Bear games
Encyclopedia
Bear games is a category of board games of which many have historical roots to the Roman empire
. They are still played today especially in Italy
. They were played in many parts of the Roman empire as far away as Turkey
and France
. All of the games are two-player abstract strategy board games. Normally, the game is played with three hunters and one bear on a patterned board. It bears similarity to the hunt games such as the Fox games
, Rimau-rimau
, and Bagha-Chall
, however, there are no captures involved. The three hunters are trying to hem in the bear, and block its movements.
The closest relative of the Bear games are the Hare games
. In this case, the hares are the "hunters" (a reversal in the naming procedure where the bear in the Bear games is the "hunted"), and there are three of them which is the same number of hunters in the Bear games. The difference is that the hares cannot move backwards in any way, whereas, the hunters can move in any direction. As a result, the boards used are also different. Another close relative is the game called Watermelon Chess
. In one of the Bear game variants, the board is the same as that of Watermelon Chess. Furthermore, the game Sz'Kwa
also uses the same board, although it is not actually related to the Bear games since the rules and game play are completely different.
2. Both hunters and bears move one space at a time following the pattern on the board. Only one piece may be moved by each player. Players alternate their turns. There are no captures in this game.
3. As an optional rule, if the hunters cannot stalemate the bear in a given number of moves, e.g. 40 moves, the bear wins.
This is a great example of a game where the humans have an edge over the computer. In some variants, the Zillions of Games
program takes longer to win a game for the hunters as compared to human players.
, Watermelon Chess
, Sz'Kwa
, Fox games
, Rimau-rimau
, Bagha-Chall
, Main Tapal Empat
, Adugo
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. They are still played today especially in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. They were played in many parts of the Roman empire as far away as Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. All of the games are two-player abstract strategy board games. Normally, the game is played with three hunters and one bear on a patterned board. It bears similarity to the hunt games such as the Fox games
Fox games
Fox games are a category of board games where one player is the fox and tries to eat the geese/sheep, and the other player directs the geese/sheep and attempts to trap the fox, or reach a destination on the board. In another variant, Fox and Hounds, the fox merely tries to evade the hounds...
, Rimau-rimau
Rimau-rimau
Rimau-rimau is a two-player abstract strategy board game that belongs to the hunt game family. This family includes games like Rimau, Bagha-Chall, Main Tapal Empat, Aadu puli attam, and the Fox games. Rimau-rimau is the plural of rimau which means "tiger" in the Malay language. Therefore,...
, and Bagha-Chall
Bagha-Chall
Bagh-Chal is a strategic, two-player board game that originates in Nepal. The game is asymmetric in that one player controls four tigers and the other player controls up to twenty goats...
, however, there are no captures involved. The three hunters are trying to hem in the bear, and block its movements.
The closest relative of the Bear games are the Hare games
Hare games
Hare games are two-player abstract strategy board games that were popular in medieval northern Europe up until the 19th century. In this game, a dog is trying to get past three hares who are trying to surround it and trap it...
. In this case, the hares are the "hunters" (a reversal in the naming procedure where the bear in the Bear games is the "hunted"), and there are three of them which is the same number of hunters in the Bear games. The difference is that the hares cannot move backwards in any way, whereas, the hunters can move in any direction. As a result, the boards used are also different. Another close relative is the game called Watermelon Chess
Watermelon Chess
Watermelon Chess is a two-player abstract strategy game from China where it is known as Xi Gua Qi. It is also known as The Surround Game and Globe. It is related to the Bear games of the ancient Romans. In fact, the board is exactly the same as one of the Bear Games...
. In one of the Bear game variants, the board is the same as that of Watermelon Chess. Furthermore, the game Sz'Kwa
Sz'Kwa
Sz'Kwa is a two-player abstract strategy game from Taiwan. It is a Go, Weiqi, or Baduk variant. The Sz'Kwa board is not an n x n square board like Go or Weiqi. Instead, the board is circular in design. The same board is used by Watermelon Chess and one of the ancient Roman Bear games.-...
also uses the same board, although it is not actually related to the Bear games since the rules and game play are completely different.
