MOLFART

 

Molfart Checkers

Molfart is a popular Checkers board game of Rohingya. It is quite similar to the Arabic game Quirkat or Al-Qirq. It is also one of the  most popular games in South-East Asia like the game '16 Beads '. But, some playing rules and the shape of the board in the 'Molfart Game '  are different  from international checkers. In Arakan, you can find this game are played by boys and girls under the shady places.  From the olden ages to these days, Rohingya people have been playing Molfart to enjoy in their leisure hours. The word 'Molfart' means 'cross lines' . It is seemed to be inherited from Moguls during the Moguls Empire. 

The field of the board is divided into three parts. A big  square is drawn  in the centre of the board on which three horizantal and three vertical lines are drawn to make other 16 little squares within the big one. A diamond- like figure is also drawn on the square in such a way that the four corners of which are stretched amid the four lines of the big square respectively .Also,there are two triangles at both sides of the square ,and one horizontal and one vertical lines are drawn on each triangle. These drawings in the form of triangles are attached to the square in the opposite direction with each other. 

Molfart is played by two players sitting beside the two opposite sides of the gameboard. Each of the player has 16 uniform pieces but the colours or the shapes are different. Both of the players have turns alternately and they have to put their pieces at the intersection points of the lines.The pieces can be jumped  to and fro . A move consists of moving a piece diagonally or vertically to an adjacent, unoccupied square. But, a piece can be moved just one step. Each player can capture his or her opponent's piece with his or her piece jumping over it.  A single piece could capture a multiple pieces of his or her opponent if one of the two players  get a chance of unoccupied places to move his or her piece. But, capturing his or her opponent's pieces  is optional.

One can win the game when all the opponent's  pieces are captured or blocked by his or her pieces. 

By RohangKing