Mills

Game of "Nine men's Morris" or simply Mills.

Rules:
Each player has nine pieces, or men. Players try to form 'mills' (three of their own pieces lined horizontally or vertically), when a mill is made the player have to remove an opponent's piece from the game. A player wins by reducing the opponent to two pieces, or if the opponent can not make a move.

The game proceeds in three phases:
1. Placing men on vacant points
2. Moving men to adjacent points
3. Moving men to any vacant point when the player has been reduced to only three men

Phase 1: Placing pieces
The game begins with an empty board. Who plays first is determined at random and then players take turns. During the first phase, a player's turn consists of placing a piece from the player's side onto an empty point on the board. If a player is able to place three pieces on contiguous points in a straight line, vertically or horizontally, a mill is formed, and have to remove one of the opponent's pieces from the board. A piece in an opponent's mill, however, can be removed only if no other pieces are available. After all pieces have been placed, phase two begins.

Phase 2: Moving pieces
Players continue to alternate moves, this time moving a piece to an adjacent point each turn. A piece may not "jump" another piece. Players continue to try to form mills and remove the opponent's pieces as in phase one. If all a player's pieces get blocked in (where they are unable to move to an adjacent, empty space) that player loses. A player can "break" a mill by moving a piece out of an existing mill, then moving it back to form the same mill a second time (or any number of times), each time removing one of the opponent's piece. When one player has been reduced to three pieces, phase three begins.

Phase 3: "Flying"
When a player is reduced to three pieces, there is no longer a limitation on that player of moving to only adjacent points: The player's piece may "fly" (or "hop", or "jump") from any point to any vacant point.

Very fun game that demands logical thinking and a strategy. But with a big "nothing is over, until it's completely over" effect, do not ever give up.

▶ Play with a person next to you on your device - using it a board
▶ Play vs a Computer with 4 levels of difficulty to train and better yourself
▶ Play online with a friend

Other names of the same game:
На Български: Дама, Мелница, Мелници, Докурджум