Amazons
Strategic board game. Move queens like in chess, then shoot arrows to block squares. Trap your opponent so they can't move.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How is Amazons different from chess?
Amazons has no capturing, no checkmate, and no kings. All pieces are queens that move like in chess, but each turn also fires an arrow that permanently blocks a square. The goal is to trap the opponent so they have no legal move, rather than to capture a king.
Can an Amazon be captured?
No. Amazons cannot be captured or removed. The only way pieces are neutralized is by being surrounded or boxed in by arrows and other Amazons so they have no legal move. The game is about territory and mobility, not capture.
Can arrows be removed or moved later?
No. Once an arrow lands on a square, that square is permanently blocked for the rest of the game. No Amazon may enter or pass through it. The board gradually fills up until one player is immobilized.
How do I win at Amazons?
You win when your opponent has no legal move on their turn — meaning none of their Amazons can move, or every possible move leaves no legal arrow shot. Controlling larger open territory than your opponent is the key to victory.
Explore Game Details
About Amazons
Amazons is a modern abstract strategy game invented in 1988 by Walter Zamkauskas of Argentina. Played on a 10×10 board, each player commands four Amazon queens in a battle of territory and mobility that blends chess-like movement with Go-like enclosure.
Benefits
Playing Amazons develops spatial reasoning, territory evaluation, and long-term planning. Each move permanently alters the board, so you must think several turns ahead about mobility, blocked paths, and the shrinking playable area — a strong exercise in combinatorial foresight.
How to Play
- The game is played on a 10×10 board. Each player starts with 4 Amazon queens: White near the top, Black near the bottom, on specific starting squares.
- Each turn consists of two actions: first, move one of your Amazons like a chess queen (any number of empty squares in a straight line — horizontal, vertical, or diagonal), passing through only empty squares.
- Then, from the Amazon's new position, shoot an arrow to any square reachable by a queen's move (again through empty squares only). The arrow's target square becomes permanently blocked.
- Blocked squares (from arrows) cannot be entered or passed through by any Amazon for the rest of the game. Once placed, arrows never move.
- You cannot skip the arrow shot — both the move and the arrow must be legal queen moves to empty squares.
- The player who cannot make a complete legal move (an Amazon move followed by an arrow shot) on their turn loses the game. The other player wins.
Strategy Tips
Control territory: Each Amazon should ideally command its own open region. Try to partition the board so you have more total reachable empty squares than your opponent.
Don't trap yourself: After moving and shooting, make sure your Amazon still has legal moves next turn. A common mistake is boxing in your own piece with your own arrow.
Mobility over position: A piece with many open directions is more valuable than one in a 'better-looking' spot. Count legal moves — the player with more total mobility usually wins.
Think endgame early: Because every arrow permanently shrinks the board, plan the endgame from the opening. Aim to leave your opponent a smaller isolated region than yours.
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