Goal
The hunters attempt to hem in the bear and block its movements. The goal of the bear is to avoid this fate. As an optional rule, if the hunters cannot stalemate the bear in a given number of moves, e.g. 40 moves, the bear wins.Equipment
There are a variety of patterned boards anywhere from round to rectangular boards. The first link below shows seven. There are normally three hunters, and one bear, however, these quantities especially for the hunters can change drastically depending upon the variant.Game Play and Rules
1. Initial positions of the pieces vary depending upon the variant. Usually the bear is placed in the middle of the board, and the hunters are placed together on one end of the board. One player plays the hunters (normally three pieces), and the other player plays the bear.2. Both hunters and bears move one space at a time following the pattern on the board. Only one piece may be moved by each player. Players alternate their turns. There are no captures in this game.
3. As an optional rule, if the hunters cannot stalemate the bear in a given number of moves, e.g. 40 moves, the bear wins.
Analysis
With perfect play, the hunters win.This is a great example of a game where the humans have an edge over the computer. In some variants, the Zillions of Games
Zillions of Games
Zillions of Games is a commercial General Game Playing system developed by Jeff Mallett and Mark Lefler in 1998. The game rules are specified with S expressions, Zillions rule language. It was designed to handle mostly abstract strategy board games or puzzles. After parsing the rules of the game,...
program takes longer to win a game for the hunters as compared to human players.
Related Games
Hare gamesHare games
Hare games are two-player abstract strategy board games that were popular in medieval northern Europe up until the 19th century. In this game, a dog is trying to get past three hares who are trying to surround it and trap it...
, Watermelon Chess
Watermelon Chess
Watermelon Chess is a two-player abstract strategy game from China where it is known as Xi Gua Qi. It is also known as The Surround Game and Globe. It is related to the Bear games of the ancient Romans. In fact, the board is exactly the same as one of the Bear Games...
, Sz'Kwa
Sz'Kwa
Sz'Kwa is a two-player abstract strategy game from Taiwan. It is a Go, Weiqi, or Baduk variant. The Sz'Kwa board is not an n x n square board like Go or Weiqi. Instead, the board is circular in design. The same board is used by Watermelon Chess and one of the ancient Roman Bear games.-...
, Fox games
Fox games
Fox games are a category of board games where one player is the fox and tries to eat the geese/sheep, and the other player directs the geese/sheep and attempts to trap the fox, or reach a destination on the board. In another variant, Fox and Hounds, the fox merely tries to evade the hounds...
, Rimau-rimau
Rimau-rimau
Rimau-rimau is a two-player abstract strategy board game that belongs to the hunt game family. This family includes games like Rimau, Bagha-Chall, Main Tapal Empat, Aadu puli attam, and the Fox games. Rimau-rimau is the plural of rimau which means "tiger" in the Malay language. Therefore,...
, Bagha-Chall
Bagha-Chall
Bagh-Chal is a strategic, two-player board game that originates in Nepal. The game is asymmetric in that one player controls four tigers and the other player controls up to twenty goats...
, Main Tapal Empat
Main Tapal Empat
Main tapal empat is a two-player abstract strategy board game from Malaysia. It is a hunt game, and specifically a tiger hunt game since it uses an Alquerque board. The interesting aspect about this hunt game is that the tigers are able to move as many spaces as they can in a straight line as...
, Adugo
Adugo
Adugo is a two-player abstract strategy game that comes from the Bororo tribe on the Pantanal region of Brazil.It is a hunt game similar to those found in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. It is especially similar to Komikan, Rimau, Rimau-rimau, Main Tapal Empat, and Bagha-Chall as they...
External links
- http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/
- http://www.pbm.com/pipermail/hist-games/2008/001394.html