EjaLuajm
The board and who starts
The board has three nested squares joined by lines at the middle of each side: 24 points in total. Each player has 9 stones, one white and one black.
In the app the colours are drawn at random for every game and white moves first. When you play again, the draw is repeated.
Phase one: placing the stones
Taking turns, each player places a stone on a free point until all 18 stones are on the board. You can already make mills in this phase.
Don't scatter your stones without a plan: the points in the middle of the sides have three or four neighbours and give you more room to move later.
The mill: remove an opponent's stone
When you line up three of your stones on a line, you form a mill and remove one of your opponent's stones from the board. Even if you form two mills at once, you remove only one stone.
Stones that are part of a mill are protected. They can only be removed when all of the opponent's stones are in mills.
Phase two: moving and flying
Once all stones are placed, on your turn you move one stone to a free neighbouring point along a line. Every new mill lets you remove another stone, so opening and closing the same mill is the classic tactic.
When you are down to three stones, your stones fly: you can move a stone to any free point on the board. Your opponent keeps moving normally.
Who wins, and when is it a draw?
You win by leaving your opponent with two stones, since two stones can no longer make a mill, or by blocking them so they have no move.
The game is a draw when the same position comes up three times, or after 50 moves without a stone being removed.
Gur 9 with friends
Download EjaLuajm, choose Gur 9 and create a private room for two. Send your friend the code so you sit at the same board. You can also practise against the computer, which thinks several moves ahead.
Frequently asked questions
- What is this game called elsewhere?
- In English it is Nine Men's Morris or Mill, in German Mühle, in Italian Mulino or Filetto and in French Jeu du moulin. In Albanian it is Gur 9, also called Mulliri or Çiçmiç.
- Is it free to play?
- Yes. Download EjaLuajm for free on Android or iPhone and choose Gur 9 in the app.
- Does it work offline?
- No. An internet connection is required, including when playing against the computer.