Here you go everyone, clickable timestamps. Pembury Woods you should add it in the description like this... INDEX. 1. 00:00 What is Bao? 2. 00:54 The object of the game 3. 01:30 The moves 4. 02:07 Move with capture 5. 03:57 Move without capture (Kutakata) 6. 06:29 Captured seeds returned to the (Kichwa) 7. 10:21 Rules and crib sheet 8. 12:18 The board and seeds 9. 15:50 The first stage (Namua stage) 10. 22:43 Multiple captures 11. 26:05 First stage, move without capture (Kutakata) 12. 29:34 Losing the house and more multiple captures 13. 35:43 The house (Nyumba) and house rules 14. 39:01 Capture and direction 15. 40:50 Reversal of sowing direction (Kichwa & Kimbi) 16. 43:50 Ending a move without capture in the house 17. 44:54 Sowing the house...or not 18. 46:23 Further house rules 19. 48:38 The second stage (Mtaji stage) with capture 20. 57:25 The second stage (Mtaji stage) without capture (Kutakata) 21. 62:15 Winning the game, no legal moves 22. 63:38 Winning the game, clearing the front row (Bao hamna) 23. 64:19 Bao La Kiswahili, closing comments
thomassaurus I must apologise for not thanking you sooner as I have only just seen your indexing. That is really useful, I did not know it was possible to do this, Thank You!
Thanks. I loved playing this game on a beach in Zanzibar. I bought the set in Stone Town, stored it away and didn’t play it for15 years so had forgotten how to play. Thanks to this useful video I am now playing it with my nine year old daughter!
You ser should be proud of the well made video you provided people and of the community of people sharing fond memories with friends and family. The comments of families playing this to this day is magical. You are truly cultivating joy and will for years to come. I look forward to playing this with my daughter when she grows up. Thank you!
As someone who's never heard of this game you really got me into it. I see what makes it addictive as well. And huge thank you for being one of the very few trying to remind people that board games have been there for millennia in all continents
It is one of a very big family of African games, and it really amazes me that they are not more popular in England (where I live) and the rest of the world. I am only too pleased to think that my video is spreading the word a little, I am very grateful for you taking the time to comment, Thank you.
This was very interesting. My daughter's 10:th birthday became an awakening for myself. I had never played any African games and my wife bought her a Mancala (or Kalaha, as it was called). I had to learn so I could teach her... and next thing we were playing every day. For me it also turned into Oware and from that it turned to "something I don't yet know the correct name of"... and from that it turned into this. Now I'm totally caught by this. All these games, the culture, music... everything. I don't know what happened but it was something new and it was something good.
+MrSweck71 Thank you, comments like this make my day, there are so many of these fantastic games. I too am learning all the time. At the moment I am learning Songo. Like bao, there is no instructional video, so I am hoping to fill that gap once I have enough knowledge of the rules. All the best and thanks again for commenting. Julian.
Thanks Julian for this very clear (introduction?!) to Bao. I am 75 and I know the game from my childhood; I saw it in NorthEast of Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo) Later I did find a description of the rules and his name "Loboté". The rules were different. I have a collection of boards, mainly for Awele/Wari, but I also have an original Bao board from Zambia (without Nyumba and with a big store hole at one end) and one I specially asked to make for me in Central African Republic. To learn I am now member of Kibao. I did also learn a lot about the different games from the book of Deledicq and Popova " 'Wari et Solo' le jeu de calculs africain" 1977. Unfortunately I was unable to download the quick reference crib sheet. Thanks again for your clear video.
I cannot thank you enough for making this video, I've had a school project to do a report on an African country, and part of that is to find a board or card game played. I couldn't figure out how to play for the life of me, you are a hero.
Thank you SO MUCH for this video! We only learned to play the simplified version of the game on our trip, but all of the instructions I've read have been a little bewildering as they assume a level of familiarity with the full game I don't have. This is incredibly helpful!
