AYO/NCHO (What you don't know about the game)

Africa is a continent with diversity, most especially Nigeria. Nigeria is known and well recognised in different social life, ranging from music, acting which is now collaborating and drawing the attention of some notable American and UK actors, her rich culture and traditions. Nigeria  can not be left out when it comes to food! Hmmmmm... Should we talk about the 'make-one-salivate' calabar recipe - Edikaikong,

Or the sweet aromatic Nsala soup, to mention but few. Nigeria  is also a stakeholder when it comes to games and sports.

This take us down to one phenomenon game played by diverse ethnic groups in Nigeria. It's a traditional game which is called Mancala. The Yorubas call it 'Ayo' (ayo olopon), the igbos call it 'Ncho', the Malians call it 'wari', in cote d'ivoire they call it 'Awale', the carribean call it 'warri'.
This game has its distinguished uniqueness as it involves critical thinking

     

And of course, calls for concencrated calculation

     just like the famous Chess game.

Ayo/Ncho is played by two people, facing each other, over two rows of six pockets, or holes in the ground. Each player places four seeds or stones in each of their six pockets/pots and the players then take turns of picking up all of the pieces from one of the pockets and dropping one of them into another pocket one by one.
Ayo/Ncho is an abstract strategy game among the bigger Mancala family of board games (or pit and pebbles games) played all over the world.

Now let me give you the shocker !
What you don't know about this game... 

Ayo/Ncho is usually played during the day, after work is finished. It is not just a game for the older crowd; in fact, many young children learn how to play this game in order to sharpen their math skills (arithmetic).
Some resources state that this game is not just a recreational game, but that it also has spiritual significance:
“It is played in a house of mourning to amuse the spirit of the dead before it is buried. It is very unlucky to play the game at night as the spirits will want to join in and may carry off the living at the end of the game. Each village would have two types of boards, one with a flat top and one with a curved top, a bit like a banana. When a man died the villagers would play on the board that was not his favourite , so that his spirit would not want to join in”.

The figural supports created on either side of the game board may also represent certain cultural values of the Yoruba people or the Igbo people.

Traditionally, this game boards are made of wood and are carved with intricate designs. The sound of the seeds, or whatever medium one uses for game pieces, dropping into the depressions is rhythmic, and the wood becomes smooth and conditioned from the constant motion of the game pieces. Game boards can also be made out of clay, rock, or even simply by carving circular depressions into the ground, while game pieces can range anywhere from seeds to nuts to cowrie shells, even pebbles are acceptable, but it is important that the pieces are fairly uniform in size and shape.

Who cares? Whatever spirituality is attached to it can't be compared to with the fun and thrills of the game.

Now, here is how to get started with the game.

It's a game of turn-by-turn.
First, you decide who should start the game, you might choose to throw a seed (just like the game of football to see who kicks the ball first)... Yea, you might want to ask why can't anybody start, the strategy there is, the second person to play always have an upper hand and have a probability of collecting a house, if not two, from the person that starts the game when the game has ended!

On a turn, a player chooses one of the six houses under his control. The player removes all seeds from that house, and distributes them, dropping one in each house counter-clockwise from this house.
This goes on and on till the game ends.
You capture four seeds at a go, in two ways, it's either when your opponents plays, he passed up to four seeds on your side inside your pot, you are to claim , and when you are playing, where your last seed ends make it four, you are the one to capture that from your opponent.
If all houses of the opponent are empty, the current player must make a move that gives the opponent seeds - to feed.
In Igbo land, towards the end of the game, there's one thing they call 'alancho' that means take the last seeds. When you're playing this game, you must strive to take the 'alancho' in other to feel rest assured of securing your houses (getting a draw) or capturing a house from your opponent.


The player who captures more seeds wins the game. The game is a draw, when both players have captured 24 seeds each.
Though, winning depends on the two playing, both might agree that once you capture two houses (pots)  the person wins or when one player captures all the houses (pots) of the opponent, he bows out in shame!

Are you just learning the game? 

Just know these basics: start your game, know the movement is counter-clockwise, any where you end ur seed at hand and  you add it to the one in that particular pot to make it four, you capture it and capture the ones that has completed four seeds on your side.

For you who has learnt the basics,
Now let's get professional!
Remember, this game is a game of calculation and critical thinking, so one thing is, there are pots you are NOT to start from (at least if you want to get professional with the game).
Don't be a learner!

Here's a little secret

 If you are to start the game, do not start the game from your second pot from the left, nor from the your sixth pot, it's disastrous, especially if you are playing with a professional, he will ruthlessly dismantle your career!

I'll advice you to start from your first, third, fourth, or fifth pot.
Now, don't think that's the end!
If you are playing with me, and you start from the aforementioned pots as advised, I know where I'll kick off and I'll still end up winning you!

As my igbo people would say "I mara nka, m mara nka ozo!" (you know this one, I know that one again) 

Let me give you these 6 basic strategies:
1. If your opponents starts the game on the 2nd pot of his own left side (right on your own side) start yours from your first pot (as illustrated below). With that, at a 'go' you will capture 8 seeds and one pending to be captured by you (for sure). As illustrated below!

2. If your opponent starts from his 6th pot, (it is finish), just start yours from your fourth pot (it has just a seed inside)

3. If your opponent starts from his 4th pot, don't waste time to start from your own fifth pot.

4. If your opponent starts from his 5th pot, carry your own seeds from your own 3rd pot.

5. If your opponent starts from his 1st pot, you can either start from your 6th or 4th or 2nd pot, it all depends on how you can keep up! For me I'll look at your level, if you're extremely professional like a man I use to know where I served, I'll start from my 4th pot. If you are a normal professional, I'll start from my 6th pot. And if you are just a professional, I'll start from my 2nd pot!As illustrated below.

6. If your opponent starts from the 3rd pot, start yours from either your 1st pot or your 3rd pot (depends how where you want the next turn to swing). But I'll advise you to start from your 1st pot!

One thing you need to understand is your starting matters a lot as well as your ending!

I love this game 'cause it will always remind of the people of Anambra state  (Ufuma in Orumba North) where  I did my National Youth Service.

•