1.0 Table of Contents
Version Notes
Ideas that Need Discussion
- Why do we have two different flowers that do the same thing? shouldn't each player just have a White Rose and a Red Rose instead of a Jasmine and a Rose? Wouldn't that be simpler to understand?
Pai Sho Rules
The Pai Sho Ban

Regions of the Board

Playable Points
Tiles are placed on intersections. All intersections that fall completely inside the circle of the board are playable. Intersections that seem to fall directly on the edge of the circle or just outside it, are marked with star points if they are playable. Intersections can be red, white, yellow, neutral, or piebald.
Red Intersections
All intersections that fall completely inside either of the red central gardens
Red Intersections give White Flowers one point of disharmony
White Intersections
All intersections that fall completely inside either of the white central gardens
White intersections give Red Flowers one point of disharmony
Yellow Intersections
All intersections that fall completely inside the outer yellow gardens
Yellow intersections have no effect on harmony or disharmony
Piebald Intersections
Piebald intersections are considered part of all gardens with which they share a color. Any intersection that falls along a line or corner of a wall, fence, or path is a piebald intersection and takes on the color of all gardens it touches. All intersections that lie between two or more gardens are Piebald. A tile on a piebald intersection may move to any adjacent garden.
Piebald Intersections have no effect on harmony or disharmony
Neutral Intersections
Intersections that are open to all tiles are considered neutral
Neutral Intersections have no effect on harmony or disharmony
Gardens
The 12 colored regions on the board are called gardens. There are are 4 central gardens (2 red central gardens, 2 white central gardens), 4 yellow gardens, and 4 special gardens called Torii or gates (small red triangular regions at the edge of the board near the compass points).
Natural / Unnatural Gardens
White Central Gardens
White Central Gardens are the Natural Gardens for White Flower Tiles and have no effect on the harmony or disharmony of White Flowers
White Central Gardens are the Unnatural Gardens for Red Flower Tiles and give each Red Flower completely inside the garden one point of disharmony
Red Central Gardens
Red Central Gardens are the Natural Gardens for Red Flower Tiles and have no effect on the harmony or disharmony of Red Flowers
Red Central Gardens are the Unnatural Gardens for White Flower Tiles and give each White Flower completely inside the garden one point of disharmony
Neutral Gardens
A Neutral Garden has no natural association with any flower tiles. Any flower tile may be placed in a Neutral Garden. All intersections completely within a Neutral Garden are themselves Neutral. All tiles may be moved to, or dropped within neutral gardens. Neutral Gardens have no effect on harmony or disharmony
Yellow Gardens
The outer Yellow Gardens are Neutral Gardens
Torii
(Japanese for bird gate)
The Torii are Neutral Gardens. Even though Torii are red in color, they are not Natural Gardens nor are they Red Central Gardens. Intersections completely within Torii are Neutral. Torii are gateways to the central gardens. Tiles may move from a yellow gardens to a central garden without pausing as long as they cross at least one intersection that touches or is contained within a torii, even if doing so causes them to also cross a garden wall.
Walls, Fences and Paths
Walls
The borders which separate the yellow gardens from the central gardens are called walls. Tiles may not cross from a yellow garden to a central garden without stopping on a wall intersection for one turn, or passing through a torii. Tiles that start their movement on a wall may move directly to either garden. No tile may be dropped directly on a wall unless that intersection touches a torii. Tiles with Knight based movement can't leap over a wall but must land on a wall intersection and wait a turn before moving off of it. Tiles with diagonal movement must stop their movement on an labeled intersection. If their path does not cross a wall intersection they cannot stop on the wall and cannot cross the wall. Hopper tiles like the Spirit Wheel may treat a wall as a tile for the purposes of hopping movement
Fences
The borders which separate the Torii from the yellow gardens are called fences. Tiles moving between a yellow garden and a torii do not need to pause on fences. All tiles may be dropped on the fences. The piebald intersections on a fence count as part of all the gardens then touch including the torii. Tiles do not therefore need to pause on a fence if their movement would cause them to cross one.
Paths
(Budao or Yongdao in Chinese)
The borders which separate the central gardens from each other (10c to 10q and 3j to 17j) are called paths. Tiles do not need to pause on a path when crossing between central gardens
The Pai Sho Tiles
The Flower Tiles
White Flower Tiles
White flowers receive one disharmony point while standing on a completely red intersection (wholly inside an unnatural garden)
Lily
(6 tiles per player)


