Notes on the Royal Game of Ur.

I recently came across this video that was uploaded quite recently for International Tabletop Day 2017, by, of all places, the British Museum. In it, Tom Scott (who hosts his own YouTube channel, chiefly about Things You Might Not Know) takes on Irving Finkel at a very, very old board game - possibly the oldest board game that we still have the rules for.

The rules were actually only discovered and deciphered relatively recently (in the last ten years or so), by Mr Irving Finkel himself. The game, however, was discovered close to a hundred years ago.

Now, there is some debate as to how the game is played; the text that was used to guess at the rules is only a partial Cuneiform tablet, so we are missing bits and pieces. But I'll give you the version that was played by Tom and Irving (though apparently there's also a more complex version).

The board can be seen below. The game is played by two people, with seven white and seven black pieces (each player choosing a colour). There are also four tetrahedral dice, each with two white points. You roll all four at once, and the number of white points that are up is your roll - so you can roll a number from zero to four.

The object of the game is demonstrated quite well by the graphic below. You need to get all seven of your pieces from the start, to the finish, along this course. Each turn, you roll the four dice, and may move one piece that number of spaces. You cannot land on your own piece - this is not a legal move. You must move the number of spaces specified, not more or less. If you move on to an opponent's piece, that piece must go back off the board and start again. You also need an exact roll to leave the board.

If you move on to one of the spaces marked by a star, above, or the flower/rosettes on the original board, you get an extra roll - which may be used to move any piece, not just the piece you just moved. If your piece is on the star in the centre, it cannot be landed on by an opponent's piece, and is safe. If you roll a zero, you don't move any pieces. If you roll any other number, and have no legal moves (all your moves result in you moving on to your own piece, or isn't an exact roll to move a piece out), then you also don't move, and skip your turn.

I'm pretty sure that's all the rules. If you want to have a go at the game yourself, there's a spot you can play it online right here. I've become rather obsessed quite quickly, and seem to be doing quite well at it. I don't know if it's actually because I'm good at it, or if it's because the Computer is set on Easy. But it's quite an interesting game. Some of it is chance - after all, you're rolling dice - but there's also a lot of strategy involved. So much so, that I was quickly able to analyse the game, and come up with some strategies that I think will help you to win, most of the time. Probably not all of the time - and particularly not if they're following these as well! - but I think it will help you quite a bit. Anyway. Notes and analysis below.

Notes on Ur 

A roll will result in one of three ways. One is arbitrary, the other two are important.
The first result is not being able to move any pieces, either because you have rolled a zero, or you have rolled a number that gives you no legal moves. 

The second result is rolling a number that only allows you to a move a piece into an empty, unsafe space. 

The third result is rolling a number that allows you to do one or more of the following:
- move a piece on to the board
- move a piece off the board
- move a piece on to a safe space
- move a piece on to a rosette
- move a piece on to an opponent’s piece 

Of the above options, let us say, for instance, that all five are available to you. What should you do? In most cases, the answer will be to move a piece on to a rosette. This will give you an additional roll, giving you a chance to take another of these actions. The only instances where you may not do this is;
- if you have another piece in danger
- if moving the piece on to the rosette means that rolling a 2 (the most common roll) would give you no legal moves 

In those instances, it may be better to move your piece out of danger, or to take a different action. 

A piece is in danger if it is within one, two, three, or four spaces of an enemy piece. It is in most danger at two spaces away; medium danger at one or three; and some danger at four. Keep in mind that rosettes may enable pieces to travel more than four spaces at a time, particularly if multiple are landed upon in one turn (certainly feasible). 

After the options of moving a piece out of danger, or using a rosette, the next most desirable option is to move on to an opponent’s piece, unless doing so moves your piece out of the central and most desirable position. If this is the case, only do this if you are reasonably confident you can reclaim it quickly, or it is close to the end of the game and you need the edge; and only after some thought. 

The next most desirable option is to move pieces on to the board. Especially fortuitous, of course, is if you can move a piece on to the board and on to a rosette with a four, but this only happens rarely. But the more pieces you have on the board, the more options you have, and the more you can move towards the end of the game. 

Moving a piece from the central line to a safe space is certainly desirable, but not as much as the previous options, unless it is in direct danger. Moving a piece off the board, similarly, though desirable, can usually be done at another time; though it may be good to prioritise this if you have a couple of pieces lining up to get out. 

As much as you can, arrange your pieces so that you can maximise the potential from any roll, and avoid either the first or second result. Rolls of zero will always come; but every other roll, on every turn, have a plan for. One way to do this is to have the first three spaces of the board filled with pieces. This way, whether you roll a one, two, three, or four, a piece moves directly on to the first rosette. 

Always try to claim the central position as soon as possible, and do not give it up unless you must. If the opponent has claimed it, try tempting them with a piece of yours that has made it past the central position. They may chase after it, giving you the opportunity to take the central position once more. This works better the further along in the game you are. 

When deciding whether to move a piece into the central path; first, assess whether this will put it into immediate danger. If so, try to avoid this, particularly if the danger is high (space of two). If not, then simply try to move as far down as you can. 

And remember, this game can turn in a moment. No matter how well you strategise, it can often come down to a crucial roll. However, follow these guidelines, and you will often do well.