I just wanted to take the time to thank you for this tutorial. I fell in love with this game awhile back, and took on the task of learning it through written instructions, and after quite some time of trial I believed I had learned it completely. Your tutorial showed that I was making a critical error during the Namu stage. Also I wanted to point out that you were clear and very informative with your approach in teaching. You made sense and provided enough examples. For your first tutorial type video, this was *excellent*. Again thank you for this, as it will allow me to begin playing this wonderful game properly.
+Amenweser Sorry for taking some time to reply, for some reason I do not get informed every time a comment is left. I really appreciate what you had to say, it takes some time to put these videos together so your comments make it a worthwhile task. I am glad you now understand the game, learning from written instructions is so difficult. Best wishes Julian.
My family and I lived in Tanzania from 2004-2009. I love board games (go to boardgamegeek.com) and bought a copy for my father in the U.S. When he passed away, the game reverted back to me. It's been sitting my basement for 10 years now. Tonight, I thank you, I'm finally learning it.
Thank you Ken, comments like that really make my day. Its so good to hear that the game that has sat in your basement is getting some play. If you have any questions I am more than happy to answer if I can. The board can be used for other games as well, such as omweso or igisoro and I also made a video on Fifangha, a close relative of Bao from Madagascar. Good luck with your learning of the rules, it's a little complicated at first, but worth persevering with. Thanks again Julian.
Thank you very much for a helpful and complete illustration of a complex but interesting game. I have every intention of trying it out and I don't think I'd feel that way without this visual demonstration.
Thanks for this, really helped make the rules more digestible! I stumbled upon this game randomly on Wikipedia and was surprised by how obscure it was--resources and materials are way more sparse online than I expected, so your video was much appreciated. Gameplay footage I could find on RU-vid looked really fun, has like the strategy of Chess with the physical flourish of Mancala. Seeing experienced players do game-ending turns in particular is really cool! I've already ordered a board, though I couldn't find one with the square house like yours. Do you know a good place to buy seeds?
+G-Mang Hello and thanks for your comments. Yes finding a board is difficult, I made my own. There are several on the market with four rows of eight round holes, which are easily adaptable for Bao, my only word of caution when buying a board, and this applies to any mancala board, especially those advertised cheaply on ebay is to check what size the holes are. Not always given, I know but a quick calculation of length divided by eight will give a rough idea. Ideally a board with more than 65mm in diameter holes if possible. it is possible to accrue a number of seeds and this can become very difficult to manage if the holes are too small. The bonduc seeds can be expensive if bought in the UK although the Oware society ( www.oware.org )does sell them for about £5 for 50 seeds. I purchase mine on French ebay from a seller at about half of that price. Again thanks for taking time to comment on the video, enjoy the game and any more questions feel free to ask, regards Julian,
Any chance of obtaining the crib sheet? This video is just amazing. A friend has the board but we have not idea what to do with it until now. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this. I was on Zanzibar for some time last year and brought back a beautiful antique board as a Christmas present for my parents. I learned a rather simplified version of the game out there but was keen to learn the proper rules. As you say, the rule book proved pretty much impossible to follow! Your video has been a huge help. Can't wait to play now
Hi Marcus, what a great compliment, Thank you. I am very envious of yourself and Christian who made a similar comment regarding Zanzibar, it is somewhere I would love to visit. It is high on my wish list. The simpler version you learnt may have been Bao La Kujifunza, it is basically the second or mtaji stage and you start with two seeds in each hole. It is an excellent introduction to the full game as you get a good sense of how the seeds move around the board and where they are re introduced if you are able to capture. I have made this comment to others before, I would really encourage you to visit www.kibao.org the site is run by Nino Vessella, and it is thanks to him that I learnt this wonderful game. (He is where I turn if want to know anything about the game) You can play online against other people including myself and it is far easier to use than it first looks. The site does not allow you to make an illegal move so you have no fear of making embarrassing mistakes and you can always ask Nino or any of the other players for guidance. I wish you the very best of luck with the game, if you have any questions at all, please ask but you will probably be better to contact me via facebook (Pembury Woods) if you want a swift answer. For some reason you tube does not always notify me when a new comment is added. Regards Julian.