May be dropped on any neutral intersection (Torii and yellow gardens)
Moves up to 1 intersection horizontally and vertically, or up to 3 intersections diagonally. But may not change direction during a move
Captures all tiles diagonally only
Sends harmony and disharmony diagonally only
Sends Harmony to Jade, Jasmine, and Chrysanthemum tiles
Receives Harmony from Chrysanthemum, Rhododendron, and Rose tiles
Sends Disharmony to Lily, Rose, and Rhododendron tiles
Receives Disharmony from Jasmine, Jade, and Lily tiles
Jade
(6 tiles per player)


May be dropped on any neutral intersection (Torii and yellow gardens)
Moves up to 3 Intersections horizontally or vertically
Captures all tiles
Sends Harmony to Jasmine, Chrysanthemum, and Rhododendron
Receives Harmony from Rhododendron, Rose, and Lily
Sends Disharmony to Jade, Lily, and Rose
Receives Disharmony from Chrysanthemum, Jasmine, and Jade
Jasmine
(6 tiles per player)


May be dropped on any neutral intersection (Torii and yellow gardens)
Moves 1 intersection horizontally or vertically, followed by a 45 degree angle turn for 1 intersection diagonally but does not leap over walls or tiles
Captures all tiles
Sends Harmony to Chrysanthemum, Rhododendron, and Rose
Receives Harmony from Rose, Lily, and Jade
Sends Disharmony to Jasmine, Jade, and Lily
Receives Disharmony from Rhododendron, Chrysanthemum, and Jasmine
Red Flower Tiles
Red flowers receive one disharmony point while standing on a completely white intersection (wholly inside an unnatural garden)
Chrysanthemum
(6 tiles per player)


May be dropped on any neutral intersection (Torii and yellow gardens)
Moves up to 1 intersection horizontally and vertically, or up to 3 intersections diagonally. But may not change direction during a move
Captures all tiles diagonally only
Sends harmony and disharmony diagonally only
Sends Harmony to Rhododendron, Rose, and Lily
Receives Harmony from Lily, Jade, and Jasmine
Sends Disharmony to Chrysanthemum, Jasmine, and Jade
Receives Disharmony from Rose, Rhododendron, and Chrysanthemum
Rhododendron
(6 tiles per player)


May be dropped on any neutral intersection (Torii and yellow gardens)
Moves up to 3 intersections horizontally or vertically
Captures all tiles
Sends Harmony to Rose, Lily, and Jade
Receives Harmony from Jade, Jasmine, and Chrysanthemum
Sends Disharmony to Rhododendron, Chrysanthemum, and Jasmine
Receives Disharmony from Lily, Rose, and Rhododendron
Rose
(6 tiles per player)


May be dropped on any neutral intersection (Torii and yellow gardens)
Moves 1 intersection horizontally or vertically, followed by a 45 degree angle turn for 1 intersection diagonally but does not leap over walls or tiles
Captures all tiles
Sends Harmony to Lily, Jade, and Jasmine tiles
Receives Harmony from Jasmine, Chrysanthemum, and Rhododendron tiles
Sends Disharmony to Rose, Rhododendron, and Chrysanthemum tiles
Receives Disharmony from Chrysanthemum, Rhododendron, and Rose tiles
Special Flowers
Lotus
(3 tiles per player)


May be dropped on any intersection except on a wall
Moves up to 2 intersections horizontally, vertically, or diagonally
Captures all tiles
Sends Harmony to all flowers except the Orchid
Receives Harmony from all flowers except the Orchid
Sends Disharmony to no tile
Receives Disharmony from Orchids
Orchid
(3 tiles per player)


