Beginner Version Advanced Version

(traditionally “Women’s and Children’s Version) (traditionally “Men’s Version”)

(the other versions are based on the this one but more confusing at start)
Setup: Put 8 seeds in the square hole in your front row
(it’s called “house”) – fourth front-row-hole from the
Back row
right) Put 2 seeds in each of the two holes on the right
Player B
side of your house.

Front row To count you put the rest of the seeds either 4 each in 5
holes or 5 each in 4 holes (just to count 20 seeds for
each player). Take these 20 seeds (in the following called
“extra seeds”) out again and put them to the side.
Front row
Starting a round: You start a round by putting one of the
Player A extra seeds in one of your front-row-holes, that already
has at least one seed in it. This means that move ends
Back row
here (as it’s the last seed in your hand) and you either
eat or spread (→ Moving/Eating, → Spreading your house)
Setup: Put 2 seeds in every hole.
Only the very first round of a game: you can also take one
Moving: You need at least 2 seeds in the hole you are starting with. extra seed and the 4 seeds you put in the holes next to
Start a move by taking all the seeds out of one hole and spread them in the house, and put these five seeds anywhere on your side
one direction of your row, one in each hole, starting with the nearest
hole. of the board. The second player can also take his 5 seeds
When you end up in one of your holes in the back row or in a whole and put them anywhere on his side (or defend his house
where you cannot eat (→Eating), but in that hole was at least one seed rightaway (if he is attacked) by putting his extra seed in
before you put that last seed there, you take all the seeds out of that his house and eat right away or do any other standard move
hole and spread them one by one, keeping the direction, starting with
the next hole.
of course).
When you are moving and you reach the 8th hole in the front row from any
direction, and you cannot eat there, you continue with the next hole in Setting the direction: When, in the beginning of a move,
the back row and then follow the back row. you put the extra seed in one of the holes (to move or
Eating: When you put your last seed in one of your first row holes, you
eat) there is no direction set. You can freely choose it
check the nearest hole in your partner’s first row. If there is at but then it is set for the whole round. (After you ate,
least one seed in there, take it/them (all) and start over at the very you spread the seed(s) along the front row, one in each
left or the very right hole of your first row (depends from which hole, starting either in the very left or the very right
direction you are coming, → read Borders). hole. If you’re just spreading (meaning you cannot eat
In every round, you have to eat with the first move (meaning: when you
pick the seeds out of the hole at the beginning of each round, the last when putting the extra seed in) you start spreading the
one has to eat). If you cannot eat in that very first move, you are not seeds one in each hole, starting with the hole next to the
allowed to eat the whole round (just spreading). one you put the extra seed it).
A move ends: When you end up in one of your holes in which was no seed
before you put your last one there, the move is over. Moving / Eating: You have to eat with the extra seed you
put in – if you can‘t, you are not allowed to eat for the
Borders between 6th and 7th front-row-hole: After eating you always start whole round which means that you only spread the seeds (on
spreading the eaten seeds in the first hole of the front row (meaning: your two rows).
when you are moving to the left and eat, you start spreading the eaten
seeds in your very right front-row-hole, then one by one to the left
again – if you come from the right it’s the other way around). When you You always have to put your extra seed in one hole you
eat the 7th or the 8th hole of that direction (meaning: when you are already have a seed in:
moving to the left, the first and second hole from the left in the
front row), from where you start spreading the seeds in the first
front-row-hole of the new direction (former 8th hole). (Different
-If there is at least one seed in your partner’s hole next
expanation → Borders in advanced version. to it, you can eat his seed(s) and start spreading them
along the front row, starting with the very left or the
Finish: When you empty the front row of your partner or take most of very right hole. (You can choose which one because there
his seeds so that he has a maximum of 1 seed in each of his holes is no direction set → Setting the direction).
(which means he cannot move anymore).
-If there is no seed in your partners hole next to it, you
can spread the seeds in any direction (→ Setting the
direction).

-If you have no seeds in any of the front-row-holes but

the house and cannot eat, you take one of your extra This game was first played along the
seeds and one out of the house and spread them in the
lakeshore of the Lake Malawi.
two holes next to the house (any direction, along the
front row). Traditionally it is common to dig 32
But: If you only have 8 seeds in your house, you take holes in the soil or sand and use 64
the 8 out of the house and the extra seed and spread seeds or stones to surf the avalanche.
them in any direction (one by one, starting with the
next hole in the front row).

Spreading your house: You can move your house (but don‘t It might first be confusing
have to) only if you have eaten in the same round already.
If you have not (only spreading), and you end up in your
house, your move ends there. to play

As soon as the last extra seed is played, the rules are

exactly the same as in the beginner version, the house (if
it is not already eaten/spread anyways) is a normal hole.

If one of the front rows is cleared before the last extra

Baŵo
seed is played, the game is over as well.

Same rules like Beginner Version: but there is a simple system and
only some extra rules to know.
A move ends: When you end up in one of your holes in which
was no seed before you put your last one thre, the move is
over.

Borders: When you come from one side you always spread the
seeds in the same direction you were moving until you have
reached the 7th or the 8th hole (in the front row). If you
end up in one of these holes and eat, you change the
direction, means you start over at the front row of the We tried to keep the instructions as
same side these hole are on (in the very right/left hole). short and clear as possible and we
think, it is best to keep re-reading
them step by step them when playing
“Ntchuwa” Version the first games.
For setup put one seed in every front-row-hole. The
rest is exactly like the Advanced Version but without
the house.
Anything is allowed that’s not forbidden in here.
© 21.3.1999 started writing by Assan, Maxwell/Mwase, Gift/Themba and Philipp in Senga Bay, Malawi. Then
nd
You just have to count and eat … if you can!
edited on 11.4.1999 by Philipp in Lilongwe, Malawi . 2 edition 2010 by Philipp in Frankfurt, Germany

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