OTB Match Rules

OTB Match Rules

The following rules apply to official Arimaa games that are played Over-The-Board (OTB).

Match Game Requirements

• Game must be recorded. All moves made in the game must be recorded by each player using either the standard notation or the short notation or any other notation approved by the event coordinator.
• Time controls must be used. An official Arimaa match must be played with some form of Arimaa Time Control. Details of time controls are given below.
• The time control must be chosen to allow a game to reach at least 80 moves.
• If a game is stopped due to reaching the time control limit then the winner is determined by scoring the game as follows: the player who currently has or most recently had more pieces left after the completion of a turn wins. Otherwise the player to move second (silver) wins.
• A player may resign at any time to end the match. However, resigning is highly discouraged. Continuing a game to a natural finish is highly encouraged.
• A referrer may be appointed to oversee the game. This is highly recommended for important games.

Time Controls

See this page for details of time controls.

Movement of Pieces

Only the player on turn may touch the pieces. Once the player on turn has touched the pieces, the turn must be completed within 10 seconds or a reasonably short amount of time. Pieces must be moved in a step wise manner to orthogonally adjacent squares. Pieces captured mid-turn must be removed before continuing with additional steps.

Ending a Turn

The player on turn must tap the game clock to start the opponents time in order to end the turn. For casual games where the use of a clock is not necessary, the player on turn must tap the table on the left or right side of the board to end the turn.

Illegal Moves

If a player makes an illegal move and it is noticed by the opponent or referee at any time during the game, the opponent or referee must stop the game clock, notify the player of the illegal move, reset the board back to the position before the player made the illegal move, start the clock and change the turn so that the player is on move. If a player makes an illegal move three or more times within the same game, the opponent has the option to force resignation of the player and win the game.

If the illegal move is noticed by the opponent or referee after the game is over, the game must be reset to the position before the illegal move, both players given equal time on the clock and the clock started with the player on move.

Other Cases

The referee (if appointed) or tournament director (if no referee was appointed) will serve as the arbitrator and make the final decision in case of disputes. All decisions shall be be considered final and binding on all parties. The arbitrator does not need to look at previous similar cases for precedence and nor does the decision of the arbitrator set a precedence for future cases. However, the arbitrator is expected to be consistent between rulings and completely unbiased.