Alapo (Johannes Tranellis, 1982; Design and name: Reinhold Wittig)

A fast tactics game for two players. Translated from the original German rules by Vctor M. Gonzlez, March 27th , 2013.

Game components: 6x6 checkered game board, 24 pieces in two colors, rules. How to play: each player has two towers (large cubes), two bishops (large triangular pieces), two queens (large cylinders), and six farmers (2 x small cubes, 2 x small triangular pieces, 2 x small cylinders). The opening setup is:

The starting player is decided by whatever method agreed upon. The large pieces move like their chess counterparts: large cubes like rooks, large triangular pieces like bishops, and large cylinders like queens. The small pieces move like their correspondent larger pieces, but their movement is limited to only one square. So small cubes move one square horizontally or vertically, small triangular pieces move one square diagonally and small cylinders move like kings in chess. Capturing pieces: if a piece enters a square occupied by an opponent's piece, this is removed from the game. Capturing is not compulsory. Jumping over another piece is not allowed. Game goal: the player who moves one of his pieces to a square on his opponent's home row (the sixth row for white and the first for black, see the figure), such that this piece can't be immediately captured, is declared the winner. However, the game ends in a tie if his opponent is also able to achieve the game goal on the next turn.