May be dropped on any intersection except on a wall
Moves up to 6 intersections horizontally, vertically, or diagonally
Captures all tiles
Sends Harmony to no tile
Receives Harmony from no tile
Sends Disharmony to all flower tiles except other Orchids
Receives Disharmony from no tile
The Element Tiles
- All element tiles except the Chi Blocker may bend the flower tiles of any player but no element tile may bend another.
- Element tiles capture each other but do not capture flower tiles.
- Element tiles may however be captured by flower tiles.
- Element tiles are harmony neutral and do not send or receive either harmony or disharmony
- Players must keep at least one element tile in play at all times. If a player fails to keep an element tile in play he is removed from the game. If there is only one player with element tiles left in the game the game ends and the player with the highest score wins
Chi Blocker
(1 tile per player)


May be dropped onto any intersection except a wall intersection
Moves one 1 intersection horizontally or vertically, followed by a 45 degree angle turn for 2 intersections diagonally (as a Zebra) or 1 intersection horizontally, vertically, or diagonally (as a Mahn)
Is it a leaper?
Has no bending ability
Does not send or receive either harmony or disharmony
Immobilizes all adjacent tiles
- Adjacent element tiles have one turn to withdraw by one and only one intersection of their regular movement (1 intersection orthogonally for knight moving tiles)
- Does it immobilize other Chi Blockers too?
Prevents all adjacent element tiles from bending
Captures only as a Mahn and only after immobilizing
May do one of the following during a turn:
- Drop and Move
- Move
- Move, Immobilize and Block Bending of adjacent tiles
- Capture an immobilized element tile
Air
(1 tile per player)


May be dropped on any intersection except a wall intersection
Moves 1 intersection horizontally or vertically, followed by a 45 degree angle turn for 1 intersection diagonally but does not leap over walls or tiles
Does not send or receive either harmony or disharmony
Bends all flowers.
- To bend a flower tile, the air tile must be able to move to the flower tile as if to capture it
- The flower tile being bent may make one move as if it were the air tile
- The flower tile being bent may not leap, cross over, or land on the air tile or any other tile
- The flower tile being bent may not cross a wall unless the flower touches part of a torii
- The flower tile being bent may not itself bend another tile
May do one of the following during a turn:
- Drop and Move
- Move
- Bend a flower tile
- Move and Bend a flower tile in range from its new location
- Capture an element tile
Water
(1 tile per player)


May be dropped onto any intersection except a wall intersection
Moves up to 6 intersections Diagonally. or one intersection horizontally or vertically.
Captures only element tiles
Captures diagonally only
Does not send or receive either harmony or disharmony
Bends all flowers.
- To bend a flower tile, the water tile must be able to move diagonally to the flower tile as if to capture it.
- The water tile may not bend a flower tile it can only reach orthogonally
- A flower being bent may be moved one intersection diagonally as if it were the water tile or it may be moved toward or away from the water tile within 7 intersections of the water tile.
- A flower being bent may not land on, cross over, or pass through the water tile or any other tile
- A flower tile being bent may not cross over or pass through a wall unless the flower touches part of a torii
- A flower tile being bent may not itself bend another tile
May do one of the following during a turn:
- Drop and Move
- Move
- Bend a flower tile
- Move and Bend a flower tile in range from its new location
- Capture an element tile
Earth
(1 tile per player)


May be dropped onto any intersection except a wall intersection
Moves up to 6 intersections horizontally or vertically.
Captures only element tiles
Does not send or receive either harmony or disharmony
Bends all flowers.
- To bend a flower tile, the earth tile must be able to move to the flower tile as if to capture it.
- A flower being bent may be moved one intersection as if it were the earth tile or it may be moved toward or away from the earth tile within 7 intersections of the earth tile.
- A flower being bent may not land on, cross over, or pass through the earth tile or any other tile
- A flower tile being bent may not cross over or pass through a wall unless the flower touches part of a torii
- The flower tile being bent may not itself bend another tile
May do one of the following during a turn:
- Drop and Move
- Move
- Bend a flower tile
- Move and Bend a flower tile in range from its new location
- Capture an element tile
Fire
(1 tile per player)


