CASH IN HAND

Copyright (c) 2000 Cameron Browne

This game is played on an 8x8 square board with the following setup.

Each player starts with 64 stones on board and 64 stones off board (in the diagrams, a dot represents 5 stones, meaning 32 stones on each corner).

STACK - One or more stones of the same color. A stack is free if it is (orthogonally) adjacent to an empty cell. TURN - On each turn, each player must do the following things (in this order): Move one of his stacks. The movement starts with picking up at least one stone from the stack. This becomes "cash in hand". At least one stone from cash in hand is then deposited to a diagonal adjacent cell, which becomes the current cell from which further steps may be taken.   Cash in hand is distributed through a subsequent series of diagonal steps until it runs out. Move restrictions - A player cannot move: (i) to a cell previously visited that turn; (ii) to a stack with greater value than cash in hand; and (iii) between two opponent's stacks with greater combined value than cash in hand. Remove any captured units from the board. Enemy stacks with no freedom are captured if their height is less than the combined value of the surrounding adjacent stacks of the capturing player.  Redistribute captured units, in that order. Captured units are removed from the board and the same number of captured stones are redistributed to existing stacks belonging to either player, as the capturing player sees fit (placing white stones on white stacks, and black stones on black stacks) - This means, that after a turn, there are always 128 stones on board.  Redistribution does not result in further captures that turn. Such follow-on captures must occur next turn, allowing the opponent to rescue threatened stacks. GOAL - The player with no stacks left on the board loses.

This can also be played on a checkered board. The square color where lies the stack determines its owner (and so, only half the stones - 128 of the same color - are needed to play this game)  

Before the move A move example shown below starting from a black stack with height 14.

Some words from the author: Notation: Moves can be described in the following format: 

    c3:8 d4:3 e3:1 f4:4 (:d3 e4) g6:1 g7:4

This Black move starts by taking 8 units from C3 (cash in hand) which are distributed along the diagonal path D4, E3 and F4. The White stacks at D3 and E4 are surrounded and captured (say 5 units in total). The captured units are redistributed to stacks G6 and G7.

After the move After moving 8 stones, the original stack has only height 6. The two white stacks (with a total of 5 stones) were captured (they are not adjacent to diagonal empty cells). Black decided to distribute them by g6 and g7.

Notes on play: Movement restriction (ii) encourages players to spread their outermost pieces, increasing the chance of conflict. Movement restriction (iii) allows players to build defensive walls against their opponents.

Redistributing captured pieces to opponent's stacks may be worthwhile if that traps a nearby stack (due to movement restriction (ii)) which can be captured next turn.

Stalemates are not likely unless the stalling player has more units than their opponent - in which case they would presumably not aim for a stalemate!

Cash In Hand combines elements of a variety of games. The diagonally restricted movement is reminiscent of checkers, the distribution of cash is similar to the sowing of seeds in Mancala, and the surround-capture rule is similar to Go.