THE PLAYBOOK · XIAOANBA
How to play Nine Men's Morris
Nine Men's Morris gives you a focused activity to play in your browser. Leave the opponent with fewer than three pieces or no legal move. Use the example below to understand a decision. Keep the instructions close while learning this activity. Look at what changes after your first action.
Local two players; three-piece flying; draw after 100 quiet movement turns.
Review a difficult moment
When a decision goes wrong, compare it with the common mistake described below. Start again only when you intend to leave the current round. Refer to the controls when needed.
Your goal
Leave the opponent with fewer than three pieces or no legal move. The feedback beside the game helps you follow the round. Follow this game’s rules rather than another version’s.
Step by step
- Place nine pieces each.
- A mill of three permits one capture.
- After placement, move along an edge.
- With three remaining pieces, fly to any empty point.
Controls
Click or tap a piece and destination; use the turn indicator and legal-move feedback. On a smaller screen, keep the active part of the board within view. Read the example below alongside these instructions.
A useful example
A piece in an opposing mill can be captured only when every opposing piece belongs to a mill. Your next round may have a different position, so inspect it before acting. Verify the rule before continuing.
Watch out for this
Only the defined lines count as mills, not any visual alignment. Take a moment to reassess the position before continuing. After a move, check what changed. Decide which rule explains the new state before acting again.
Common questions
For this browser game, what is the goal of Nine Men's Morris?
Here is the relevant explanation: Leave the opponent with fewer than three pieces or no legal move.
How do I control Nine Men's Morris?
Here is the relevant explanation: Click or tap a piece and destination; use the turn indicator and legal-move feedback.
On this playing page, what example helps explain Nine Men's Morris?
For clarity: A piece in an opposing mill can be captured only when every opposing piece belongs to a mill.
On this playing page, what should I watch out for in Nine Men's Morris?
Keep this in mind: Only the defined lines count as mills, not any visual alignment.
When I return, what format does Nine Men's Morris offer?
For clarity: Local two players; three-piece flying; draw after 100 quiet movement turns.
When I return, which play mode does Nine Men's Morris use?
Here is the relevant explanation: The mode on this page is Local players. Same-device play uses one screen; this game library does not provide internet matchmaking.