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Evidence for Chiana wa Kunja
1 pieces of evidence found.
Id DLP.Evidence.1901
Type Ethnography
Location Nyanja
Date 1913-01-01 - 1913-12-31
Rules 4 row board, of any number of holes. Only the outer rows are used. Four counters in each hole in the outer row. Sowing occurs in an anti-clockwise direction. Players do not own rows, instead, over the course of their sowing, their counters are always grouped together, and sowing must occur from the rearmost counter in the player's series. If, after sowing, a player's series has one counter in the foremost hole and two in the next hole behind it, the player sows again from the rearmost hole. If the player overtakes the opponent's series, the player captures any counters in the opponent's series and places all of them in the hole immediately behind the player's series, now becoming the rearmost hole. If the rearmost hole contains a single counter, it is moved into the next hole which then becomes the rearmost hole for the next turn. If a player is reduced to a single counter, it can be moved two holes on the player's turn. The player who successfully captures all of the opponent's counters wins.
Content "CHIANA (MANYANJA).
This is the most primitive of all the games, and is usually played by children. It
is of interest in that it is, probably, the common ancestor of the more elaborate forms.
A "board," consisting of any number of holes, may be used. The play moves roumd and round the board, only the outside holes being used, always in the same direction, i.e., from left to right along the side nearest the player, and from right to left along that nearest his opponent. There is thus no distinction of ownership between the sides of the board, only those holes actually occupied by his men belonging to a player.
The holes occupied by a player are always in series, and therefore only the last hole of such series can be moved. A move consists in spreading the contents of the last hole of the series as far as it will go, adding one maii to each hole seriatim. Only one hole can be so spread each move, unless the move results in the two front holes of the series containing one and two men, respectively. It is evident that to do this it is necessary that there be a singleton in the front hole of the series, before the move, and a number of men in the last hole equal to that of the holes constituting the whole series. In this event, the player must continue to spread the last hole of the series until he fails to attain this arrangement of the two front holes of his series. If, in moving, he overtakes his opponent's series, he captures all those holes to which he has added a man; the hole next to (i.e., in front of) the hole or series of holes, so captured, then becomes the last hole of the opponent's series, and is spread at his move.
In commencing the game, four men are put into every hole in the back row of each player.
A singleton forming one of a series, and occupying the last hole of such series, is added to the contents of the next hole, which, becoming the last hole of the series, is spread at the next move in the ordinary way.
If, however, the player be left with only one man, he may move it two holes each move, so as to enable him to overtake his opponent.
No men are removed from the board, in which particuilar Chiana differs from all other games, except Bau.
The game is won by capturing all the holes occupied by the opponent.
The game above described is called Chiana wa Kunja Sanderson 1913: 734-735.
Confidence 100
Ages Child
Source Sanderson, M. 1913. "Native Games of Central Africa." Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 43: 726-736.
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