Attangle

The final game of Dieter Stein’s Stacking Game Trilogy.

Material

• A hexagonal board with 4 spaces on each side (37 spaces)
• 18 white and 18 black stackable pieces.

Objective

The game is won by the player who can build 3 triple stacks.

Preparation

Initially the board is empty.

Players choose their color and place a stock of 18 pieces in front of them.

Play

White makes the first move. Then turns alternate.

During the game players enter new pieces and build stacks of pieces through capturing moves.

A player controls a stack if he owns the topmost piece. A stack can never be split.

Generally a player can either:

• Place a piece from the stock on any empty space (except the center d4, which must be unoccupied throughout the game), or
• capture an opponent’s piece or stack of pieces on the board.

Players cannot pass their turn. If the stock is empty a player must make a capture or otherwise resign the game.

Generally, a capture is a movement of two friendly pieces from two different directions stacking up on an opponent piece.

After that the current player takes back the topmost piece (which will be always of his color) to the stock. The maximum height of a stack (after taking back one piece) is three.

So there are three possible captures:

• Two single pieces capture a single piece (Fig. 2.1).
• Two single pieces capture a double stack (Fig. 2.2).
• One single piece plus a double stack capture a single piece (stacked so that two pieces of the current player are directly on top) (Fig. 2.3).

As a rule of thumb just remember: looking at the three pieces (or stacks resp.) of a capture move, only one double stack can be involved.

Pieces always move in a straight line and any number of unoccupied spaces. It is allowed to cross the center d4. Triple stacks cannot be moved.

Two single pieces capture a single opponent piece.

Double stacks can be captured.

Stacks can capture too.

White or black: no captures are possible here.

End of the Game

White resigns. The (indicated) threat by black cannot be answered.

A game is won by the player who builds up his third triple stack. Also, a player must resign if he has an empty stock and cannot make a capture move.