Camelot (board game)

Camelot is a strategy board game for two players. One

of the rst games published by Parker Brothers, it was
invented late in the 19th century by George S. Parker and
originally published under the name Chivalry.

2. A leaping move (called cantering) over an adjacent

friendly piece to a vacant space immediately beyond.
Multiple leaps over a players own pieces are permitted. Cantering is always optional (never obligatory).

The game (reduced in size and number of pieces, and

3. A jumping move over an adjacent enemy piece to
reissued as Camelot in 1930) ourished through dozens
a vacant space immediately beyond. The enemy
of editions and numerous variants, achieving its greatest
piece is captured and removed from the board. As in
popularity in the 1930s, but remained in print through
checkers, multiple jumps are allowed, and capturing
the late 1960s. In the 1980s, Parker Brothers briey reis obligatory whenever it is possible.
published the game under the name Inside Moves. Since
then the game has been out of print, but retains a core of
Men may make any of the three moves, but only one
fans who look forward to another revival.
type of move per turn. Knights have a fourth option:
Camelot is easily learned and without extensive praxis or
a combination move consisting of a canter immediately
theory, thus perhaps more accessible for novices to play
followed by a jump (capture). This is called the knights
and enjoy compared to either chess or checkers. The
charge. The knight may, in this single move, perform
game is exceptionally tactical almost from the rst move,
multiple canters (or just one), followed by multiple jumps
and therefore quick to play to a conclusion.
(or just one); but the canter(s) must precede the jump(s).
A World Camelot Federation has been created, with free A knight may not combine a plain move with a canter or
membership, led by Michael W. Nolan. The game was a jump.
featured in issues of Abstract Games magazine.

2 History

Basic rules

In 1882, George S. Parker began working on an abstract

board game called Chivalry. His goal was to create a
game not so dicult as chess, but considerably more varied than checkers. Parker created a game that was a complex, tactical, but an easily learned and quickly played
mixture of Halma and checkers. When nally published
by Geo. S. Parker & Co. in 1887, Chivalry won the raves
of chess and checkers experts, but the game Parker called
the best game in 2000 years did not catch on quickly
with the general public.

The game is played on a board of 160 squares, which is

roughly rectangular (1214), with three squares removed
from each of the four corners, and four extra squares extending outside the main rectangle, two each at the top
and bottom of the board. These two-square areas are
called the castles. Each player starts the game with fourteen pieces: four knights and ten men, set up as shown
(see diagram).

1.1

Winning

However, Parker never lost his enthusiasm for the game,

and in 1930 he made a few changes, and Parker BrothThe object of the game is to be the rst player to occupy ers republished it under the name Camelot. A few
the opponents castle with two of your own pieces, or, to more rules changes followed in 1931. Camelot enjoyed
capture all of your opponents pieces while retaining two its greatest popularity in the 1930s.
or more of your own pieces.
Camelot players included Jos Ral Capablanca, World
Chess Champion from 1921 to 1927, and Frank Marshall, U.S. Chess Champion from 1907 to 1936. Sidney
1.2 Move rules
Lenz and Milton Work, two world-famous bridge players,
Both knights and men can move either horizontally, ver- also played the game.
tically, or diagonally in three ways, as follows:
There were over 50 dierent editions of Camelot sets
issued, including a gold-stamped leather edition and a
1. One space in any direction (like a king in chess). mahogany cabinet edition. There were tournament ediThis is called a plain move.
tions, regular editions, and low-cost editions. Camelot
1

3 WORLD CAMELOT FEDERATION

3.1 Sample game

White: Michael Nolan Black: Dan Troyka Event: WCF
Camelot World Championship, Game 4; March 2009
1.E6-G8 I11-G9 2.H6-J8 I10-G12 3.F6-H8 J11-I11
4.J6-H6 D11-F9? 5.J8-I9?! G12-I10xI8 6.H8xJ8
C11-E9? 7.G8-F8 I11-H12 8.F8-F6 H12-G12 9.J8-I9
H10xJ8?
10.H6-F8xH10xH12xF12xH10 D10F8xH6xJ6xH8xH6 11.G6xI6 E9-G9xI11 12.I6-I7!
J8xH6 13.F7-G7! H6xF8 14.E7xG9xE9xG11xG9 I11H12 15.G9-F8 H12-G12 16.F6-E7 G12-F12 17.D7-E6?
E11-F10 18.C6-D5 F12-G11 19.F8-F7 F11-G10 20.D6F6 E10-F9 21.D5-D6 G11-H10 22.F6-G7 F9-F11-H9
23.D6-F6 F10-G11 24.G7-H8 H9xH7 25.E6-G8xI6
G11-G9 26.E7-G7 G10-H9 27.I6-H6 G9-I9 28.F7-H7
H10-H8? 29.F6-G6!? H8xF6 30.G6-I8xI10xG8 10
(Black resigns)

3.2 Ocial WCF rules

3.2.1 Players

Camelot patent drawing, 1930

The game of Camelot is played between two opponents

who move pieces alternately on a Camelot board. The two
players are called White and Black. The players choose
for color. White moves rst.

was eventually discontinued in 1968, then reissued as Inside Moves in 1985, and nally discontinued again in 3.2.2 Playing surface
1986.[note 1]
Parker Brothers marketed several game variants. Grand
Camelot, a variant for four players on a special large
board, was released in 1932. Cam, a variant played on
a miniature board, came out in 1949. There was also
a Point Camelot variant, three-handed and four-handed
variants, and even a variant called Camelotta. None of
these variants ever achieved the popularity of the basic
game.

