Nchombwa or Nsolo (Angoni)

Meredith G. Sanderson, Medical Officer, Nyasaland

Journal of the Royal Anthropological Insitute
London, 43, 1913, pages 726-736

[Note:The definitions are the same as for the game of Bau.]

[Page 733] Nsolo is played with a "board" consisting of ten, twelve, up to twenty holes, arranged in four rows. In consequence of the large number of holes, a “board” is always made by scooping them out in the ground on a convenient spot.

The number of "men" (usually pebbles) varies directly with the number of holes employed (76, 92, up to 156).

Two men are put in every hole except the (player's) right-hand end holes of the front row. As Njombwa, all moves must be in one direction only, i.e., from right to left in the front row and from left to right in the back, and men are taken by spreading the contents of any hole or series of holes and arriving at an empty hole. The men in the opposite holes (front and back rows) are then taken as in the Yao game, but the [Page 734] player can also take the contents of any one other hole (back or front row). No men can be taken unless a hole in the front row is first attacked. If there are no men in the hole of the back row corresponding to that attacked in the front row, the contents of the latter, and one other only, may be taken. All men taken are removed from the board.

"Singletons" may be moved as in Njomwba, i.e., only to an adjacent empty hole and when no holes contain more than one man.

A move ends either on taking or on arriving at an empty hole not "in opposition."

The object is to take all the opponent's men.