Rules | Game of the Generals

Rules of the Game of the Generals

Board layout, moves and gameplay

The game is played on a rectangular board with 72 plain squares arranged in 8 ranks and 9 files. The 21 pieces are placed in various locations within the nearest three rows to each player's home side (a total of 27 squares). The back row of each player is considered to be the end of the board.

A player can consider the half of the board nearest him to be "friendly territory" while the other side's half is the "enemy territory," though this is not an actual requirement of the game. The two middle rows (fourth rank from each player's edge of the board) are initially empty at the start of the game and represent "no man's land" or "unconquered territory" that the contending pieces can occupy or leave vacant, depending on each player's strategy.

Although not specifically marked, each player's side of the board can be grouped into three amorphous battle zones: these zones are the left flank, the center, and the right flank, but the boundaries are variable or may be considered psychological in nature.

Unlike chess or its variants, there is no predetermined layout for the pieces, allowing each player to place the pieces in different squares to his advantage or according to his strategy. The allocation of spaces (6 vacant squares) is important for the tactical movement of the individual pieces in the first three ranks, because a piece that has friendly pieces in front, behind, and on each side is effectively immobilized until a space opens up on these adjacent squares.

There is also no predetermined order of play.

All pieces have the same move: one square forward, backward, or sideways, as long as it is not blocked by the board's edge or by another friendly piece. A piece cannot move into a square already occupied by a friendly piece. Each player can move only one piece per turn.

The Players

This is a board game commonly played by three people: two opposing sides and an "arbiter" or "adjutant." The arbiter is the only neutral player and the judge of the game. The arbiter's task is to overlook the battlefield, memorize the ranks of the pieces, and remove pieces that are challenged by either of the players. Knowing who to go first is decided by a toss coin or a rock-paper-scissors.

Setup

There will be two players, a third person will become the arbiter while the two other players become "enemies at war." Each player, including the arbiter, has their specific duty to fulfill before, during, and after the game.

Similar to chess and other board games, both enemies at war players will sit facing one another while the arbiter overlooks the entire battlefield. If you were a player who's at war with the another player, you'll only be able to see your pieces but not the player's. The arbiter, however, sees all the pieces and judges when a battle is between two pieces (usually a piece with a higher rank than the other) is happening.

Each players will choose their desired color (black or white, there are other colors too).
Each opposing player will prepare their "troops" by randomly and/or strategically placing them in their nearest three rows
Each player will take a turn by moving one piece, one box at a time.

At the beginning of each battle, each player is tasked to place their current pieces on their respective territory. Unlike chess, there is no particular order to where a player will place a specific piece; the pieces are placed randomly, depending on the players' strategy.

Ranks

The player's set of pieces or soldiers with the corresponding ranks and functions consist of the following 21 pieces.

A higher ranking piece will eliminate any lower ranking piece, with the exception of the spy, which eliminates all pieces except the private. The pieces are bent in an angle in order to show the piece's rank or insignia only to the arbiter and not to the opponent.

In plastic sets, the colours commonly used in the pieces are black and white. There are also sets composed of wooden boards and steel pieces. Those pieces have insignias that are either coloured red or blue.

It should be noted that apart from the flag (the Philippine flag) and the spy (a pair of prying eyes), the insignias used in the game are those used in the Philippine Army.

Each player gets 27 squares to place their pieces on that are closest to their side, but they may arrange them in any way they see fit. Smart piece placement is crucial to victory. At the start of the game, a "privacy screen" may be put on the board between the two players, so neither can see what the other is doing, but due to the shape of the pieces, privacy can still be ensured. When both players have finished their formations, any screen is removed and the game begins.

Challenges

As the game progresses, a time where each player is either moving to the "trench" (the empty rows) or beyond enemy lines, challenges can be made by either of the players.

Each player will decide which of their desired pieces can move and challenge from one square to another and can only move or challenge one square forward, backward, left, or right given that it cannot move to any boxes or challenge any piece diagonally.

Each players will take one turn at a time while the arbiter overlooks the whole battlefield.

A challenge is then made when a player moves his piece on the square of the enemy's piece.

All of the pieces can only occupy one square at a time/turn. One move is equivalent to a piece changing its square (moving to a new location) or challenging an opponent's piece by placing it on the square with an opponents piece on it.

Once a challenge is made:

When a piece outranks the other piece, the lowest-ranked piece is eliminated and the winning piece will remain in that eliminated piece's position.
When two pieces are of the same rank, both pieces are eliminated from the board and are placed from the sides of the players, with each discarded pieces facing away from the visibility of each player.

And, in some rare cases, when a player's flag successfully challenged the other player's flag, that player automatically wins the game (because the flag is captured).

All eliminated pieces are to be placed on the player's graveyard (beside the player), facing away from the enemy's views. This adds the challenge and turmoil to the winner, and loser, of the battle of trying to guess the enemy's discarded pieces and remaining pieces.

Winning the game

The entirety of the game will end if and only if:

The Flag is eliminated or captured by any player. This is done by a successful challenge. The player who "captures the flag" will be the winner.
When a player, except the arbiter, resigns or surrenders. The player who does this will automatically lose the game and will show his or her flag's position in the board.
When both opposing players agree on a drawn position (a truce).
When a player's Flag reaches the opposite end of the board of the other player. BUT when the Flag successfully reaches the opponent's home base (any square at the home base of the opponent), it has to survive one more turn without being challenged or eliminated before the arbiter declares a decision (victory for the flag-owner player, defeat for the flag-landed player).
A player's Flag reaches the opposing back rank and there are no nearby or adjacent enemy pieces that can challenge it. The player wins the game after one more turn.

Any player may reveal his Flag at any time and for any reason, before, during, or after the entire game. They will continue playing the game until that revealed flag is captured by the opponent or if the overall game meets one of the above conditions.

Most often, a player reveals his or her Flag after it has already secured victory at the opposing back rank (Victory) or if it has successfully been challenged by the opponent (Defeat).