How to Play Nine Men's Morris
Nine Men's Morris is an ancient board game about making rows of three. Each player has nine pieces, and whenever you line three up on a marked line you take one of your opponent's off the board.
Reduce your opponent to two pieces, or leave them with no legal move, and you win.
Play Nine Men's MorrisThe three phases
- Placing: take turns putting your nine pieces on empty points.
- Moving: once all pieces are placed, slide one piece along a line to a neighbouring empty point each turn.
- Flying: when you are down to three pieces you may move to any empty point on the board, which gives a losing player a real chance.
Mills
Three of your pieces on one marked line is a mill, and forming one lets you remove an enemy piece. You cannot take a piece that is part of a mill unless there is nothing else to take.
The strongest formation is a double mill, where moving one piece back and forth opens and closes two mills alternately, removing a piece every single turn. Setting one up usually decides the game.
Strategy
During placement, fight for the intersections that belong to two lines. Those points do twice the work.
Blocking matters as much as building. A mill you prevent is worth as much as one you make.
Keep your pieces mobile. Winning by suffocation, where your opponent has no legal move, is as common as winning by captures.
Frequently asked questions
What is a mill?
Three of your own pieces in a row along one of the marked lines. Making one lets you remove an opposing piece.
When can you fly in Nine Men's Morris?
When you are reduced to three pieces. From then on your pieces can jump to any empty point rather than sliding along a line.
How do you win?
Reduce your opponent to two pieces, or leave them with no legal move.