Choose how to play.
Ivory to play
Placing kukris
Online
Choose how to play.
Ivory to play
Placing kukris
Online
Review
Nine Men's Morris
One of you creates a room and sends the code or link; the other joins with it. Moves are checked by the server, and a dropped connection can be rejoined.
Each player has this much time for the whole game. The clock runs on your own turn only.
Online game
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Send your friend this code, or the link below. The game starts as soon as they arrive.
Connecting...
Game over
Navkakari, better known as Nine Men's Morris, is played on three squares joined at the middle of their sides: 24 points in all. Each player has nine kukris. The aim is to form mills (three of your kukris in a straight line along a drawn line) and use them to take your opponent's kukris until they have only two left, or cannot move.
Players take turns putting one kukri on any empty point, Ivory first. All nine of each side's kukris go down before any kukri moves.
Then you take turns sliding one kukri along a line to the next empty point. A kukri cannot jump over another.
When you are down to exactly three kukris you may fly: move any kukri to any empty point. This can be switched off on the start screen.
While you are moving, the kukris that have somewhere to go lift off the board and glow gold, so you can see at a glance what your options are. Point at a glowing kukri (or tab to it) to preview where it can go, then select it. The row of nine dots on each player's card shows their kukris: solid ones are on the board, hollow ones are still in hand and crossed ones have been taken.
The kukri that moved last is shown for as long as it is the latest move: a dashed ring where it came from, an arrow to where it went, and a red cross where a kukri was taken. The line under the status says it in words. In a game with pairs, both kukris of the last turn are marked.
Whenever you form a mill, by placing or by moving, you remove one of your opponent's kukris. A kukri that is part of a mill is protected, unless every one of your opponent's kukris is in a mill. Opening a mill and closing it again forms it again, and takes another kukri. Closing two mills with one move still takes only one kukri.
You win when your opponent is down to two kukris, or when it is their turn and none of their kukris can move. The game is drawn if the same position occurs three times, or if fifty moves pass without a kukri being placed or captured.
Opening in pairs: each side's first turn puts down two kukris together; after that, kukris go down one at a time as usual. Diagonal board: the four corner lines of the outer square run on through the middle and inner corners. Each is a mill, so there are 20 mills, and kukris on a corner can also slide along its diagonal. Diagonal, 28 points: the diagonals run on to the corners of a small square at the centre. That adds four points, a diagonal has four points in a row, and any three neighbours on it make a mill (24 mills in all). Clock: each player has a set time for the whole game; running out of time loses the game.
Easy plays random legal moves. Medium closes mills, blocks yours and takes the kukris that matter. Hard looks several moves ahead and weighs mills, blocked kukris, mobility and double mills. In Practice the coach explains every step and the hint button suggests a move.
Click or tap a point to place a kukri. To move, select one of your kukris, then the point to move it to. After a mill, click the kukri to remove. Undo takes back your last turn, including the computer's reply. The game is saved in this browser and can be resumed. When a game ends, Review game steps through every move, and the game record can be copied.
Choose Online, then create a room and send your friend the code or the link, or join theirs. The server checks every move and keeps the clocks. A friend who loses connection can come back to the same game from the same device. Undo and draw offers need your friend to agree; resigning needs a second press to confirm; a rematch swaps colours.