How to play nine men's morris
- Choose who to play against: the computer (with level and who starts) or two players on the same device. White moves first.
- Phase 1: in turns, each player places their 9 pieces on the free points of the board.
- Phase 2: when there are no pieces left to place, one piece moves per turn to a free neighboring point along the lines. Every time you form three in a row, a mill, you remove one of your opponent's pieces.
- Phase 3: if you have only 3 pieces left, you can fly to any free point. You lose if you are down to 2 pieces or if you cannot move.
Nine men's morris strategy
In the first phase it pays to take the crossing points, the ones with four neighbors, because they give more mobility. Do not rush to form a mill at any cost: it is better to keep pieces flexible and plan a mill that can be opened and closed on each turn, because every time you close it you remove a piece.
A piece that is part of a mill cannot be removed, unless all of your opponent's pieces are in mills. Blocking the opponent's moves also wins: with their pieces boxed in, they cannot move and lose. The easy level makes mistakes on purpose, the medium level thinks four moves ahead and the hard level up to six.
Things to keep in mind
- If the same position occurs three times, the game ends in a draw, so that it is not played forever.
- The hard level can take up to a second to respond; the calculation is done in the background and the screen does not freeze.
- Undo against the computer takes back your move and its move. Scoreboards and settings are saved only in this browser.
Frequently asked questions
How is a mill formed?
By placing three of your own pieces in a straight line on the board, along one side of any of the three squares or on one of the four lines joining them. When you form it, you remove one of your opponent's pieces.
Which pieces can I remove?
Any of your opponent's that is not part of a mill. If all the opponent's pieces are in mills, you can remove any you like.
What does flying mean?
When a player has only three pieces left and has already placed them all, they stop moving to neighboring points and can jump to any free point on the board. It is a help to stage a comeback.
How do you lose?
By being left with fewer than 3 pieces or with no possible move on your turn. It can also end in a draw if the same position repeats three times.
Is it the same as tic-tac-toe or three in a row?
It is a relative: it is also about lining up three pieces, but here the pieces can move, there are two phases of play and every line formed lets you remove an opponent's piece, which gives it far more strategy.