They are called bonduc seeds, also known as knickernuts. The seed itself rattles in side and helps to kill the bounce when they land. I once tried to use wooden beads, but mistake, they kept on bouncing out of the pits. They are available online, the price varies a bit, I get mine from a seller on eBay in France.
@@TommyGK you're welcome. You may already know "Awale" it's another seed game with fewer pits and much easier rules. I have a video on that as well. Good luck and thanks for the comment on my video, regards Julian.
Hey, thanks for the video. Really helpful! I've just got a few questions to clarify in my mind how it works. Apologies in advance, you've probably already covered it and I haven't picked it up. 1) Presuming there are no captures that I must make, can I begin a sowing from the outer row even if there are moves I could in the inner row? 2) Am I ever able to make a capture with seeds that began in the outer row? (In other words, do capturing moves always have to begin with seeds taken from the inner row?) Thanks very much for your help!
1. In the primary phase, every turn will begin with depositing a seed in the inner row, whether it's a capturing move or non-capturing move, no matter what. In the secondary phase, you may choose to sow seeds beginning from the outer row provided that (a) capturing is possible from either row, (b) capturing is possible from the outer row but not the inner row, or (c) capturing is not possible from either row (i.e. you're free to move from the outer row as long as you obey the "capture rule"). 2. In the primary phase, beginning a capture move is always from the inner row, as are all moves. In the secondary phase, you can always begin a capture move from the outer row if you choose, provided that the capturing seeds are more than one and less than sixteen, of course. So the answer is yes.
brilliant got my board many years ago from lamu always played the easy rules it was difficult to understand the real rules, this made it ever so clear thanks
Second the recommendation for live games of Bao. It's also in development on AP (abstract play), a purely correspondence site which focuses on obscure abstract strategy games. It is currently playable on the dev/testing server, but once some remaining bugs/unintuitive UI/input issues are ironed out and it gets pushed to the main site, that will be my recomendation for correspondence play
Thank you so much Julian. I am opening my old boa and becoming addicted. .. one question - about taxation with capture (I understand the 1 in 2 out without capture). But ehen you land at the nyumba with captured pieces - I understood that you can either stop, or destroy it, or take just a few pieces. Does that mean that you can take the number of seeds you need to do another capture as you go around the board? It seems a bit violent when i try it - so I am thinking I must have got that part wrong. What is the partial emptying of the nyumba with capture rule about? Thanks again. Loving the video and the game.
In the rules I have read, it's all or nothing. If you're allowed to sow the nyumba, you must either decline or sow the entire nyumba. I'm not sure what you're referring to with "partial emptying of the nyumba with capture", given that you already understand how taxation works. Maybe I'm misunderstanding you question?
www.scribd.com/doc/237691907/Bao-Rules-Quick-Reference This link was in the notes, but here it is again. Thanks for your comment and good luck with the game. If you don't have a board you can play online at www.kibao.org
I grew up in Tanzania and the bao I learned as a kid was a very simple version. the board state started with all seeds in pairs on the board. no difference was made between the square and round holes. you were not forced to capture when available and after capturing instead of introducing the new seeds at the edge they are reintroduced at the hole you ended up and continued in the same direction you were going. so I am wondering if anyone knows this version and where I can find more about it.
Hello and thank you for the information. Yes the version you mention is similar to one called "Bao la kujifunza" although the reintroduction of captured seeds still follow the rules as given in the video. I do not know the specific name of your version, there are so many variants, you may also want to look at games such as Igisoro, Omweso, Isolo and Katra. These are all four row games. If you do find out more about your game, please come back and let me know. Regards Julian.
