How to Play Fanorona

Fanorona has been played in Madagascar for centuries and is unlike any other board game: pieces capture not by jumping but by moving toward or away from a line of enemies, and the whole line goes.

The board and pieces

• 9×5 points joined by rows, columns and the diagonals of alternate squares (points where row + column is even have diagonals: the "strong" points).
• Twenty-two pieces each: two full rows, plus the middle row alternating white, black, white, black, empty, white, black, white, black. The centre starts empty. White moves first.

Moving and capturing

1. A piece moves along a line to an adjacent empty point.
2. Approach: if the point directly beyond the destination, in the direction of travel, holds an enemy piece, that piece is captured, together with every enemy piece in an unbroken straight line behind it.
3. Withdrawal: if the piece moves directly away from an adjacent enemy along the same line, that enemy and the unbroken line behind it are captured.
4. A move that could do both captures one or the other, your choice.
5. Capturing is compulsory. Only when no piece can capture may you make a plain move (a paika).

Chains

After a capture, the same piece may continue capturing: each further step must capture, may not land on a point the piece has already visited this turn, and may not go in the same direction as the previous step. You may stop whenever you like, and the turn ends by itself when no further capture exists.

Ending

Capture every enemy piece to win; a side with no legal move also loses. Fifty consecutive moves without a capture is a draw.

Playing on kawu

Tap a piece, then its destination. If both capture kinds are possible, choose Approach or Withdraw. During a chain, tap the next destination or Stop capturing. Hint shows the hard computer's move; play either colour against three levels, or two players on one device.

Then read Fanorona strategy.

Last updated 2026-10-21