertically or diagonally) over an opposing (either opponent’s) piece (either Knight or Man) that occupies an adjoining hexagon, provided there is an unoccupied hexagon immediately beyond it in a direct line onto which the leap may be made. This move is called a Jump. Each enemy piece jumped over is captured and immediately removed from the board. A player is obliged to jump if any one of his pieces is next to an exposed enemy piece. Having jumped over one enemy piece, the jumping must continue as a part of that same move if the player’s piece reaches a hexagon next to another exposed enemy piece. When jumping over more than one piece in a move, the direction of the move may be varied after each Jump. If presented with capturing alternatives, a player may choose which opposing piece to capture, and with which of his pieces to effect the capture. When compelled to jump, a player may, if he can, capture by a Knight’s Charge instead. A player may ignore his obligation to jump in two situations, only:
1. If, on his previous move, a player has jumped one of his pieces over an opponent's piece into his own castle, ending his turn there, he must, on his next turn, immediately move that piece out from his castle.
2. A player may not jump into the castle of the opponent sitting to his right.

THE KNIGHT’S CHARGE: A Knight (only) may combine a Canter and a Jump in a single move, called a Knight’s Charge. A Knight’s Charge must follow the order of first the Canter(s) and last the Jump(s). A Knight is never obliged to make a Knight's Charge. When cantering over more than one piece during the cantering portion of a Knight’s Charge, the direction of the move may be varied after each canter. If the canter of a Knight brings it next to an enemy piece that can be jumped, it must do so, unless by a different route later in that same move it captures one or more enemy pieces elsewhere. During a Knight's Charge, the directions of the last canter and first jump need not be the same. Having jumped over one enemy piece during the jumping portion of a Knight’s Charge, the jumping must continue as a part of that same move if the player’s Knight reaches a hexagon next to another exposed enemy piece. When jumping over more than one piece during the jumping portion of a Knight’s Charge, the direction of the move may be varied after each jump.

NOTATION: The Plain Move is indicated by the notation “-” placed between the starting hexagon and the ending hexagon, e.g., C8-D9. The Canter is indicated by the notation “-” placed between the starting hexagon, landed upon intermediate hexagons (if any), and the ending hexagon, e.g., E6-C8-C12. The Jump is indicated by the notation “x” placed between the starting hexagon, landed upon intermediate hexagons (if any), and the ending hexagon, e.g., H5xH9xF11. The Knight’s Charge is indicated by the notation “-” placed between the beginning hexagon of the cantering portion, landed upon intermediate hexagons (if any), and the ending hexagon of the cantering portion, and the notation “x” placed between the ending hexagon of the cantering portion (the beginning hexagon of the jumping portion), landed upon intermediate hexagons (if any), and the ending hexagon of the jumping portion, e.g., F5-F9-H11xF13xD11.

OBJECT: The game is won if a player moves any one of his pieces (Knight or Man) onto the castle hexagon of the opponent sitting to his left. The game is also won if a player captures all of the pieces of both opponents.

PLAYER’S OWN CASTLE: A player may not Plain Move or Canter one of his pieces (Knight or Man) onto his own castle hexagon. If an enemy piece reaches a hexagon adjacent to one of his own castle hexagons, a player may Jump, or make the jumping portion of a Knight’s Charge, over that enemy piece onto his own castle hexagon. A player may not, during the cantering portion of a Knight's Charge, move his Knight onto his own castle hexagon. If a player Jumps over an opponent's piece onto his own castle hexagon, and the player’s piece is then next to an exposed enemy piece, the jumping must continue (out of his castle) as part of that same move. A player who has jumped one of his pieces over an opponent's piece onto his own castle hexagon, and in so doing was unable to continue the jumping out of his castle as part of that same move, must, on his next turn to move, immediately move that piece out from his castle, with no exception. A player moving one of his pieces out from his own castle must Jump out, if possible, instead of plain-moving or cantering out. If a player has the opportunity to Jump out from his own castle hexagon, he may, if he can, satisfy the obligation to capture by means of moving out with a Knight's Charge instead.

CASTLE HEXAGON OF OPPONENT SITTING TO RIGHT: A player may not, under any circumstances, enter the castle of the opponent sitting to his right.