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Elasta
An entry in the 2003 Simultaneous Movement Game Design Competition

Designed by Michail Antonow
For 2 players

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Equipment

  • A chess board or any square board of 8 x 8 squares
  • Eight short sticks, slightly shorter than the sides of a square (matches or the like)
  • Eight chips (disks as used in Backgammon or Checkers) of one color for each player, marked with numbers from 0 to 7 on the face side
  • In addition for the optional variant: about 40 small tokens or coins

The players take place at opposite sides of the board, as in chess. The eight sticks symbolizing the Battle Line are placed on the borders separating rank 4 from rank 5.

The aim of each player is to push the Battle Line forward untill it reaches the opponent's ground line.

The numbered chips represent the fighting units of the players. On each turn the players allot a unit to every file on the board to fight the opponent's unit facing it in that file. The chips are placed face down - either along the ground line or on the squares immediately behind the border sticks. When both players have placed all their chips, the chips are flipped over and compared, file for file. Stronger units (higher numbers) defeat weaker units and push the border ONE square forwards, no matter how great the difference in strength is. Units of equal strength neutralize each other, so the border stick remains where it was. (Diagram 1 shows an example of a starting distribution with the resulting border changes shown in Diagram 2).

The new Battle Line resulting from the simultaneous movement of the fighting units shows more or less pronounced indentations. The essential feature of the game of ELASTA is the rule: the distance (or gap) between the borders in two neighboring files may not exceed two squares. Whenever a distance greater than two squares appears, it must be reduced within the same turn. It might help you to understand this principle if you imagine something like a *rubber band* connecting all neighboring border sticks. For a moment the rubber band can stretch up to a distance of four squares, but it immediately contracts and pulls the sticks at both ends one step back. Thus a distance of three squares is reduced to one, and a distance of four squares is reduced to two.

Every turn consists of the following actions:

  1. The players allot their fighting units face down to the eight files;
  2. The chips are flipped over and the border sticks are moved up or down accordingly;
  3. If necessary, distances of more than two squares between neighboring files are reduced by pulling back a stick at both ends of the gap;
  4. The players pick up their chips and are ready for the next turn.
The game ends when -- at the end of a turn -- a border stick remains at the bottom of a player's ground line. This player has lost the game.

Optional Variant

If you wish a game of shorter duration and higher tension you may introduce this additional rule:

  1. At the end of each turn the players must place a token on a square on their side of the board. A square with a token counts as deleted, thus shortening the respective file and making it easier for the opponent to reach bottom. Tokens can not be moved.

Illustrations

Diagram 1: Initial position of the Battle Line and an example for the distribution of units for the first turn

BLACK
   4     7     2     0     3     1     6     5
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- === - === - === - === - === - === - === - === -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
   0     5     1     7     2     4     6     3
WHITE
Diagram 2: Moves of the first turn executed

BLACK
  4     7     2     0     3     1     6     5
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - === - - - - === - - - - - - - 
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - === - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- === - === - === - - - - === - - - - - - - === -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
   0     5     1     7     2     4     6     3
WHITE
Diagram 3: Distribution of units for the second turn

BLACK
   3     4     2     0     7     6     1     5
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - === - - - - === - - - - - - - 
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - === - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- === - === - === - - - - === - - - - - - - === -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
   0     1     4     7     2     6     5     3 
WHITE
Diagram 4: Movements of the second turn executed

BLACK
   3     4     2     0     7     6     1     5
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - === - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - === - === - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - = = = - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- === - === - - - - - - - === - - - - - - - === -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
   0     1     4     7     2     6     5     3 
WHITE
Diagram 5: Battle Line contracted

BLACK
   3     4     2     0     7     6     1     5
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - === - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - === - - - - - - - === - === - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - === - - - - - - - === -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- === - === - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I     I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
   0     1     4     7     2     6     5     3
   A     B     C     D     E     F     G     H 
WHITE
The *rubber band* is stretched beyond capacity between the files D and E (4 squares), between E and F (3 squares) and between G and H (3 squares). The contraction of the *rubber band* results in the following changes: the border stick in D moves one square down, in E one square up, in F one square down, in G one square down and in H one square up. (Note that the border stick in E moves only one square up, although it pulls both his neighbors (D and F) one square down. Now the stage is set for turn three. The players can pick up their chips and redistribute them in the next turn.

This game © copyright 2003 Michail Antonow.

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