Ashtāpada () or Ashtapadi is an Indian
board game
A board game is a type of tabletop game that involves small objects () that are placed and moved in particular ways on a specially designed patterned game board, potentially including other components, e.g. dice. The earliest known uses of the ...
. Although it is played on a checkered board similar to
chess
Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
, Ashtāpada predates it and differs in its mechanics and victory conditions. The game was mentioned on the
list of games that Gautama Buddha would not play.
Chaturanga
Chaturanga (, , ) is an Traditional games of India, ancient Indian Strategy game, strategy board game. It is first known from India around the seventh century AD.
While there is some uncertainty, the prevailing view among chess historians is t ...
, which could be played on the same , appeared sometime around the 6th century in India; it could be played by two to four participants.
Variants played on different boards include ''Daśapada'' (). and, in
Gujarat
Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
, ''Chomal Ishto'' or ''Chomal Eshto''. Similar traditional games can be found in China and Korea.
Etymology
The word ''Ashtāpada'' is a
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
term describing the 8×8 board that the game is played on. This meaning was first recorded by
Patanjali
Patanjali (, , ; also called Gonardiya or Gonikaputra) was the name of one or more author(s), mystic(s) and philosopher(s) in ancient India. His name is recorded as an author and compiler of a number of Sanskrit works. The greatest of these a ...
in a Mahābhāshya book written in the 2nd century. The game was even condemned in an early Brahman text, the Sutrakrilānga.
Rules
Like a
chessboard
A chessboard is a game board used to play chess. It consists of 64 squares, 8 rows by 8 columns, on which the chess pieces are placed. It is square in shape and uses two colours of squares, one light and one dark, in a chequered pattern. During p ...
, the ''Ashtāpada'' board is divided into an 8×8 grid of squares, although they are all the same color. The board has special markings known as "castles", where pieces are safe from being captured or removed from play.
Each player receives an even number of pieces to play the game. The goal is to move a piece around the board
clockwise
Two-dimensional rotation can occur in two possible directions or senses of rotation. Clockwise motion (abbreviated CW) proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands relative to the observer: from the top to the right, then down and then to ...
, entering the castle, and to regain his castle back in a counterclockwise direction so as to make it reach the center.
Variants
A variant played on a larger 10×10 board is known as ''Daśapada'' ().
A variant played on smaller 5×5 board is known as ''Chomal Ishto'' or ''Chomal Eshto'' in
Gujarat
Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
. Each player has four pieces to play and retrieve after reaching the center. The game is generally played with
cowrie shells instead of dice. It is similar to
Chowka bhara
Chowka Bara or Ashta Chamma is a two- or four-player board game from India. This game is an example of a “fully observable” system that has an element of chance introduced by the roll of special dice and an element of strategy (the strategy ...
.
In Korea, the board of the traditional game
용호쌍륙 () is similar to Ashtapada.
See also
*
Ashte kashte
''Ashta-kashte'' is a race board game from Bengal akin to the Cross and Circle family for two to four players originating in India. Although there is no evidence for that, it is considered by some as the direct ancestor of ''Pachisi''. It is play ...
*
Chowka bhara
Chowka Bara or Ashta Chamma is a two- or four-player board game from India. This game is an example of a “fully observable” system that has an element of chance introduced by the roll of special dice and an element of strategy (the strategy ...
References
{{reflist
Indian board games
Race games
Traditional board games