May be dropped onto any intersection except a wall intersection
Moves move up to 6 intersections horizontally, vertically, or diagonally
Captures only element tiles
Does not send or receive either harmony or disharmony
Bends only flowers
- To bend a flower tile, the fire tile must be able to move to the flower tile as if to capture it.
- A flower being bent may be moved one intersection as if it were the fire tile or it may be moved toward or away from the fire tile within 7 intersections of the fire tile.
- A flower being bent may not land on, cross over, or pass through the fire tile or any other tile
- A flower tile being bent may not cross over or pass through a wall unless the flower touches part of a torii
- The flower tile being bent may not itself bend another tile
May do one of the following during a turn:
- Drop and Move
- Move
- Bend a flower tile
- Move and Bend a flower tile in range from its new location
- Capture an element tile
Spirit Wheel
(1 tile per player)


May be dropped on any intersection except a wall intersection
Moves 6 intersections horizontally, vertically or diagonally or 1 intersection (horizontally or vertically), followed by a 45 degree angle turn for 1 intersection diagonally, but does not leap over walls or tiles
Captures only element tiles
Must hop to capture
- There must be either a wall or a single tile (belonging to any player) on the spirit wheel's path of movement between it and the element tile it intends to capture.
- The tile hopped is not captured
- It may not hop more than one tile per turn
- It may not hop a wall and a tile in a single turn
- It may only hop when making a capture
Does not send or receive either harmony or disharmony
May promote any friendly element tile to any other element tile not yet in play
- The element tile being promoted must be adjacent to the Spirit Wheel at the start of the turn
- The element tile being promoted may not be changed to an element tile that is already on the board or which has been captured by an opponent.
- The promoted tile may no move on the same turn that it was promoted
- Can the spirit wheel demote enemy element tiles? and if so would that include an enemy spirit wheel?
If captured the spirit wheel may be reincarnated (returned to it's owner) in exchange for any other element tile not already on the board or captured by an opponent
- When the Spirit Wheel is returned it must be immediately dropped into play on the board.
- Who chooses the element tile to be exchanged?
- Does reincarnation have to be done immediately after the spirit wheel is captured or can it be done at any time if element tiles are available?
Bends only flowers
- Must hop to bend
- Hopped tile is not bent
- To bend a flower tile, the spirit wheel tile must be able to move to the flower tile as if to capture it (ie by hopping).
- A flower being bent may be moved one intersection or one knight's move as if it were the spirit wheel tile or it may be moved toward or away from the spirit wheel tile within 7 intersections of the spirit wheel tile.
- A flower being bent may not land on, hop over, cross over, or pass through the spirit wheel tile or any other tile
- A flower tile being bent may not hop over, cross over, or pass through a wall unless the flower touches part of a torii
- The flower tile being bent may not itself bend another tile
May do one of the following during a turn:
- Drop and move
- Move
- Bend
- Move and Bend
- Move by hopping and Capture an element tile
- Promote a friendly adjacent element tile
- Reincarnate after being captured
Playing
Play proceeds clockwise around the board, starting with the player sitting at the East compass point. When there are only two players the first player is usually called Sente because the first player starts with the initiative. The second player is usually called Gote. When there are more than two players each player is ofter called by their compass point or the element associate with that compass point. So the first player might be called East or Fire, or similar references.
The game starts with each player entering an element tile. Players must keep at least one element tile on the board at all times. Play alternates between players, each player either adding new tiles, moving tiles, bending tiles, or capturing tiles until there is only one player left with one or more element tiles on the board at the start of his/her turn. The player with the largest number of harmony and territory points when the game ends is the winner.
Turn
On his/her turn a player has the option doing one and only one of the following
Concepts
Object
Amass the largest number of:
Harmony points + Territory points
End the game by capturing all of the element tiles (but perhaps not the chi blocker)
Harmony
Harmony and disharmony are created by the flow of Chi from one tile to another. Positive Chi sends harmony Negative Chi sends disharmony. When the ordinary flowers are arranged as shown in the below illustration, harmony flows clockwise around the ring and disharmony flows counter clockwise.
The Ring of Harmony and Disharmony. Need to create and add images
Net Harmony
