The Concentration Game is a game that was played in Benin. The description of the rules are unclear, but it appears to have been the game that was played on a bronze gaming table looted from Benin City. The counters for this game were usually cowrie shells.
Rules
Three rows of four holes; the central two holes in the middle row are stores. Each player owns the hole in the central row to their left. Ten counters in each hole. Players sow from one of their holes, sowing first into the hole from which the counters were lifted, in an anti-clockwise direction. When the final counter lands in a hole containing two counters, these counters are captured. The player captures like this seven times. The eighth captures happens when the final counter falls into a hole containing one counter; the next capture from a hole containing three; the next from a hole containing five; then repeating the pattern of one, three, five for the rest of the game. The player who captures the most counters wins.
Egharevba 1951: 7.
These rules were taken from the Two Counters ruleset.
All Rulesets
Described rulesets Two Counters
Captures are made from holes with two counters. Three Counters
Captures are made from holes containing three counters. Four Counters
Captures are made from holes with four counters. Five Counters
Captures are made from holes containing five counters.
Origin
Nigeria
Ludeme Description
The Concentration Game.lud
Concepts
Browse all concepts for The Concentration Game here.
Reference
Murray 1951: 190-191.
Evidence Map
4 pieces of evidence in total. Browse all evidence for The Concentration Game here.
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Sources
Egharevba, J. 1951. Benin Games and Sports. Sapele: Central Press.
Murray, H.J.R. 1951. A History of Board-Games Other Than Chess. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
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