Catch the Hare
Encyclopedia
Catch the Hare is a two-player abstract strategy board game
from Europe
, and perhaps specifically from Spain
. It is a hunt game, and since it uses an Alquerque
board, it is specifically a tiger hunt game (or tiger game). In some variants, some or all of the diagonal lines are missing which makes it difficult to classify as a tiger game in general. In all variants, one hare is going up against twelve hunters or hounds. The hare is the "tiger" in this hunt game. The hare is taking the ironic role as the predator and not the prey in this game. The hare can capture the hunters or hounds by leaping over them (short leap method). The hunters or hounds attempt to surround and trap the hare.
The game is the earliest recorded hunt game in Europe, and perhaps even the first hunt game from Europe (other than Bear games
and Hare games
). The earliest record of the game is in Alfonso X's book of games in 1283. The record shows a game called cercar la liebre, a game played in Spain from the 13th. century until today. Cercar la liebre means "Catch the Hare". The Moors may have brought the game to Spain since it uses an Alquerque board, however, there is no record of the game or any similar game in Arabic literature. The game has spread to Central and North America thanks to the Spanish who brought it with them during their conquest. The game was transformed in name and structure by the American natives. The new names given were coyote and chickens, and Indian and jackrabbits which are things found in the Americas. Some of the diagonal lines of the Alquerque board were omitted, and in some cases completely removed which technically makes the game a non-tiger game. In one very interesting case, there was no piece to represent the hare on the board, and the hare was merely pointed at with a stick to indicate its position. Today, the game is still popular in Spain under the name juego de la liebre.
The hare wins if it captures enough of the hunters or hounds such that they can not immobilize the hare.
Here-in-forth, the white pieces will simply be called the hunters.
2. The hare is placed at the center of the board. The twelve hunters are place on the first two ranks of one side of the board, and two pieces are placed on the third rank specifically at the edge of the board.
3. The hunters move first.
4. Hare and hunters move alike. They move one space onto a vacant point following the pattern on the board. Only one piece may be moved by each player per turn.
5. The hare can also capture by leaping over an adjacent hunter, and landing on a vacant point on the other side. The leap must be in a straight line and follow the pattern on the board. The hare can continue to leap over more hunters provided there exist exactly one vacant point in between the hunters, and a vacant point beyond the last hunter. The hare can stop leaping even when there are more hunters to capture. Captured pieces are removed from the board. Captures are not compulsory. Unlike the hare, the hunters can not capture.
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and perhaps specifically from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It is a hunt game, and since it uses an Alquerque
Alquerque
Alquerque is a strategy board game that is thought to have originated in the Middle East. It is considered to have been the parent of draughts and Fanorona.-History:...
board, it is specifically a tiger hunt game (or tiger game). In some variants, some or all of the diagonal lines are missing which makes it difficult to classify as a tiger game in general. In all variants, one hare is going up against twelve hunters or hounds. The hare is the "tiger" in this hunt game. The hare is taking the ironic role as the predator and not the prey in this game. The hare can capture the hunters or hounds by leaping over them (short leap method). The hunters or hounds attempt to surround and trap the hare.
The game is the earliest recorded hunt game in Europe, and perhaps even the first hunt game from Europe (other than Bear games
Bear games
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. ...
and 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...
). The earliest record of the game is in Alfonso X's book of games in 1283. The record shows a game called cercar la liebre, a game played in Spain from the 13th. century until today. Cercar la liebre means "Catch the Hare". The Moors may have brought the game to Spain since it uses an Alquerque board, however, there is no record of the game or any similar game in Arabic literature. The game has spread to Central and North America thanks to the Spanish who brought it with them during their conquest. The game was transformed in name and structure by the American natives. The new names given were coyote and chickens, and Indian and jackrabbits which are things found in the Americas. Some of the diagonal lines of the Alquerque board were omitted, and in some cases completely removed which technically makes the game a non-tiger game. In one very interesting case, there was no piece to represent the hare on the board, and the hare was merely pointed at with a stick to indicate its position. Today, the game is still popular in Spain under the name juego de la liebre.
Goal
The hunters or hounds win if they surround and immobilize the hare.The hare wins if it captures enough of the hunters or hounds such that they can not immobilize the hare.
Equipment
An Alquerque board is used. In one variant, the small diagonals are removed, but the long diagonals that cross the span of the Alquerque board remain. In yet another variant, all the diagonals are removed. In all cases, there is one hare which can be represented as a black piece, and twelve hunters or hounds represented as white pieces. Pieces are played on the intersection points of the board.Here-in-forth, the white pieces will simply be called the hunters.
Game Play and Rules
1. Players decide what colors to play. Players alternate their turns.2. The hare is placed at the center of the board. The twelve hunters are place on the first two ranks of one side of the board, and two pieces are placed on the third rank specifically at the edge of the board.
3. The hunters move first.
4. Hare and hunters move alike. They move one space onto a vacant point following the pattern on the board. Only one piece may be moved by each player per turn.
5. The hare can also capture by leaping over an adjacent hunter, and landing on a vacant point on the other side. The leap must be in a straight line and follow the pattern on the board. The hare can continue to leap over more hunters provided there exist exactly one vacant point in between the hunters, and a vacant point beyond the last hunter. The hare can stop leaping even when there are more hunters to capture. Captured pieces are removed from the board. Captures are not compulsory. Unlike the hare, the hunters can not capture.
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External links
- http://files.boardgamegeek.com/geekfile_view.php?fileid=25436
- http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://familyfun.go.com/Resources/Features/Activities/famf48stones_coyote.jpg&imgrefurl=http://familyfun.go.com/parenting/learn/activities/feature/famf48stones/famf48stones5.html&h=200&w=152&sz=11&hl=en&start=42&um=1&tbnid=DbfQ1yzvjyF_rM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=79&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcoyote%2Brabbit%2Bhunt%2Bboard%2Bgame%26start%3D40%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
- http://books.google.com/books?id=xjhnfJs-d4EC&pg=PA168&lpg=PA168&dq=indian+jack+rabbit+hunt+board+game&source=web&ots=Dh7antvOnR&sig=iu1nvkPeZ3V4zw4zt5MSZrd-afc&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result