Twelve-Mans Morris

Sympkyn of the Moor

Number of players: 2
Type of game: Boardgame
Period: 14th Century

Twelve Men’s Morris (also known as 12 Men’s Morris, Merelles, or Mühle) is a classic abstract strategy board game that dates back to the Roman Empire. It’s part of the larger family of Morris games, including Three Men’s Morris, Six Men’s Morris, and Nine Men’s Morris.

History of Twelve Men’s Morris

  • Ancient Roots: The game originates from the Roman Empire and may be even older, with precursors in ancient Egypt. Boards scratched into stone have been found at temples and military sites.

  • Mediaeval Popularity: Twelve Men’s Morris became especially popular in mediaeval Europe. Game boards were carved into cathedral seats and cloisters, showing its wide play among clergy and layfolk alike.

  • Later Developments: While Nine Men’s Morris remained the most widely played variant, Twelve Men’s Morris offered deeper strategy and was known in various parts of Europe under different names: La Marelle (France), Molenspel (Netherlands), Mühle (Germany), Mulino (Italy).

Traditional Rules of Twelve Men’s Morris

Setup

  • Board: The board is a grid of three concentric squares, with midpoints connected, forming 24 points where pieces can be placed.

  • Pieces: Each player has 12 pieces (traditionally black and white).

  • Starting Player: Decided by agreement or coin toss.

twelve mans morris diagonal variant board

Phases of the Game

  1. Placement Phase

    • Players take turns placing one piece on any empty point.

    • If a player forms a mill (three of their pieces in a row along a straight line), they may remove one opposing piece, as long as it is not part of a mill, unless no other pieces are available.

  2. Movement Phase

    • After all pieces are placed, players take turns moving one of their pieces to an adjacent empty point.

    • Again, forming a mill allows the player to remove an opponent’s piece.

    • A mill can be reopened and closed repeatedly—if a piece is moved out and then moved back to reform the mill on a future turn, it allows another removal.

  3. Endgame / Flying Phase (in some versions)

    • If a player is reduced to three pieces, they may begin “flying”: moving a piece to any empty point, not just adjacent ones.

    • This rule is sometimes omitted in traditional Twelve Men’s Morris.

Victory Conditions

  • A player wins by reducing the opponent to two pieces (no mills possible), or by blocking all legal moves.

Optional and House Rules

Here are some popular optional rules and variations to deepen or speed up play:

1. Flying Rule Always Active in Endgame

  • Once a player has three pieces left, they may fly to any point. This helps avoid a stalemate and adds tension to the endgame.

2. No Repeated Mill Removal

  • Players may not reform the same mill repeatedly to remove multiple pieces. A mill must be broken by a different configuration.

3. Capture Restrictions

  • When capturing, if all opposing pieces are in mills, then and only then may a piece from a mill be taken.

  • This rule is sometimes relaxed or made stricter depending on play style.

4. Double Mills

  • If a move creates two mills at once, the player may remove two opposing pieces. This rule is rare and optional, but adds dramatic swings.

5. Timed Turns

  • To prevent analysis paralysis, use a timer (e.g. 1 minute per move) for competitive or faster games.

6. Randomised Starting Layouts

  • For advanced players, try a version where some pieces are pre-placed randomly, with players alternating placing the rest.

7. Diagonal Variant

  • Some boards include diagonal lines between corners, allowing diagonal moves. This dramatically changes strategy and is considered a house variant.

Summary Table

Phase Action
Placement Alternate placing 1 piece per turn. Forming a mill allows 1 capture.
Movement Alternate moving 1 piece to adjacent empty space. Mill = 1 capture.
Flying (opt) With 3 pieces, may move to any space instead of adjacent.
Win Reduce opponent to 2 pieces, or block all legal moves.