Tap one of your cells, then choose a direction. Land so the next cell is empty and you take whatever lies beyond it. A mandarin is worth 10, and the game ends when both are gone.
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About O An Quan
Free online O an quan, the Vietnamese mandarin square capturing game. Sow stones in either direction, capture across a gap, and win the two mandarins worth ten stones each.
O an quan is drawn in chalk on pavements all over Vietnam, with two big half circles at the ends for the mandarins and pebbles for the stones. It looks like a gentle counting game and plays like a knife fight, because a mandarin is worth ten ordinary stones and can only be taken by engineering exactly the right gap in front of it. Being able to sow in either direction is what gives the game its bite: every turn you are really choosing between ten possibilities, and a move that looks generous often sets up your opponent's capture two turns later. Folk games have no single rulebook, so this version follows the common playground rules described in the how-to above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I capture stones?๏ผ
Sow so that the square immediately after your last stone is empty. You then take everything in the square just beyond that gap, and if the pattern of empty-then-stones repeats you keep taking.
How much is a mandarin worth?๏ผ
Ten stones. That is why the whole game revolves around the two end squares, and why the game finishes the moment both have been taken.
Can I pick up a mandarin and sow it onward?๏ผ
No, never. A mandarin only ever leaves the board by being captured. Landing beside one simply ends your turn.
Which direction should I sow?๏ผ
Either, and choosing well is most of the skill. The same starting square gives completely different results depending on which way round you go, so always check both before you commit.
What happens if my side is empty?๏ผ
You must put five stones back from your own winnings, one into each of your five squares, before you play. A player who does not have five stones to spare cannot continue, and the remaining stones go to their opponent.
Are there other versions of the rules?๏ผ
Yes. Like most playground games it is played slightly differently from region to region, particularly around borrowing and the end of the game. This version uses the common rules set out in the how-to.
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