O An Quan is a two-row mancala-style board game played by children in Vietnam.
Rules
Oval board. Two semi-circles on the ends are stores, the middle section divided into two rows of five squares. Five counters in each of the rows of squares and one large stone in each end space. Sowing begins in any of the squares on the player's side of the board, and proceeds in either direction. Sowing also includes both end spaces. When the final counter is sown, the contents of the next square are picked up and sowing continues. If the end space is the next space, the turn ends. When the space after the one in which the final counter fell is empty, the contents of the hole after the empty hole are captured, including the end spaces. If there is an unbroken sequence of alternating empty and occupied squares, the contents of the occupied squares are captured. If there are two or more empty squares, the turn ends. If at any time the squares in a player's rows are empty, the player must place one of their captured counters into each of their squares. The game ends when both of the large stones in the end spaces are captured. The remaining counters belong to the player on whose row they are placed. The player with the most counters wins, with the large stones counting as ten. A new game begins. Players fill their holes with their captured stones. The player with fewer counters must then "sell" holes on their side to the opponent to have enough counters to fill the holes. If the difference in the number of captured counters is less than ten, the opponent is given half-ownership of a space, and the contents of it at the end of the game are split between the two players. If the difference is ten, the opponent then may take all of the stones from a sold space at the end of the game. The player may regain sold spaces on subsequent rounds by capturing ten counters more than their opponent. The game is then played as before. Games are played until three or four squares in the same row have been sold.
Mancala World
These rules were taken from the Mancala World ruleset.
All Rulesets
Described rulesets Mancala World
Rules from Mancala World.
Observed rulesets Tonkin
Played in northern Vietnam.
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