The Traditional Board Game Series Leaflet #41: Salta

SALTA
by Damian Walker
FURTHER INFORMATION
Readers interested in finding out more about salta can do so by consulting
the following books.
Bell, R. C. Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations, vol. 2,
pp. 58-59. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1979.
Botermans, J. et al. The World of Games, p. 109. New York: Facts on
File, Inc., 1989.
Murray, H. J. R. A History of Board-games Other Than Chess, p.52.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1952.
Parlett, D. The Oxford History of Board Games, p. 135. Oxford: Ox-
ford University Press, 1999.
Copyright © Damian Walker 2011 - http://boardgames.cyningstan.org.uk/

Illustration 3: the aim of victory for both Board Games at CYNINGSTAN

sides, as described in rule 9. Traditional Board Game Series
(Second Edition)
4 Leaflet #41
 The Traditional Board Game Series Leaflet #41: Salta The Traditional Board Game Series Leaflet #41: Salta

diagonally forwards or backwards tain their order, as shown in Illustra-

INTRODUCTION & HISTORY to a vacant square. The markings tion 3.
Salta is a game of position invented Monte Carlo Chess Tourney in on the pieces are not relevant to 10. Optionally, a score may be
in 1899 by the Düsseldorf-born mu- 1901, which gained it some pop- their powers of movement. calculated: the losing player contin-
sician Konrad Büttgenbach. It ularity. It was also energetically 6. Alternatively, a player may ues to move until the pieces are all
seems to be based on the popular promoted for a while, its marketing leap diagonally forwards or back- at their goal; the number of moves
game halma, another offshoot of including a published picture of act- wards over another piece of either he makes are his opponent's win-
which is Chinese checkers, but the ress Sarah Bernhardt playing the colour, landing on the empty space ning score.
rules are slightly more complex. Its game with its inventor. For a brief beyond.
Variation
affinity with halma is made more time salta became quite fashionable, 7. After leaping once, a piece
apparent by the fact that both words but by the time of the Great War it may leap again if further leaps are Early in the game’s history, a vari-
mean “leap”. had returned to comparative obscur- possible. Such a sequence of leaps ation on the method of winning was
The game was exhibited at the ity. may consist of as many or as few as proposed. This has been adopted in
the player pleases. Examples of many rules, sometimes being passed
HOW TO PLAY moves and jumps are shown in Il- off as the original rule in Eng-
Salta is played on an enlarged placed, in ascending order from 1 at lustration 2 lish-language versions (including all
chequerboard of 10 squares by 10, the left to 5 at the right. 8. Pieces are not captured in of the references below).
as is used for draughts in some 3. On the second row are the salta, so a piece jumped over is left 9(i). A player wins the game by
European countries. The pieces are moons, similarly numbered, and the in play. moving all his pieces across the
15 counters, specially marked with third row contains the suns arranged board, so that they occupy the op-
Winning the
a rank (1 to 5) and a suit (stars, in the same way. The whole ar- ponent's home
Game
moons and suns). rangement is shown in Illustration rows. The pieces
1. 9. A player must be arranged
Beginning the wins the game by in the same order
4. The black
Game moving all his of suit and rank as
player takes the
1. The game first turn, play pieces forward to the opponent's
is set up with each then alternating the opposite end of pieces were when
player’s pieces oc- between white and the board. The they started the
cupying the black black. pieces must be re- game.
squares of the
Moving the
three rows of the
pieces
board closest to
him. 5. A player Illustration 2: movement of the pieces, as
2. On the back may in his turn described in rules 5 to 7. The white piece
row, the pieces of move a single may move along any one of the four paths.
It may also stop at any point on the longer
the star suit are Illustration 1: salta pieces set out for play. piece one square series of jumps.

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