Surakarta
Surakarta is a two-player capture game named after a city on the Indonesian island of Java. It is played on a 6x6 grid with curved loop tracks bending around the corners. Each player begins with 12 stones filling the two rows on their side.
A stone has to travel through one of those curves before it can take anything, which means threats tend to arrive from strange angles. This page runs the version from Christopher Müller's PaperGames, which simplifies a few traditional rules.
How to play Surakarta
Black starts. Each turn you choose one of two actions. The first is a quiet step: move a stone one point in any of eight directions, diagonals included, onto an empty spot. Steps never capture anything.
The second is an attack along a loop. Only the lines second from each edge carry loops, so send a stone straight along one of them. When it hits the edge, the corner arc carries it onto a crossing line and it continues. Once it has passed through at least one arc, it takes the first enemy stone it meets and stops there. Stones along the route do not block it in this version.
Captures are never required. When you select a stone, the board highlights any enemy stones it can hit. Take all of your opponent's stones, or leave them unable to move, to win.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Step a stone | Arrow keys and Enter to pick a stone, then an empty point | Click a stone, then an empty neighbor | Tap a stone, then an empty neighbor |
| Capture via a loop | — | Click a stone, then a highlighted enemy stone | Tap a stone, then a highlighted target |
| Play the computer | — | Click vs Computer, pick color and level, then New game | Tap the same buttons |
| Undo | — | Click Undo | Tap Undo |
Tips
- Only the second and fifth rows and columns connect to loops. A stone sitting on any of those four lines can be hit from around a corner.
- If a stone is in danger, step it onto a row and column with no loop. Stones there cannot be captured.
- Before every quiet step, check whether it lands on a loop line where an enemy stone can reach it.
- Count how many captures each player has available. When both sides have one, striking first usually comes out ahead.
- Use Undo to replay a position and trace the loops. It is the quickest way to learn which points connect to which.
If you like Surakarta, try these
FanoronaUnusual capture rules shine here as well, where pieces take whole lines by moving toward or away from them.
Nine Men's MorrisSmall-board abstract strategy continues, forming mills of three to pull enemy men off the board.
Questions
How do you capture in Surakarta?
Slide a stone along a loop line so it travels around at least one corner arc. The first enemy stone it reaches after that is captured. A one-point step never captures.
Is this the traditional Surakarta board?
Not exactly. Traditional boards have two loops per corner and need a clear path. This version uses one arc per corner and lets the slide pass over stones, which makes play faster and more open.
Can I play Surakarta against the computer?
Yes. Choose black or white and a level of Easy, Medium or Hard. There is also a two-player mode for sharing one device.
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