MorrisTalkPlay freeEnglish · Deutsch · Magyar · Français
MorrisTalk › Learn Morris › Six and Twelve Men's Morris
Six Men's Morris, Twelve Men's Morris and Lasker Morris
Nine Men's Morris is the best known, but it has a family. The same ideas (place, slide, close a mill, take a man) run on smaller and bigger boards, and one famous variant was invented by a chess world champion.
At a glance
| Game | Board | Men each | Flying |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six Men's Morris | Two squares, 16 points | 6 | No |
| Nine Men's Morris | Three squares, 24 points | 9 | Yes, at 3 men |
| Twelve Men's Morris | Three squares with diagonals, 24 points | 12 | Varies; yes in MorrisTalk |
| Lasker Morris | Three squares, 24 points | 10 | Yes, at 3 men |
Six Men's Morris
Six Men's Morris is played on the board without the outer square: two nested squares joined by lines through the middle of their sides, 16 points in all. Each player has six men. The rules otherwise follow Nine Men's Morris: place men one at a time, then slide them, three in a line is a mill, and a mill takes a man. Flying is not permitted. It was popular in medieval Italy, France and England and is much shorter than the nine-man game, which makes it a good first step for children. Its board also works for Five Men's Morris.
In MorrisTalk, Six Men's Morris is the quick one: a game can be over in a few minutes, and with no flying the endings are sharp.
Twelve Men's Morris (Morabaraba)
Twelve Men's Morris is played on the same three-square board, with four diagonal lines added, joining the corners of the squares. Each player has twelve men. The diagonals add new lines of three, so there are more connections and more ways to block. With twelve men each there are 24 men for 24 points, so if the board fills up during placing, the game is a draw.
The game is played in southern Africa as Morabaraba, and in South Africa it is recognised as a sport. Rule sets differ: some allow mills only on the straight lines, others also on the diagonals; some allow flying at three men and some do not. Agree before you start. MorrisTalk's Twelve Men's lets you fly at three men and counts the diagonals as mills.
Lasker Morris (ten men)
Lasker Morris is named after Emanuel Lasker, who was world chess champion from 1894 to 1921 and also a mathematician and a keen game inventor. It uses the standard Nine Men's Morris board, but each player has ten men, and there is one big rule change: in the placing phase, on each turn you may either place a new man or move one already on the board. That means a mill can be opened and closed even while men are still in hand, so the opening is far more tactical. Draws are less likely than in the ordinary game. Researchers at the University of Szeged have analysed Lasker Morris in depth.
Other cousins
The smaller game Three Men's Morris (known to the Romans as terni lapilli) is a close relative of tic-tac-toe. If you can play Nine Men's Morris you can learn it in a minute. See also the history of Morris.
Tips for the smaller and bigger boards
On the Six Men's board there are only eight possible mills, and every point has two or three neighbours, so a single blocked man matters a great deal. Keep your men flexible and aim for a position where one move threatens two mills. On the Twelve Men's board the diagonals give corner points four neighbours, which changes the value of the points: the corners, weak on the ordinary board, become strong, and with twelve men each the board fills quickly, so mobility is the first thing to protect.
Which should you play?
- Teaching a child or short on time: Six Men's Morris.
- The classic everyone knows: Nine Men's Morris.
- Want more tactics and a fuller board: Twelve Men's Morris.
- Want to try a master's idea: Lasker Morris.
Frequently asked questions
Is flying allowed in Six Men's Morris?
No. In Six Men's Morris, men move only along the lines, even with three men left. That is one reason the game is short.
What is Lasker Morris?
A ten-man version of Nine Men's Morris invented by chess world champion Emanuel Lasker. During the placing phase you may either place a new man or move one already on the board.
What is the difference between Nine and Twelve Men's Morris?
Twelve Men's Morris adds four diagonal lines to the board and gives each player twelve men instead of nine.