World Camelot Federation

The World Camelot Federation (WCF), an international

non-prot organization, was formed by Michael Wortley
Nolan in 1999 to preserve and popularize the game. The
WCF has introduced some rules clarications, additions,
and changes. It organized a Camelot World Championship tournament with twelve participants, which concluded in June 2003, with Dan Troyka of Michigan, winning the World Champion title. A new World Championship tournament began in 2008 and concluded in 2009,
with Troyka retaining his crown.

The Camelot board contains 160 squares of identical size.

Ranks are rows of squares, numbered 1 through 16, running horizontally from one side of the board to the other.
Files are columns of squares, lettered A through L, running vertically from one end of the board to the other.
The squares of the board, with their actual Camelot designation used for game notation, from the bottom rank to
the top rank, from the left-most le to the right-most le,
are: F1, G1, C2, D2, E2, F2, G2, H2, I2, J2, B3, C3,
D3, E3, F3, G3, H3, I3, J3, K3, A4, B4, C4, D4, E4, F4,
G4, H4, I4, J4, K4, L4, A5, B5, C5, D5, E5, F5, G5,
H5, I5, J5, K5, L5, A6, B6, C6, D6, E6, F6, G6, H6,
I6, J6, K6, L6, A7, B7, C7, D7, E7, F7, G7, H7, I7, J7,
K7, L7, A8, B8, C8, D8, E8, F8, G8, H8, I8, J8, K8, L8,
A9, B9, C9, D9, E9, F9, G9, H9, I9, J9, K9, L9, A10,
B10, C10, D10, E10, F10, G10, H10, I10, J10, K10,
L10, A11, B11, C11, D11, E11, F11, G11, H11, I11,
J11, K11, L11, A12, B12, C12, D12, E12, F12, G12,
H12, I12, J12, K12, L12, A13, B13, C13, D13, E13,
F13, G13, H13, I13, J13, K13, L13, B14, C14, D14,
E14, F14, G14, H14, I14, J14, K14, C15, D15, E15,
F15, G15, H15, I15, J15, F16, G16. Whites Castle is
composed of two Castle Squares F1 and G1, and Blacks
Castle is composed of two Castle Squares F16 and G16.

3.2
3.2.3

Ocial WCF rules

Pieces

Each player begins the game with 14 pieces: four Knights

and ten Men. The starting positions are: White Knights
on C6, D7, I7, and J6, White Men on D6, E6, E7, F6, F7,
G6, G7, H6, H7, and I6, Black Knights on C11, D10,
I10, and J11, and Black Men on D11, E10, E11, F10,
F11, G10, G11, H10, H11, and I11.

3.2.4

Moves

The plain move A piece (either Knight or Man) may

move one square in any direction (horizontally, vertically,
or diagonally) to any adjoining unoccupied square. This
move is called a Plain Move.

The canter A piece (either Knight or Man) may leap

in any direction (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally)
over a friendly piece (either Knight or Man) that occupies an adjoining square, provided that there is an unoccupied square immediately beyond it in a direct line onto
which the leap may be made. This move is called a Canter. Pieces cantered over are not removed from the board.
A player may canter over more than one piece during the
same move, but may not make a Canter that ends on the
same square from which it began. When cantering over
more than one piece in a move, the direction of the move
may be varied after each Canter. A player is never compelled to canter, nor when cantering is he compelled to
canter as far as possible.

The jump A piece (either Knight or Man) may leap

in any direction (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally)
over an opposing piece (either Knight or Man) that occupies an adjoining square, provided there is an unoccupied
square immediately beyond it in a direct line onto which
the leap may be made. This move is called a Jump. Each
enemy piece jumped over is captured and immediately
removed from the board. A player is obliged to jump if
any one of his pieces is next to an exposed enemy piece.
Having jumped over one enemy piece, the jumping must
continue as a part of that same move if the players piece
reaches a square next to another exposed enemy piece.
When jumping over more than one piece, the direction
of the move may be varied after each Jump. If presented
with capturing alternatives, a player may choose which
opposing piece to capture, and with which of his pieces
to eect the capture. When compelled to jump, a player
may, if he can, capture by a Knights Charge instead. The
only situation in which a player may ignore his obligation
to jump is when, on his previous move, he has jumped
one of his pieces over an opponents piece into his own
castle, ending his turn there, and must, on his next turn,
immediately move that piece out from his castle.

