How to Play Abalone

Co-authored by Hannah Madden

Abalone is a simple board game that up to 4 people can play at a time that involves strategy, defense, and thinking ahead. The objective of the game is to knock 6 of your opponent's marbles off the board while keeping your own in play. If you’d like to play Abalone at your next game night, brush up on the rules and strategies of the game so you can claim your bragging rights.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Setting up the Board

1
Position the game board between 2 people. Traditionally, Abalone is played between 2 people. Set up the board so that the 2 players are sitting across from each other with the board in between them.
- You can add up to 2 more players, but you have to buy an additional set of marbles for each additional player. All the same rules of the game apply, even if you add more players, but the board might look a little crazy!
2
Set up the marbles with black on one side and white on the other. Each player gets 14 marbles each, with 1 black set and 1 white set. Put your marbles in a row of 5, then 6, then 3 in the rows closest to you on the board. The row of 5 marbles should be the one closest to you.^{[1]
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- Position the row of 3 so that the marbles are centered in the third row so that there are 2 empty spaces on either side.
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3
Let the person with black marbles make the first move. Traditionally, the person who chooses the black set of marbles always makes the first move. Then, you’ll take turns making moves back and forth. If you want to switch off who goes first each round, you can change up the rules a little bit.^{[2]
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Variation: If you are playing with more than 2 players, you can have the person with black marbles go first and then go in a clockwise circle around the board.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Playing and Winning the Game

1
Move 1 to 3 marbles 1 space on the board. When it’s your turn to go, you can move either 1, 2, or 3 marbles at a time, as long as they are in the same row (a straight line). The line of marbles can be diagonal or straight across, and you can move either diagonally or straight up and down into an empty space on the board.^{[3]
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- Take a look at the game board to figure out how many marbles you should move. You want to push your opponent’s pieces off the board, but you don’t want to leave your own pieces open to an attack.
- The Abalone board is set up so that you can literally push the marbles into their new spaces with your fingers. You don’t need to pick them up each time.
2
Try to push your opponent's marbles off the board. The objective of the game is to get as many of your opponent’s marbles off the grid by using your marbles to push them off. When you move your marbles, get close to your opponent’s marbles so you have more of a chance to push them.
- You can push the marbles off at any point on the board as long as they fall off the edge.
- Place the discarded marbles onto the edges of the game board so they don’t roll away.
3
Push your opponent’s marbles out of place if you have more. You can only push your opponent's marbles off the grid if you are moving a set of marbles that has 1 more than your opponent's row. For example, if you are moving 2 marbles and come upon 1 lone marble of your opponent’s, you can push it. However, if you came upon 2 marbles with your 2 marbles, you couldn't push them.^{[4]
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- A helpful phrase to remember is 3 pushes 2, 3 pushes 1, and 2 pushes 1.
- Remember, you can only move 1 space at a time. You may have to spend a couple of moves pushing a single marble off the board, especially if it starts in the center.
4
Watch the game board to plan your next move. As you and your opponent’s marbles get mixed, you really have to think about what your next move might do. Keep track of the game board closely and try to track your next few moves ahead of time.^{[5]
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- For example, if you push your opponent’s marble off the board with 2 of yours, you could be opening yourself up for an attack as you move close to the edge.
5
Try to move 2 to 3 marbles at a time. The best way to push your opponent’s marbles off the board is to move as many marbles as you can when it’s your turn. Since you have to have more marbles in a line to push your opponent's off the board, it’s best to move at least 2 marbles if not 3.
- Try to keep your marbles clumped close together so that you can move multiple at a time. If they’re spread all over the board, it will be a lot harder to get them back together again.
6
End the game when 1 player has 6 marbles pushed off the board. If you manage to push 6 of your opponent's marbles off the board, you’ve won! You can start the game over again or call it quits after that.
- You can’t bring a marble back into play once it’s been pushed off the board.
Tip: A round of Abalone usually takes about 15 minutes.