Nine men’s morris
Three in a line takes a piece — the ancient game of mills.
Place your nine pieces in turn, then move them along the lines to a neighbouring empty point. Three in a line (a mill) takes one of the other side’s pieces, never one in a mill unless all are; a move closing two mills takes one. With three pieces left you may fly to any empty point. Two pieces left, or no legal move, loses. Once all pieces are placed, a position seen a third time or 50 moves in a row (both sides counted) without a mill is a draw. Who places first alternates from game to game.
Click or tap a point; to move, pick a piece, then where it goes. Arrow keys move between points, Enter plays, Esc drops the selection.
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Example
A fork while placing: one piece on a1 opens two mills at once
Two players on one screen, White placing first. Points are named as the game announces them: columns a to g from the left, rows 1 to 7 from the bottom, so a7 is the top-left corner of the outer square and g1 the bottom-right. White puts its first pieces on two outer corners and then the corner between them.
- Had Black blocked d1 at move 6 instead, White places on a4 and closes a7–a4–a1: whichever line Black blocks, the other one closes.
- Taking the blocker on a4 reopens the same line, so Black spends its next piece putting one back there and White keeps the initiative.
- Nothing is drawn on the board for a threat: an open line is simply two of your pieces with the third point empty. The status line names whose turn it is and asks for the removal after a mill.
| Move | Side | Point | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | White | a7 | outer square, top-left corner |
| 2 | Black | d5 | inner square, top side |
| 3 | White | g1 | outer square, bottom-right corner |
| 4 | Black | d3 | inner square, bottom side |
| 5 | White | a1 | two open lines: a7–a4–a1 needs a4, a1–d1–g1 needs d1 |
| 6 | Black | a4 | blocks one line; d1 stays open |
| 7 | White | d1 | mill a1–d1–g1: any of d5, a4, d3 may be taken, none is in a mill |
| 7, take | White | a4 | the line a7–a4–a1 is open again |
| 8 | Black | a4 | has to block the same point a second time |
After move 8 White has 4 pieces on the board and 5 to place, nine in all; Black has 3 and 5, eight in all. One placement on a1 won a piece before any piece has moved. Under White’s name the game shows “To place: 5 · On the board: 4”.
How it works
- Choose the computer and its level, or a friend; take turns placing your nine pieces on empty points.
- Make a mill — three of yours in a line — to take one of the opponent’s pieces; then move pieces along the lines.
- Leave your opponent with two pieces or no move to win; with three left, a player may fly anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the rules of nine men’s morris?
- Players place nine pieces each on the 24 points, then move them to neighbouring points. Every mill — three in a row along a line — removes an opponent’s piece. A player reduced to two pieces, or unable to move, loses.
- What is flying?
- When a player is down to three pieces, they may move a piece to any empty point instead of a neighbouring one — a last chance that makes endgames tense.
- Can I take a piece that is in a mill?
- Only when all of the opponent’s pieces are in mills; otherwise you must take one that isn’t.
- Any tips?
- Don’t rush to make mills while placing — keep your pieces mobile and aim for a position where one piece can open and close a mill every move.
- Does a double mill take two pieces?
- No. A placement that closes two mills at once still takes one of the other side’s pieces. Each new mill after that takes one more, including a mill you open and close again.
- When is the game a draw?
- Once all pieces are placed: when the same position comes up a third time with the same side to move, or after 50 moves in a row (both sides counted) without a mill. Every mill starts both counts again.
- Is anything sent anywhere?
- No. The game runs in your browser.