Abstract Crosse

Abstract Crosse

Designer: David Rea
Publisher: DMR Games (original rules played with dice)
Type: Abstract
Status: Free
Available from: http://www.di.fc.ul.pt/~jpn/gv/abcrosse.htm

This is a diceless abstract version of the game Crosse.

This game is played on a 10x10 square board (the central 2x2 area is not used).

From the BGG entry for Crosse:

'A sort of reverse checkers game where you attempt to have all of your peices jumped by the opponent. In the middle of the board sits the Crosse which you must go around. Covering the corners of the Crosse allows you to remove your entire back row and go again. Moves are forward and backward 1 to 3 spaces.'

In the abstract version, each player has the following move restriction: Each player have a set of six possible moves: Move 1, 2 or 3 cells forward and move 1, 2, 3 moves backward (sideways moves can be seen either as backward or forward moves, player's choice). On every set of six move turns, each player must execute one of these moves, until he may get a new set of six moves.

The move restriction rule was designed to eliminate the dice from the original rule set, which had the following sides: 3F, 2F, 1F, 3B, 2B, 1B (e.g., 2F meaning 2 cells forward). This rule implies that the original game and this variant are different, but the freedom to move is constrained on both games. This restriction is needed to oblige the use of backward moves and introduce delay moves in the game dynamics (which is similar to reverse Checkers)