Yes, I travelled and stayed in Malawi about 10yrs ago for some time and it wasnt uncommon to play this several times per day - everyone had a board laying around. The version played there is as you describe above, which seems simpler than what is explained in the video. And it was most certainly referred to as Bao. Great game!
Thank you Christine, your comment has really pleased me. I told my self that if just one person learns to play bao from my video, then it has been worthwhile. I really would encourage you to consider playing on www.kibao.org. It is no where near as complicated as it first looks. The programme will not allow you to make an illegal move, so you have no fear of making a mistake. It is where I learnt to play, and still do. I am a relatively new to the game myself and am no expert, but if you have any questions I will be more than pleased to answer them if I can, and if I can't I will find out the answers for you. Regards Julian.
Mark Ogilvie Thanks Mark, pleased to have helped. I wish I could have made the video shorter but there are so many rules and situations to cover. I hope you continue to learn and play the game, best wishes Julian.
Great video! Question: do the rules around the Nyumba/House (for example, having to end the turn when the last seed lands in the House and there is no capture) still apply for the second (Mtaji) stage? Or are they only applicable for the first stage?
Nyumba doesn't last long. If nyumba has many seeds, the opponent focuses, attacks and captures it. It might never withstand opponent 22 attack sessions to get to Mtaji.
Thank you so much! I have two questions though: 1: Can I play this online anywhere, if so where? 2: During the first phase (Namua?), if you have an available capture can you choose to make it through ending a movement there like the second phase, or does it have to be through adding a piece directly?
Bao Electronic Board Game allows you to play unlimited games on your iPhone, Mac or tvOS. It has inbuilt "Learn" mode that teaches you to play, and higher levels that challenge your skills.
1: BGA (Board Game Arena) has Bao la Kiswahili, and would be my recomendation for playing live. AP (Abstract Play) has Bao la Kiswahili (called just "Bao" on that site) under development and playable on the playtest server, and would be my recomendation for correspondence play once it releases to the main server. 2: According to the rules I have read, every move, both kutakata and mtaji moves, in the namua phase must start by introducing a seed. So the second: it has to be through adding a piece directly
Thanks for this very interesting introduction to the Bao! That was very comprehensive and well explained! I am currently programming a Bao game and I wanted to make sure I've got the rules rights :) Your video actually thought me 2 rules I weren't aware! I'd like to have a precision on one of them. When I was playing in Zanzibar, they used to build up a very large Nyumba (up to 20 seeds sometimes even 25). My question is about the 15 max seeds rule. As far as I remember, they were eating if they were landing in a marked hole while playing the house with 17 seeds or more... Are you aware of any exception in regard to the Nyumba? For the prononciation, it prononces exactly as it reads in french. So if you are a french speaker just read the words accordingly ;)
Discounting the (very real) possibility of local variation, in the BGA rules the max seeds rule only applies to the mtaji phase when it's the first pit sown. If it's >15 seeds sown due to capture or relay sowing, then (as long as it's a mtaji turn, of course) there is no restriction on capturing.
I've been more an Omweso fan,..but lately I've been kicking Bao around. I am making my own 3d computer versions of these Mancala games and constantly search out vids. Glad I found yours!! Thanks for sharing!
Yes Omweso is quite a game, I just can't believe how fast some of the players calculate and move their seeds. I wish I knew of a site where I could play it online, like the KIBA site for Bao that I mentioned in a previous post. I'm glad my video is of use to you, There is another video in the pipeline in which I am going to explain the Kutakatia rule. It is a bit tricky to understand at first by reading the rules, but I hope to clarify it for most people with some practical examples. A question, are you making the computer versions for yourself or are you planning to make them available to others? I very much appreciate you taking the time to comment on my video. Thanks Julian.
