29:
202:
292:
412:
474:
the nyumba, and the nyumba is not a marker, the player may freely choose whether to relay-sow the contents of the nyumba or end his or her turn. Third, if, during the namua phase, the player begins his turn sowing from the nyumba, he will only sow two seeds from the nyumba rather than its whole content. This is called "taxing" the nyumba.
431:
kimbi, sowing must start from the closest kichwa, as above; otherwise, the player must preserve the current clockwise or counterclockwise direction of sowing. That is, if a capture occurs at the end of a clockwise sowing, the newly captured seeds will have to be sown starting from the clockwise kichwa, and vice versa.
365:
372:
In Bao la kiswahili, each player initially places 6 seeds in the nyumba, and two more seeds in the two pits immediately to the right of the nyumba. All the remaining seeds are kept "in hand". In Malawi, 8 seeds are placed in the nyumba. Thus each player has respectively 22 or 20 seeds in hand at the
473:
In Bao la kiswahili there are some extra rules (not included in Bao la kujifunza) that are related to the nyumba. First, if sowing in a takata turn ends up in the nyumba, the turn is over (there is no "relay-sowing" of the seeds in the nyumba). Second, likewise, if sowing in a mtaji turn ends up in
430:
While the player is relay-sowing, if the last seed in any individual sowing is placed in a marker, a new capture occurs. Sowing of the captured seeds will start again from a kichwa. In this case, it is never up to the player to choose which kichwa to sow from, that is: if the capture occurred in a
423:
them in his or her rows. The first seed must be sown in a kichwa; if it is sown in the right kichwa, sowing will proceed counterclockwise, while if it is sown in the left kichwa, sowing will be clockwise. For this reason, the right kichwa is also called "counterclockwise kichwa" and the left one
254:
Due to its strong relationship with
Swahili culture, and despite the lack of historical evidences, it is reasonable to assume that Bao originally spread from the Swahili coast (i.e., the coast Tanzania and Kenya, and their islands). It is also notable that "Bao la kiswahili" means "swahili board
221:
As with most traditional mancalas, precise historical information on the origins and diffusion of Bao is missing. Early accounts and archaeological findings are arguable as there are many games that are similar to Bao in both equipment and rules. For example, a 1658 account by French governor
445:
When players are left without seeds in their hands, the namua phase is over, and a new phase of the game begins, which is called the "mtaji" phase. Note that the word "mtaji" is used both to refer to a turn and to a game phase; the two meanings must not be confused. Also note that in Bao la
239:, see below) are associated to Bao, as it is the only known mancala to have such feature. Nevertheless, as traditional boards are made of wood, ancient evidence of the game of Bao is unlikely to be found. As of today, the oldest Bao board is supposed to be one from Malawi, exposed at the
234:
is sometimes quoted as the earliest reference to Bao, but scholars are more cautious about identifying
Flacourt's game with Bao proper. The study of archaeological findings of boards usually relies on the assumption that boards having a square hole in a certain position (that of the
523:: referring to a turn, is a turn that begins with a capture, and that may include further captures. Referring to a phase of the game, is the phase where there are no seeds left in hand. Some sources also use "mtaji" to refer to a group of seeds that, when sown, lead to a capture.
481:
There are some variations to these rules. For example, taxing the nyumba is sometimes allowed only if there is no other legal way to begin a player's turn. Also, in some versions of the Bao relay-sowing of the nyumba in a mtaji turn is mandatory rather than optional.
517:: the first two and last two pits in a player's inner row, i.e., the kichwa pits as well the pits adjacent to them. In some cases, the term "kimbi" is only used for the second and next to last pits in the inner row, i.e., kichwa pits are not included as kimbi pits.
454:
begins, with the same rules described above. Again, if the marker is a kimbi, sowing will be from the closest kichwa; otherwise, the player will have to preserve the clockwise or counterclockwise orientation of the sowing that caused the capture.
449:
In the mtaji phase, the player will begin his or her turn taking all the seeds from any pit that has at least 2 seeds, and sows them (either clockwise or counterclockwise). If the last seed of this first sowing is dropped in a marker, a mtaji
477:
The nyumba loses its special features the first time its contents are sown (taxation excluded), i.e., the first time the player chooses to relay-sow from the nyumba in a mtaji turn, or if it is captured by the opponent.
461:
If the first sowing does not lead to a capture, the whole turn is a "takata turn", exactly as in the namua phase. In this case, the player must start sowing from a pit in the inner row, if this is possible.
403:
turn. A player must capture if he or she can do that. In a mtaji turn, other captures may occur as a consequence of sowing (see below); in a takata turn, on the other hand, captures are not allowed.
388:
In the namua phase, each player begins his or her move by introducing one of the seeds he or she has in hand into the board. The seed must be placed in a non-empty pit in the player's inner row.
