Ringo

Ringo is a two-player strategy board game from Germany, invented perhaps in the late 19th or early 20th century. The version of rules described here is from R.C. Bell's Discovering Old Board Games (1973) which is a translation from a German text by M. C. Oswald. The game simulates a siege of a citadel. Attackers are attempting to enter the citadel while defenders are trying to protect it and reduce the number of attackers. Overview and setup The circular gameboard consists of six concentric rings divided into eight radial segments, and a central citadel, for a total of 49 spaces of alternating light and dark colors. One radial segment has spaces specially colored to identify it as the neutral zone. The player who is the attacker initially controls seven pieces (black or dark color) that start one per space on the outermost ring (but not in the neutral zone). The player who is the defender initially controls four pieces (white or light color) that start on the four light-colored spaces of the innermost ring (also not in the neutral zone). The attacker wins by occupying the citadel with two of their pieces. The defender wins by capturing six attacker pieces, or by blocking all attacker pieces from moving. (Thus rendering an attacker win impossible.) Special rules govern piece movement and piece captures. Rules Each space can be occupied by only one piece (except the citadel, when occupied by two attacker pieces at end of game). A defender piece may not occupy the citidel. Both attacker and defender pieces can enter the neutral zone. The number of attacker pieces in the neutral zone cannot exceed the number of remaining defender pieces on the board. The attacker player moves first, then turns alternate.