1.1. Board Setup
- The board must be square: standard sizes are 3×3, 4×4, 5×5, 6×6, 7x7, or 8×8.
- The board starts empty.
- Players each have a supply of stones and capstones based on board size:
| Board Size | Stones per Player | Capstones per Player |
|---|---|---|
| 3×3 | 10 | 0 |
| 4×4 | 15 | 0 |
| 5×5 | 21 | 1 |
| 6×6 | 30 | 1 |
| 7x7 | 40 | 2 |
| 8×8 | 50 | 2 |
- Players begin with all their pieces in reserve (not yet on the board).
1.2. First Turns
- Determine the first player randomly in the first game; alternate thereafter.
- First placement: Player 1 places a flat stone for Player 2.
- Second placement: Player 2 places a flat stone for Player 1.
- Then, regular play begins with Player 1.
Note that walls and capstones may not be played in the first turns.
On a turn, a player must either place a piece (from their reserve) or move a stack they control.
2.1.1. Piece Types
- Flat Stone: Can be part of a road and can be stacked upon.
- Standing Stone (Wall): Cannot be part of a road and cannot be stacked upon.
- Capstone: Counts as part of a road; cannot be stacked upon; can flatten walls.
2.1.2. Placement Rules
- Place one piece (flat, wall, or capstone) on any empty space.
- Pieces cannot be placed directly onto other pieces.
- Standing stones and capstones may only be placed from reserve; they cannot be created by movement.
- If a player places their last piece or fills the last board space, the game ends immediately.
2.2.1. Movement
- Only the player whose piece is on top of a stack may move it.
- A move must be in a straight line (orthogonally); no diagonal moves.
- The moving player may take up to the board's width (the carry limit, e.g., 5 in a 5×5 game) of pieces from the top of a stack.
2.2.2. Dropping Stones
- At least one stone must be dropped on each space along the path.
- Pieces dropped must come from the bottom of the carried stack.
- Stones may be dropped onto flat stones (or empty squares) but not onto standing stones or capstones.
- There is no limit to how tall a stack may become.
2.2.3. Flattening Walls
- A capstone may flatten a standing stone (wall) by moving onto it alone, as the final step of a move.
- A capstone may be part of a taller stack during movement, but must be the only piece to move onto the wall.
- A capstone may flatten a wall even if the wall is on top of a stack; the wall becomes a flat stone, and the stack beneath remains unchanged.
3.1. Road Win
- A player wins by forming a continuous orthogonal path (a road) connecting opposite board edges.
- Only flat stones and capstones may be part of a road; standing stones do not count.
- The road may lie across flat stones or capstones on top of stacks.
- Roads may turn, but must be orthogonal; diagonal connections do not count.
- The game ends immediately when a road is completed.
3.2. Flat Win
- If a player places their last piece, or if the board is full and no road exists, the game ends.
- The player with the most flat stones on top of stacks wins.
- Do not count covered flats, standing stones, or capstones.
- If the count is tied, the game is a draw.
3.3. Double Road (Rare)
- If both players complete a road in the same move, the active player always wins, regardless of whose road is completed.
3.4. Calling "Tak"
- Declaring "Tak" when threatening a win is optional, like calling "check" in chess.