465:
As a special rule, if the first sowing is from a pit that has more than 15 seeds, the turn will always be "takata" irrespective of whether the last seed falls in a marker or not.
427:
The choice of the kichwa to sow from is initially left to the player, with a few exceptions. If capture has occurred in any kimbi, sowing must start from the closest kichwa.
726:
146:
Bao is well known to be a prominent mancala in terms of complexity and strategical depth, and it has raised interest in scholars of several disciplines, including
490:
The game ends when a player is left without seeds in his or her inner row, or when he or she cannot move anymore. In both cases, this player loses the game.
711:, official site of Dar es Salaam Regional Traditional Games Association (Chama cha michezo ya Jadi Mkoa Dar es Salaam) with Bao rules and other information
243:, and dating back to no earlier than 1896. One of the first written accounts of Bao as played in the Swahili world is due to British orientalist
607:
322:
Some pits that play a special role in the game have specific names. The fourth rightmost pit in the "inner" row of each half board is called
279:, and as a consequence, they are subject to local variations. The most influential transcription of the rules is due to board game scholar
380:
In Bao la kujifunza, all seeds are placed at startup, two per pit. Players thus have no seeds in hand, and thus there is no namua phase.
330:("main"); in most traditional boards, it is visually distinguished by a square shape. The first and last pit of the inner row are called
165:
In
Zanzibar and Tanzania there are two versions of Bao. The main version, which is also the most complex and most appreciated, is called
788:
255:
game" as opposed to, for example, "Bao la kiarabu" (the related "arab board game", also known as
Hawalis). In the 1820s, Swahili poet
434:
If the turn is not a mtaji turn, relay sowing, but captures will never take place: marker pits are treated just like any other pits.
185:; it is also known in Zanzibar, where it goes by the name "Bao la kiarabu" ("Bao of the Arabs"). Another major relative of Bao is
162:(Kenya), and Malawi, and both mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar have their Bao societies, such as the Chama cha Bao founded in 1966.
108:
345:("shells"). Note that a similar equipment (a 4x8 board and 64 seeds) is shared by a number of other African mancalas, including
731:
391:
A "marker" pit is a pit of the inner row that faces a non-empty opponent's pit. If the first seed is placed in a marker pit, a
151:
742:
783:
341:
Each player has 32 undifferentiated counters (or "seeds" according to the standard mancala terminology) that are termed
750:
767:
763:
793:
338:
applies to both the kichwa and the pits adjacent to them (i.e., the second and next to last pit in the row).
223:
210:
28:
256:
604:
373:
beginning of the game. These seeds are introduced into the game in a first phase of play called the
720:
708:
356:
The initial setup of seeds is one of the elements that distinguish different versions of the game.
557:: refers to a turn that does not begin with a capture and, thus, that may not include any capture.
567:
173:("Bao for beginners"). There are a variety of other mancalas across East Africa (and part of the
541:: the fourth pit from the right in a player's inner row; usually distinguished by a square pit.
419:
When a capture occurs, the player takes all of the seeds from the opponent's captured pit, and
201:
120:
529:: the initial phase of Bao la kiswahili, when seeds "in hand" are introduced into the game.
754:
611:
319:), meaning "holes". Each player owns a half of the board comprising two adjacent rows.
291:
135:, "artist") is held in high respect. In Malawi, a close variant of the game is known as
736:
276:
240:
206:
116:
437:
In any case, the turn ends when the last seed in a sowing is dropped in an empty pit.
283:, who wrote it between 1991 and 1995 based on the teachings of Zanzibari Bao masters.
777:
684:
280:
140:
698:, "Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies", 66, 1, pp. 61–65.
717:, Italian site where free matches or tournaments can be played by correspondence.
446:
kujifunza, the game begins with the mtaji phase, as there are no seeds in hand.
244:
174:
159:
147:
84:
65:
231:
155:
80:
34:
651:
732:
Jeroen
Donkers Bao page with a free program for the Zanzibar version of Bao
193:), which employs an equipment similar to Bao, and has some similar rules.
296:
227:
214:
124:
96:
38:
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As for the namua phase, the player must capture if he or she can do so.
275:
As with most traditional games, the rules of Bao were only preserved by
747:
572:
420:
411:
311:
Bao comprises four rows of eight pits each—in
Swahili, pits are termed
260:
248:
178:
112:
100:
77:
364:
577:
498:
In
Swahili literature on Bao, the following terms are commonly used:
346:
190:
186:
104:
92:
410:
363:
350:
290:
200:
88:
689:
Limits of the mind: towards a characterisation of Bao mastership
182:
169:("Bao of the Swahili people"). The simplified version is called
123:
word for "board" or "board game". In
Tanzania, and especially
714:
158:. Official tournaments are held in Tanzania, Zanzibar,
679:
119:
of
Tanzania and Kenya; the name itself "Bao" is the
61:
53:
45:
21:
511:: the first and last pits in a player's inner row.