Pembury Woods it's a hobby( for PC),..but I will release it on GooglePlay for Android when done. I have six Mancala games in the works(Kala, Omweso,Sunka, Bao,.etc). But the Bao I currently have is a simplified version( basically only the second phase), but after watching your vid, it makes me wanna put the full version in there. I am making my game fully customizable( 3of pits,.seeds,..direction,.capture rules),.because I want people to play how they remember playing in their 'local' places. So I am interested in the Kutakatia ruleset too,.. check out the site awale.info ,..it has an AMAZING amount of info! cheers
Welby CoffeeSpill Thanks for all that info, I'm pleased to hear you will release for Android, do me a favour and post a message on this page when you eventually do it please. The awale.info site I have bookmarked as a favourite, very informative indeed. The Bao you refer to is called Bao La Kujifunza, but I guess you probably knew that, it's a good way to begin learning the game and then progress to the full version. The video with the additional kutakatia rule should be up within a week. I am going to include game notation and I have also been in touch with a Swahili speaking facebook friend who is going to pronounce all those words that I was unsure of, it is my intention to include that as well. Thanks again.
Pembury Woods in addition to that Kibao site,...here is another site if you have not seen it. baogame.com . it's cute. and they teach you Bao Zanzibar with an interactive computer player. cheers!
Welby CoffeeSpill Yes I know the site and the format is very good, you guessed it! there's a "but" coming, but it does not adhere to the true Zanzibar rules of Bao La Kiswahili, as researched by De Voogt or Vessella, and these have both spent time amongst the people and closely studied the game. In fact right at the very start of the game it allows you to move without capture (Kutakata) from the house (Nyumba). You cannot do this unless it is the only filled pit in the front row. Having said that it is a very good site, for that version of bao, but you cannot mix the two without confusion, and lets face it the rules are tricky enough. Thanks for mentioning it because it may clarify the difference for others too. All the best Julian.
Awesome, thanks so much for taking the time to make the video! Made it very easy to understand (especially after reading some rather confusing instructional texts). Recently picked up a board on a trip to Kenya and Tanzania, looking forward to playing now!
Fantastic video, very clear! Thank you very much. Looking other videos, there seems to be another rule applied particularly during the second stage, that I don’t understand. It seems that a player can choose to reorganize his seeds at the end of the game, if he is not satisfied of their position on the bao. Can someone tell me more about it? Thanks a lot!
Thank you for your comment, I am pleased that you found the video clear to understand. I can't help you with your question as I am not familiar with the rule that you describe. My principal sources have been documents by Alex DeVoogt and conversations with experienced players. I am aware that there are rule variations but have no knowledge of that particular rule. Feel free to post in the comments if you find out more. Regards Julian.
Hi again, the kutakasia rule basically gives a slight advantage to the player in the weakest position. It is often misunderstood and when initially learning the game it can be, and often is missed out completely. However one individual actually accused me of trying to deliberately dismiss it. That's not the case I merely stated that people often play without knowledge of the rule, it is definitely a useful part of the game. I did make a video on the kutakasia rule but I was never really happy with it, so I took it down. I don't think that many people viewed it anyway. I will put it back on line if you are interested. I am also going to reply to you email regarding the crib sheet, I just need to find it first. Julian.
This was a really good video! Absolutely fantastic! Thx! I payed this game on zanzibar 3 years ago but did not have a chance to bring it with my back home. My question then is; Do you have any idea where one can buy this game?
Sorry Christian, I have only just seen your comment on you tube hence the delay in my reply. Thank you for your subsequent contact via facebook. I was very pleased to hear from you and I really appreciate the positive comments regarding the video.
Thank you very much for the video! I just bought the game and now I understand much better. however, I was wondering if Nyumba has already been dismantled, can its special rules get back?
Hi and glad you found the video helpful. Once the nyumba has been sown it ceases to be a functioning nyumba and is just like any other pit regardless of how many seeds it regains.
When I start a sowing without capturing from a house because it is possible: how many seeds can I take out to move further? Can I choose as much as I want every time?
