The board and goal
The board has 24 points where lines meet. Each player has nine pieces. The goal is to form "mills" — three of your pieces in a row along a line — which let you remove your opponent’s pieces. Reduce your opponent to two pieces, or leave them no legal move, and you win.
Phase 1 — placing
Starting with an empty board, players take turns placing one piece on any empty point. Whenever you place three of your pieces in a row along a marked line, you’ve formed a mill and immediately remove one of your opponent’s pieces (see removing rules). Placing continues until all 18 pieces are on the board.
Phase 2 — moving
Once all pieces are placed, players take turns sliding one piece along a line to an adjacent empty point. You can only move to a connected neighbouring point, not jump. Forming a new mill again lets you remove an opponent’s piece — and you can break a mill and re-form it on a later turn to keep removing pieces.
Removing pieces
When you form a mill, remove one enemy piece from the board.
- You cannot remove a piece that is part of a mill, unless no other pieces are available.
- A removed piece is out for good — it does not come back.
Phase 3 — flying (optional rule)
A common rule: when a player is down to exactly three pieces, those pieces may "fly" — move to any empty point on the board, not just an adjacent one. This gives the trailing player a fighting chance. Agree whether to use this rule before you start.
Winning
You win by reducing your opponent to two pieces (they can no longer form a mill), or by leaving them with no legal move on their turn. If both players are stuck repeating the same moves, agree to a draw.