395:occurs, and the player's turn will be called a
299:. As in most traditional boards, regular pits (
177:) that are related to Bao. One of them is the
8:
762: : a description of Bao in two parts:
399:turn. Otherwise, the turn will be called a
637:
635:
633:
631:
621:
619:
588:
415:A Bao/Omweso board with jade gemstones
18:
748:Bao la kiswahili and Bao la kujifunza
723:, BaoTz, free Android based bao game.
696:Muyaka's poetry in the history of Bao
7:
743:De Voogt's rules and analysis of Bao
14:
368:Initial setup in Bao la kiswahili
263:celebrated the game in his poem
143:equivalent of the Swahili name.
27:
247:, who saw it played in 1658 in
115:. It is most popular among the
1:
760:Guide pratique du jeu du Bao
739:at Pergioco.net (in Italian)
691:, CNWS Publications: Leiden.
303:) are round, while houses (
295:Traditional bao board from
226:about a game played by the
107:, as well as some areas of
810:
727:Bao Game Rules from Malawi
789:Traditional mancala games
334:("head"), while the name
127:, a "bao master" (called
26:
595:Hyde (1694), pp. 226-232
230:people in northwestern
737:Rules and sample games
694:A.J. de Voogt (2003),
416:
369:
308:
218:
605:Bao history and rules
414:
367:
294:
211:Mwenge, Dar es Salaam
205:The game of Bao in a
204:
131:, "master"; but also
768:2 - Bao la kiswahili
764:1 - Bao la kujifunza
424:"clockwise kichwa".
784:Culture of Zanzibar
656:www.gamecabinet.com
535:: the seeds in hand
224:Étienne de Flacourt
753:2006-10-06 at the
610:2011-03-03 at the
568:Tanzanian draughts
417:
407:Capture and sowing
370:
309:
219:
83:played in most of
209:ebony sculpture (
152:complexity theory
76:is a traditional
71:
70:
801:
677:T. Hyde (1694),
666:
665:
663:
662:
652:"Bao (Zanzibar)"
648:
642:
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623:
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171:Bao la kujifunza
167:Bao la kiswahili
31:
19:
809:
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799:
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794:Swahili culture
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755:Wayback Machine
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612:Wayback Machine
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486:End of the game
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257:Muyaka bin Haji
199:
139:, which is the
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33:Bao players in
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5:
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703:External links
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641:De Vogt (2003)
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625:De Vogt (1995)
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277:oral tradition
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241:British Museum
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117:Swahili people
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685:A.J. de Voogt
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349:(Uganda) and
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326:("house") or
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281:Alex de Voogt
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659:. Retrieved
655:
646:
600:
591:
554:
548:
544:
538:
532:
526:
520:
514:
508:
505:: the seeds.
502:
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353:(Tanzania).
342:
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307:) are square
304:
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132:
128:
73:
72:
770:(in French)
494:Terminology
441:Mtaji phase
315:(singular:
265:Bao Naligwa
251:(Comoros).
245:Thomas Hyde
189:(played in
175:Middle East
148:game theory
85:East Africa
66:East Africa
778:Categories
672:References
661:2017-11-03
551:): pit(s).
469:The nyumba
421:relay sows
232:Madagascar
156:psychology
87:including
81:board game
35:Stone Town
16:Board game
709:CHAMIJADA
681:, Oxford.
287:Equipment
751:Archived
687:(1995),
608:Archived
562:See also
297:Zanzibar
228:Sakalava
215:Tanzania
181:game of
125:Zanzibar
109:DR Congo
97:Tanzania
57:Multilap
39:Zanzibar
573:Mancala
549:mashimo
547:(plur.
393:capture
377:phase.
313:mashimo
301:mashimo
261:Mombasa
249:Anjouan
207:Makonde
197:History
179:Hawalis
121:Swahili
113:Burundi
101:Comoros
78:mancala
578:Omweso
555:takata
539:nyumba
509:kichwa
401:takata
347:Omweso
332:kichwa
324:nyumba
305:nyumba
237:nyumba
191:Uganda
187:Omweso
154:, and
129:bingwa
105:Malawi
93:Rwanda
62:Region
54:Sowing
721:BaoTz
584:Notes
545:shimo
527:namua
521:mtaji
515:kimbi
397:mtaji
384:Namua
375:namua
360:Setup
351:Isolo
336:kimbi
317:shimo
271:Rules
259:from
133:fundi
89:Kenya
46:Ranks
766:and
715:KIBA
533:nemo
503:kete
452:turn
343:kete
183:Oman
160:Lamu
137:Bawo
111:and
49:Four
328:kuu
141:Yao
74:Bao
22:Bao
780::
654:.
630:^
618:^
267:.
213:,
150:,
103:,
99:,
95:,
91:,
37:,
664:.
217:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