3
The knights charge A Knight (only) may combine a
Canter and a Jump in a single move, called a Knights
Charge. A Knights Charge must follow the order of rst
the Canter(s) and last the Jump(s). A Knight is never
obliged to make a Knights Charge. When cantering over
more than one piece during the cantering portion of a
Knights Charge, the direction of the move may be varied
after each Canter. If the Canter of a Knight brings it next
to an enemy piece that can be jumped, it must do so, unless by a dierent route later in that same move it captures
one or more enemy pieces elsewhere. During a Knights
Charge, the directions of the last Canter and rst Jump
need not be the same. Having jumped over one enemy
piece during the jumping portion of a Knights Charge,
the jumping must continue as a part of that same move if
the players Knight reaches a square next to another exposed enemy piece. When jumping over more than one
piece during the jumping portion of a Knights Charge,
the direction of the move may be varied after each Jump.

3.2.5 Notation
The Plain Move is indicated by the notation "-" placed
between the starting square and the ending square, e.g.,
C8-D9. The Canter is indicated by the notation "-" placed
between the starting square, landed upon intermediate
squares (if any), and the ending square, e.g., E6-C8-A8.
The Jump is indicated by the notation x placed between
the starting square, landed upon intermediate squares
(if any), and the ending square, e.g., H4xJ4xL6. The
Knights Charge is indicated by the notation "-" placed
between the beginning square of the cantering portion,
landed upon intermediate squares (if any), and the ending square of the cantering portion, and the notation x
placed between the ending square of the cantering portion
(the beginning square of the jumping portion), landed
upon intermediate squares (if any), and the ending square
of the jumping portion, e.g., F6-F8-H8xH10xJ12.

3.2.6 Object
The game is won if a player moves any two of his pieces
(Knights and/or Men) into his opponents castle. Or, the
game is won if a player captures all of his opponents
pieces, and has two or more of his own pieces left. Or,
the game is won if a player has two or more pieces, and
his opponent is unable to make a legal move.

3.2.7 Drawn game

The game is drawn if both players have no more than one
piece left.

3.2.8

Players own castle

A player may not plain-move or canter one of his pieces

(Knight or Man) into his own castle. If an enemy piece
reaches a square adjacent to his own castle, a player may
jump, or make the jumping portion of a Knights Charge,
over that enemy piece into his own castle. A player may
not, during the cantering portion of a Knights Charge,
move his Knight into his own castle. If a player jumps
over an opponents piece into his own castle, and the
players piece is then next to an exposed enemy piece,
the jumping must continue (out of his own castle) as part
of that same move. A player who has jumped one of his
pieces over an opponents piece into his own castle, and
in so doing was unable to continue the jumping out of his
own castle as part of that same move, must, on his next
turn to move, immediately move that piece out from his
own castle, with no exception. A player moving one of
his pieces out from his own castle must jump out, if possible, instead of plain-moving or cantering out. If a player
has the opportunity to jump out from his own castle, he
may, if he can, satisfy the obligation to capture by means
of moving out with a Knights Charge instead.
3.2.9

Opponents castle

A piece that has entered his opponents castle cannot

come out, but is allowed to move from one castle square
to the other (designated a castle move). A player is limited to two castle moves during a game.

References

[1] Because of its former popularity, vintage copies remain

easily available on eBay and elsewhere. It can also be
played on a PC using the third-party game engine Zillions
of Games.

Bibliography
Yearout, Paul (Autumn 2001). First Thoughts on
Camelot End-Play. Abstract Games (Carpe Diem
Publishing) (7): 2021. ISSN 1492-0492.
Yearout, Paul (Summer 2002). First Thoughts on
Camelot Opening Play. Abstract Games (Carpe
Diem Publishing) (10): 1516, 20. ISSN 14920492.

External links
Ocial website The World Camelot Federation
(WCF)
Zillions of Games free rules le for Camelot

EXTERNAL LINKS

igGameCenter Camelot rules with illustrative diagrams

Camelot at BoardGameGeek

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

6.1

Text

Camelot (board game) Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camelot_(board_game)?oldid=642316950 Contributors: Hydrox, Mindmatrix, MrWCF, Mike Selinker, Anghammarad, SmackBot, Chris the speller, Colonies Chris, Alaibot, Patzer42, Voorlandt, ImageRemovalBot, Halladba, Addbot, Lightbot, Yobot, Ulric1313, I dream of horses, ZroBot, Ihardlythinkso, Monkbot and Anonymous: 7

6.2

Images

File:Camelot_patent_drawing_-_George_S._Parker,_1930.jpg Source:
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Camelot_patent_drawing_-_George_S._Parker%2C_1930.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: US Patent and Trademark Oce
Original artist: identied: George S. Parker

6.3

Content license

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