The Mill Game

The Mill (Nine Men's Morris) is a very ancient game.

Scientists suggest that the game itself has existed for more than three thousand years. Probably, its first prototypes appeared in Egypt one thousand four hundred years before the advent of our era. Such a drawing was carved in an Egyptian temple in the city of Qurn. Later mention and images of the game were found in China of the five hundredth year BC and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in the ninth year of the new era. People found similar entertainment in ancient Greece.

Interestingly, in Europe, the game Mill has a completely unusual name: " Nine dancing men". For the first time such a nickname is mentioned in the works of Shakespeare "A Midsummer Night's Dream" from one thousand five hundred and ninety-four.
The goal of the game is to put three of your chips in a row. This game resembles a complicated version of the game "Tic-Tac-Toe". At the beginning of the game, both participants alternately put one chip on the field, trying to complete the task. This continues until the players place all the chips on the board.

When all the chips are exposed, it's time to check if someone could put up a row of three elements. If the player succeeds, he takes the opponent's chip of his choice from the field. The free space makes it possible to move the chips. At this point, the game becomes similar to Soviet Tag games: the participants take turns moving the chips in an attempt to build the right line. Every time one of the players manages to make a row, he takes one of the opponent's chips.


Playing the Mill becomes more difficult with each chip coming out. It's one thing to put up a row of three spheres, having nine pieces with you. But try to create a line when you have only three chips. Such a confrontation can drag on for a long time. Be careful, because when building a row in the same place, you take the chip only for the first time.

The denouement of the battle comes exactly at the moment when both players are left with three chips on the field. Then the fight for the last, final line begins. The losing player is the one who falls under at least one category:

He has no chips left or less than three left, so it is impossible to build a row.
Blocked by the opponent and cannot make a move.
Can't build a mill for any other reason.
IN THE SET?
The Mill board game set is convenient to carry, because it consists only of a wooden board and eighteen balls. The whole set is easy to store and take with you on vacation.