Square Off™

Rules

OBJECT: Capture 7 of your opponent’s pieces or prevent opponent from moving.

SET UP: Each player chooses a color and removes all pieces from the board.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Square Off™ is played in two stages. In stage 1, players take turns placing their pieces on the board. In stage 2, players take turns moving their pieces one space along a line. Whenever a player lines up three of his own pieces in a row connected by a straight line, he removes one of his opponent’s pieces from the board.

CLASSIC VERSION

Stage 1: Placing Pieces on the Board

The youngest player goes first.
Players take turns placing their pieces on any unoccupied circle on the board. These are “active” pieces. The object is to form three in a row along a straight line.
When a player maneuvers three of his own pieces into a straight line, he captures the opposing piece of his choice and permanently removes it from the board. Players may not remove a piece that is part of an opposing three-in-a-row. Once a piece is removed, it may not be used again during the current game.
Stage 1 continues until both players have placed all their pieces on the board.

Stage 2: Moving Pieces

Players take turns moving one of their pieces to any adjacent, unoccupied circle, which is connected by a line.
As soon as a player maneuvers three of his own pieces into a straight line, he captures the opposing piece of his choice and permanently removes it from the board. Players may not remove a piece that is part of an opposing three-in-a-row. Once a piece is removed, it may not be used again.
Once a player forms a three-in-a-row, he may un-form and re-form the same three-in-a-row over and over again (and remove an opposing piece each time!).
Game ends when a player has only two pieces on the board, or cannot move.

JUMP OFF™

In addition to the rule for the Classic Version:

Pieces may jump over an opponent’s piece if the jump is along a straight line and there is an empty space directly behind the jumped piece. Players do not remove the jumped piece from the board (unless the jump forms a three-in-a-row, in which case they may remove any piece that they choose).
Pieces may not move directly in and out of the same three-in-a-row. Players must wait an additional turn after un-forming a three-in-a-row before re-forming it.

TRADING PLACES™

In addition to the rules for the Classic Version:

A player may trade one of his active pieces with an opponent’s piece. Trading counts as a move, and players may only trade one piece per turn. Players may not trade a piece with an opposing piece that is part of a three-in-a-row. If the trade formed a three-in-a-row, the trading player removes an opposing piece. If the trade forms a three-in-a-row for the opponent, the opponent removes one of the trading player’s pieces. In some cases, both players will be able to remove a piece.