Well done. "How To Play Bao La Kiswahili" is a great video. Bao Electronic Board Game for mobile and desktop, in Apple App store brings Bao to digital world.
I downloaded this application...Not bad but many mistakes nevertheless, the house nyumba is most of the time considered as a normal pit...which is not the case!!!
@@fallougallas8978 Thank you. The Application now has free updates to the iOS version 2.0.1; with inbuilt "Learn" mode and addresses the nyumba rules on start-up moves.
@@baoelectronicboardgame4558 Yes I saw it, thanks a lot! I noticed 2 ameliorations: 1.When the computer begins, it never puts a seed in the nyumba (which was sometimes the case before). 2.When the nyumba is the only pit from the front row with seeds, and we only can do a move without capture, we only sow 2 seeds from the nyumba (and not the entire content of the house). However the nyumba rules are not all applied. Please tell me if I am wrong.For example: 1.When we begin the game, it's still possible to put a seed in the nyumba (which is normally forbidden). 2.In case of a move beginning with capture, sometimes the last seed drops into the nyumba with no seed on the opponent's front row. The player normally has the choice to stop or to continue sowing. On the application the player has no choice, he HAS to continue sowing. 3.When the nyumba is empty and there are pits on the front row with one seed and others with more than one seed, in case of move without capture the player has to put a seed in a pit with more than one seed. On the application the player can sow in a pit with only one seed... Best regards. Fallou
@@fallougallas8978 Thank you. Bao Electronic Board Game version 2.0.1 has inbuilt "Learn" mode that makes it very easy to learn and play the African Bao Game. Start line "Nyumba" rules were implemented on that version. If you have a copy of the App, you may simply get the free updates online from App Store. It updates automatically like all other iOS, macOS, tvOS apps.
@@fallougallas8978 Thank you. Nyumba rules on startling were adopted on Bao Electronic Board Game version 2.0.1. That version has inbuilt "Learn" mode that makes it easy to learn and enjoy Bao Game. Your feed back is highly appreciated.
I got a board from a travel through Africa and I wasnt able to play it properly until today... So sad for such a beautiful handmade game I bought. Everytime the gameplay felt endless, I will give it a try again today.
At 38:00 you say if there is no house the move without capture has to start from a pit with at least 2 seeds, if there is one. I wonder why because in this case the « house » is no more functional and behaves like a normal pit, so we should have the choice to begin the move without capture from an unempty pit ( containing 1,2 or more seeds). Could you please explain ? Thanks a lot
Hi, well its sometimes difficult to understand the reasons why some of the rules are what they are. You need to start from 35.43 which deals with specific rules relating to the house. If you have a house, you have the choice to begin a move without capture from a pit with single seeds and multiple seeds. If there are less than six seeds in the house pit it is not considered to be a functional house. It is at this point that your options are restricted and you must begin a move without capture from a pit with more than one seed. However, It is possible to begin from a pit with a single seed if that is the only option available to you. I hope that is clear. One way of looking at it could possibly be that having maintained a functional house, it gives you the advantage of choice.
@@juliangroves6875 Thanks a lot Julian, I had not understood that having a functional house was the point that allows to move without capture from a pit with only one seed even if other options are available. If I consider an "extreme" situation consisting of a house containing 3 seeds (not functional) and 7 other pits from my front row containing 0 or 1 seed each, a move without capture has to start from the non functional house...
@@juliangroves6875 There are also some videos on Kiba Bao La Kiswahili, everything Is quite clear...except Let's play bao Kiswahili lesson 4 from 6:22 there is a move I don't understand...
Thank you Julian Groves for such a wonderful page and healthy interactions that promote Bao game. Bao Electronic Game has released free updates in the Apple App store, that upgrades the iOS software to the updated game version 2.0.1; with inbuilt "Learn" mode. The Learn mode makes it very easy to play Bao game. Hopefully, Bao players will take Bao Game to the Olympics, which we support with hashtag MaKe Bao Olympic Game
@@juliangroves6875 Yes, Its there in Android but we haven't uploaded to that platform. There are some fine details, we would like to sort out first before uploading or hosting.
