Anchor

Anchor

Designer: Steven Meyers
Type: Abstract
Status: Free
BGG entry: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/23235
Available from: http://www.di.fc.ul.pt/~jpn/gv/anchor.htm

The game starts on an empty 8x8 hexagonal board, 3 corners of which are marked for each player. Your corners are your 'home' corners and your opponent's corners are your 'away' corners.

A 'group' is a connected set of stones of the same color. An 'anchor' is a group that touches three or more sides. If a group touches just two sides, it is only an anchor if these sides do not meet at an Away Corner. A stone is 'alive' if it belongs to an anchor. If it doesn't, it is 'dead'.

On each turn, each player drops a stone on an empty cell. Players may pass their turn.

When both players pass, the game is over. All dead stones are removed and given to the opponent (i.e., dead black stones are given to white, and vice versa) -- these are called 'prisoners'. Each player counts the number of prisoners plus the number of cells which are surrounded by his stones (and the edges, same as in Go). The player with the highest score wins.