Complete Rules of Ninestone

Overview

Ninestone is a two-player abstract strategy game played on a board of three concentric squares — an outer, middle, and inner ring — connected by spokes at the four cardinal points. The board has 24 intersections, called nodes or junctions, where pieces can be placed and moved.

Each player controls 9 pieces (stones) — one player plays Black, the other White. The objective is straightforward: reduce your opponent to fewer than 3 pieces, or leave them with no legal move.

The top row shows a Black Rail™ — three pieces aligned, ready to capture

1 Setup

Place the board between both players. Decide who plays Black and who plays White — traditionally, Black goes first. Each player takes their 9 pieces and sets them aside; the board begins completely empty.

• Black always makes the first move in a new game.
• Pieces are placed on the nodes (intersections), not in spaces between lines.
• There is no restricted starting zone — you may place on any node.

2 Phase 1 — Placement

The game opens with a Placement Phase. Players alternate turns, placing one piece per turn onto any empty node on the board. This continues until all 18 pieces (9 per player) have been placed.

During placement, you can — and should — attempt to form Rails™ (see next section). Every time you complete a Rail™ during placement, you immediately remove one opponent piece before your opponent takes their turn.

• You must place exactly one piece per turn. You cannot pass.
• Pieces may be placed on any unoccupied node, anywhere on the board.
• The Placement Phase ends when both players have placed all 9 of their pieces.
• If all 18 pieces are placed with no Rail™ formed, the Movement Phase begins normally.

3 Rails™ — The Core Mechanic

A Rail™ is formed when you have three of your own pieces in a straight line along a connected path on the board. Valid Rail™ configurations include:

• Ring edges: Any three consecutive nodes along one side of a ring (e.g., top-left, top-center, top-right of the outer ring).
• Spokes: A spoke connects the same cardinal point across all three rings. Three pieces aligned along a spoke (e.g., outer-top, middle-top, inner-top) form a Rail™.

The moment a Rail™ is formed — whether during placement or movement — you must immediately remove one of your opponent's pieces from the board. You choose which piece to remove.

You cannot remove an opponent's piece that is part of a Rail™ unless it is the only available opponent piece to remove. This rule protects established formations from being immediately destroyed.

In Ninestone II (the variant selectable at game start), diagonal spokes are added — connecting the corner nodes across all three rings. This opens up 4 additional Rail™ paths and dramatically changes the strategic landscape.

4 Phase 2 — Movement

Once all pieces are placed, the game enters the Movement Phase. On your turn, slide one of your pieces one step along any connected line to an adjacent, empty node.

• You may only move to a directly connected, adjacent node — not jump over pieces or move multiple spaces.
• You must move exactly one piece per turn. You cannot pass.
• If you form a Rail™ with your move, you immediately remove one opponent piece.
• If you have no legal moves (all your pieces are fully surrounded), you lose.

5 The Flying Rule

When a player is reduced to exactly 3 pieces on the board, a special rule activates: that player may move to any empty node on the board, not just adjacent ones. This is called Flying.

The Flying Rule prevents a cornered player from being immediately locked out — it gives them a fighting chance to regroup, set up new Rails™, and potentially claw back into the game.

• Flying activates automatically when you have exactly 3 pieces.
• While Flying, you may land on any empty node, regardless of connections.
• Your opponent does not get to fly — only the player with exactly 3 pieces.
• If you are reduced below 3 pieces, the game ends immediately.

6 Winning the Game

The game ends immediately when either of the following conditions is met:

• Piece elimination: A player is reduced to fewer than 3 pieces on the board (2 or fewer). Their opponent wins.
• No legal moves: During the Movement Phase, a player has no valid move — all of their pieces are completely blocked by adjacent pieces or board edges. That player loses.

There are no draws in Ninestone. The game always produces a winner.

7 Ninestone II — The Diagonal Variant

Ninestone II adds diagonal connections between the corner nodes of all three rings. In standard Ninestone, only the cardinal-point spokes (top, bottom, left, right) connect the rings. In Ninestone II, the corners also connect, creating 4 additional spoke paths.

This change has significant consequences:

• Corner positions become far more powerful — they're now connected to two ring edges and a diagonal spoke.
• The total number of possible Rails™ increases from 16 to 20.
• The game tends to be more tactically explosive, with Rails™ forming and dissolving more rapidly.
• Opening theory shifts — the diagonal spokes create new contested zones that must be addressed.

Both variants are available in the free online game. We recommend starting with standard Ninestone and switching to Ninestone II once you're comfortable with the base game.

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