+Marko Juric Hi Marko, no problem. The board in the video I made myself and the dimensions are as follows, Thickness 30mm, Length 600mm and width when open 315mm. The pits are 65mm in diameter and the square nyumba is 65mm x 65mm. Personally I would make the pits larger next time, say approx 70-75mm. It is down to personal preference, I would never make or buy any board with pits smaller than 60mm. Hope all of that helps, good luck, regards Julian.
....I do not remember the game being played in an anti clockwise direction....but rather a clockwise direction. you making the game soo complex for an indigenous African like me. am really puzzled to the core.
I have replied to your other comment separately, however I would be interested to know more about the country and region you are from and if possible the game that you know.
but the game becomes not as much fun when the homes are already drawn or decided as seen, this is what happens when indigenous games are fixed. that is not strategic and will not require as much thinking than when you decide your own home.
I thank you for your comments. The game of bao has many complex rules which vary from region to region and country to country. It is also one of the games of the mancala family of which there are hundreds all across Africa. As you point out I am not based in Africa and I do have any African ancestry that I am aware. However the one thing I do have is a passion and love for all of the mancala games, what I am trying to do is spread this far and wide because it is my belief that these excellent games have been ignored by some for far too long. I can only provide the rules for this game as they have been explained to me. Most of what is contained here comes from the work of Alex De Voogt who spent some time amongst the people of Zanzibar compiling the rules. it is my understanding that this is the game you will find in Zanzibar and particularly Stone Town. I have also had quite a lot of correspondence in the past with Nino Vessella who runs the KIBA website and these are the rules that are required to play correctly on the site. I am aware of other versions with the same or similar name, which is possibly what you are referring to. I make no claim to have produced the definitive rules. It is my hope that anyone who studies this game will want to learn many of the other mancala variants that are in existence and make those more accessible to all of us.
+Pembury Woods Dear Mr. Woods. I have become very interested in Bao and would like to know your opinion on something. In a game of Bao La Kiswahili, how competitive is it? How much difference is there between players og differing skill levels assuming they both understand the rules? Because when I play games, I love to outwit my opponent by thinking several moves ahead. But it has proven very difficult to see actual gameplay of this variant of Mancala. Without seeing a match, or having anyone to play with at the moment, I figured asking you would be the next best thing! Please share any insights you have had on how competitive this game is. Thank you in advance.
+Alexander Lysberg Hi Alexander and thanks for a very good question. In its simplest form my answer would be "yes" there is a huge amount of strategy, which makes the game highly competitive. However because of the complexity of the rules it is not easy to see how this can be until you have mastered the game to a certain degree. I was of exactly the same opinion as you when I first started. To explain further, because of the compulsory capture rule, you have the ability to control your opponents next move, that is because it is possible to make him capture and in doing so it may not be to his full advantage and lays him open to further attack. There is also the strategy of feeding seeds to your back row in order that you can circumnavigate the board and capture regardless of direction. Another point to this tactic is that captures can only take place in the front row, once you move on to the second stage of the game it is possible to capture using those safe seeds in the back row. So that is just a couple of brief points, what lies at the very heart of this game is calculation, second is calculation and third is calculation......you get my point, I hope. It is the ability to not only move to your advantage but also to foresee the consequences of your move. It is the fact that you may have many options when looking at the board and you need to see what your opponent is likely do do next, players with good memory skills are generally the best. What makes the game such fun is that it is possible to be in a very commanding position and it can completely turn around with the simplest of mistakes. My first games of bao were awful, I lost time after time and it was after a while that I could see what my opponent was forcing me to do and I could see my errors. Play against an experienced player and you will see what happens, it is not just luck. Thanks for your interest in the game, regards Julian.
