''Dao'' is a two-player

abstract strategy Abstract strategy games admit a number of definitions which distinguish these from strategy games in general, mostly involving no or minimal narrative theme, outcomes determined only by player choice (with no randomness), and perfect information. ...

board game Board games are tabletop games that typically use . These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well. Many board games feature a comp ...

, which won the

Mensa Select award Mensa Select is an annual award given by American Mensa Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organisation open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised I ...

in 2001. It was invented by Ben VanBuskirk of

Point Roberts, Washington Point Roberts is a pene-exclave of Washington on the southernmost tip of the Tsawwassen peninsula, south of Vancouver, Canada. The area, which had a population of 1,191 at the 2020 census, is reached by land from the rest of the United States by ...

, and Jeff Pickering of

Monument, Oregon Monument is a city in Grant County, Oregon, United States. The population was 128 at the 2010 census. It is located near the confluence of the North and Middle Forks of the John Day River. Its post office was established in 1874 and named for a n ...

. It comprises a 4x4 playing board with four playing pieces for each player. The aim of the game is to arrange pieces in certain winning formations before the opponent can. It is unique because any piece that is moving must move as far as it can. There are four different ways to win the game: by forming a 2x2 square with your four pieces, by forming a straight vertical or horizontal line with your four pieces, by placing your four pieces in all four corners, or by having one of your pieces cornered by three of the opponents pieces.

External links

Berkeley page on rules
* Board games introduced in 1999 Abstract strategy games Mensa Select winners {{board-game-stub