Some boxes that play a particular role in the game have certain names. The fourth box on the far right in the “inside” row of each half-board is called Nyumba (“house”) or kuu (“main catering”); In most traditional boards, it differs optically by a square shape. The first and last pit in the inner row are called kichwa (“head”), while the name kimbi applies to both the kichwa and adjacent pits (i.e. the second and penultimate pits in the row). Due to its strong relationship with Swahili culture and despite the lack of historical evidence, it is reasonable to assume that bao originally spread from the Swahili coast (i.e. the coast of Tanzania and Kenya and their islands). It should also be noted that “Bao la kiswahili” means “Swahili board game”, as opposed to, for example, “Bao la kiarabu” (the related “Arab board game”, also known as Hawalis). In the 1820s, the Swahili poet Muyaka bin Haji of Mombasa celebrated the game in his poem Bao Naligwa. [4] In the paragraph above “To continue sowing”,” I told you that you must continue to sow if your last seed falls into an occupied hole with an opposite hole without seeds. Nyumba is an exception to these rules. If the last seed falls into the nyumba and the opponent`s hole is empty, the player can complete his turn if he wishes.
The opponent then begins his movement. See Figure 19. There are a few variations of these rules. For example, the imposition of Nyumba is sometimes only allowed if there is no other legal way to start a player`s turn. In addition, in some versions of the Bao Squadron, sowing the Nyumba on a Mtaji train is mandatory and not optional. The game ends when a player is left seedless in his inner row or when he can no longer move. In both cases, that player loses the game. Figure 1 Bao Board with opening position for the base game Mark Chikoko comes from Malawi, studies in England and has been playing the game since childhood, initially using the most basic board with holes in the ground and many pebbles. The game will then continue as described in the interlude. Murray, H.J.R., 1952 A history of board games other than Chess London There are two versions of Bao in Zanzibar and Tanzania. The main version, which is also the most complex and appreciated, is called Bao la kiswahili (“Bao of the Swahili people”).
The simplified version is called Bao la kujifunza (“Bao for beginners”). There are a variety of other mancalas in East Africa (and part of the Middle East) that are related to Bao. One of them is the game Hawalis Oman; It is also known in Zanzibar, where it is known as “Bao la kiarabu” (“Bao of the Arabs”). Another important relative of Bao is Omweso (played in Uganda), who uses equipment similar to Bao and has similar rules. Sowing the seeds of your nyumba is very difficult and this is one of the key moments of the game. The goal of the game is to be the first player to empty the first row of your opponent or deprive him of all legal moves. A “singleton” cannot be lifted and sown. A player who has only “singletons” to move has lost the game. When players remain seedless in their hands, the Namua phase is over and a new phase of the game begins, called the “Mtaji” phase. Note that the word “mtaji” is used for both a turn and a game phase.
The two meanings should not be confused. Also note that in Bao la kujifunza, the game starts with the Mtaji phase, because there are no seeds in the hand. Note that although few Westerners know, Bao is widespread along the East African coast; There are clubs, sponsored tournaments, newspaper articles about them and Bao`s master players enjoy great respect. So there are thousands of people who know more about the game than we do. Nevertheless, probably due to an oral tradition, the rules we have are the first that the Brand has seen written, and only a snapshot of an ongoing game story. As with most traditional mancalas, accurate historical information about the origins and distribution of bao is lacking. Early reports and archaeological findings are controversial, as there are many games that resemble Bao both in equipment and rules. [4] For example, a 1658 report by French Governor Étienne de Flacourt on a game played by the Sakalava in northwestern Madagascar is sometimes cited as the first reference to Bao, but scholars are more cautious when it comes to identifying Flacourt`s game with Bao himself. [4] The study of archaeological finds of planks is generally based on the assumption that boards with a square hole in a certain position (the Nyumba, see below) are associated with Bao, as it is the only known mancala that exhibits such a property. However, since the traditional boards are made of wood, it is unlikely that ancient evidence of the Bao game will be found. To date, bao`s oldest panel is said to be that of Malawi, which was exhibited at the British Museum and dates no earlier than 1896.
[4] One of the earliest written accounts of Bao played in the Swahili world is due to the British orientalist Thomas Hyde, who saw him played in Anjouan (Comoros) in 1658. In Bao la kisuaheli, each player places first 6 seeds in the Nyumba and two other seeds in the two pits immediately to the right of the Nyumba. All remaining seeds are held “in the hand”. In Malawi, 8 seeds are planted in Nyumba. Thus, each player has 22 or 20 seeds in his hand at the beginning of the game. These seeds are introduced into the game in a first phase of the game, the so-called Namua phase. A set is usually decided by the best of the three games. When the winner of a set is known, the loser withdraws and a new player (usually selected according to the order of arrival) takes over. If this new player beats a previous winner in his first game, he withdraws and lets another player play, otherwise he decides as usual according to the best of the three. When presenting the rules, I will start by explaining namua, the first step. After that, I will introduce the MTAJI step. Each player immediately after the Nemo supply is exhausted moves on to the second stage of the game by executing a move according to the basic rules.
Bao is a traditional mancala board game played in most parts of East Africa, including Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Comoros, Malawi, as well as parts of the DRC and Burundi. [1] [2] He is the most popular among Swahili in Tanzania and Kenya; the name itself “Bao” is the Swahili word for “board” or “board game”. In Tanzania and especially in Zanzibar, a “Bao Master” (called Bingwa, “Master”; but also Fundi, “Artist”) enjoys a great reputation. In Malawi, a narrow variant of the game is known as Bawo, which is the Yao equivalent of the Swahili name. Bao is known to be an important mancala in terms of complexity and strategic depth,[3] and has attracted the interest of scientists from various disciplines, including game theory, complexity theory, and psychology. [3] Official tournaments are held in Tanzania, Zanzibar, Lamu (Kenya) and Malawi, and mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar have their Bao companies, such as Chama cha Bao, founded in 1966. Pete Duckworth is a board game fan who wondered what to do with this strange board he bought when he met Mark.