Pachisi

How to play Pachisi

Pachisi is the classic race game of India. Its name comes from the Hindi word for twenty-five, the biggest throw. The board is a cross with four arms. Each arm has three lanes of eight squares. The big square in the middle is the charkoni, where every piece starts and ends.

Goal

Bring all four of your pieces around the board and back into the charkoni before the others. In team play, you win when you and your partner have all eight pieces home.

Throwing the shells

You throw six cowrie shells and count how many land mouth up:

• 0 up = 25, 1 up = 10, 6 up = 6. These three are graces: you throw again after your move.
• 2, 3, 4 or 5 up = 2, 3, 4 or 5 squares.

You can also pick two dice. Then you move the total of both dice, and doubles count as a grace.

Turn by turn

1. Press Throw (or T). The result is shown under the board.
2. A grace lets you bring a new piece out of the charkoni onto the first square of your arm. Without a grace, pieces cannot leave the centre.
3. Otherwise move one piece forward by the full number. Pieces that can move glow. Tap one, use the buttons under the board, or press 1 to 4.
4. Pieces go down the middle lane of their own arm, then counter-clockwise around the outer lanes of all four arms, and back up their own middle lane to the charkoni.

Capturing and castles

Land on a rival piece and it goes back to the charkoni. It needs a grace to come out again, and you get another throw. The twelve castle squares marked with a cross are safe: nobody can be captured there, so rival pieces may share them. Your partner's pieces are never captured.

Going home

Any throw that reaches the charkoni takes the piece home, so no exact number is needed. In team play, once all your pieces are home you use your throws to move your partner's pieces.

Modes

Play four players each on their own, two teams of two (partners sit opposite), or one against one. You always play Red at the bottom.

Strategy tips

• Save graces for the start. A 25 can bring a piece out or jump far ahead. Early on, getting more pieces out gives you more choices later.
• Rest on castles. A piece on a cross square cannot be captured. Stop there when rivals are a few squares behind you.
• Count the likely throws. With shells, 3 comes up most often, then 2 and 4. Standing 2 to 4 squares in front of a rival is the most dangerous place.
• Hunt pieces that have gone far. Capturing a piece near the end of its lap costs its owner the most.
• Hurry into your middle lane. Once a piece turns back into its own arm, nobody can catch it.
• Help your partner. In teams, chase the rivals that threaten your partner and share castle squares with them.