A tile has harmony if all of the following are true:
- One or more tiles from which it may receive harmony can reach it in one move
- No other tile lies along the path of movement by which the sending tile may move to the receiving tile
- The path of movement by which the sending tile may move to the receiving tile does not cross a garden wall
- The number of tiles from which it receives harmony exceeds the number of tiles from which it receives disharmony
Foreign Harmonies
Harmony may be received from any tile that sends it even if the sending tile belongs to another player.
Net Disharmony
Players do not receive disharmony from their own tiles
A tile has disharmony if all of the following are true:
- One or more tiles from which it may receive disharmony can reach it in one move
- No other tile lies along the path of movement by which the sending tile may move to the receiving tile
- The path of movement by which the sending tile may move to the receiving tile does not cross a garden wall
- The number of tiles from which it receives disharmony exceeds the number of tiles from which it receives harmony
Harmony Protection from Capture
If a tile has more harmony than it has disharmony it is immune to capture
Harmony Chains
When one tile sends harmony to another it creates a harmony chain made up of those two tiles.
- Any number of tiles may be connected in a harmony chain.
- If a harmony chain only contains tiles belonging to one player that chain belongs to that player.
- if a harmony chain contains tiles belonging to multiple players, each player owns only the harmony points his tiles individually receive within that chain.
- There are no disharmony chains. If one tile sends another disharmony those tiles are not connected in a harmony chain
Harmony Rings
If a harmony chain loops back on itself and forms a harmonious connection, the looped section of the chain is called a harmony ring.
All tiles used to form a harmony ring must belong to only one player
Harmony may flow clockwise or counterclockwise around the ring, and may even flow in both directions in some cases
Harmonies used to create a harmony ring are still scored in addition to the surrounded intersections
If a player has two harmony rings one surrounding another the outermost harmony ring is scored and the tiles of the inner ring are subtracted from the total
No intersection is counted twice. If one player surrounds another players harmony ring the surrounding player may not count any of the intersections used to form the surrounded harmony ring nor any intersections that it contains.
Simple Harmony Ring Example
Complex Harmony Ring Example
False Harmony Ring Example
Graphics Pending
Territory
The value of a harmony ring is equal to the number of unoccupied intersections it surrounds. Intersections along the path of movement used to send or receive harmony are not counted toward this total.
All tiles in a harmony ring must receive harmony from at least one other tile in the ring
Dropping
Placing a tile on the board.
- Tiles may only be dropped onto intersections.
- Flower tiles may be dropped on any empty intersection wholly within a neutral garden, or any empty intersection touching or contained by a Torii.
- Element tiles may be dropped on any open intersection on the board except garden wall intersections that do not touch a Torii
- Tiles may move up to their maximum distance immediately after being dropped but may not capture or bend on the same turn in which they were dropped.
Single Sovereignty
If a garden wholly contains one and only one tile, that tile has single sovereignty over that garden
- No tile may be dropped into a garden where an enemy tile has single sovereignty
- No newly dropped tile may invade (enter or sit on a border) a garden controlled by an enemy tile with single sovereignty
- No newly dropped tile may threaten to capture or bend an enemy tile if the enemy tile has single sovereignty
Partial Sovereignty
If a tile is placed on the border between one or more gardens it has partial sovereignty over each garden that is otherwise empty and untouched by other border tiles.
- No newly dropped tile may threaten to bend or capture a tile with partial sovereignty, from an intersection within or touching a garden over which the tile holds partial sovereignty
- A tile retains partial sovereignty over all unoccupied gardens it touches even if it loses partial sovereignty over others.
Moving
A tile may be moved up to its maximum range on a singe turn
A tile may not cross or pass through another tile unless it is a hopper making a capture
A tile may not cross or pass through a wall in one move unless it is a hopper making a capture or starts it's move touching a torii
Bending
Element tiles may move the flower tiles of any player (including his/her own) by bending them.
A flower tile may be bent if an element tile is able to move to the flower tile, as if to capture it.
The owner of the element tile determines how the flower moves when it is bent within these restrictions
When bent by a line moving element a flower tile may
- Be moved one intersection as if it were that element tile
- Be moved toward or away from the element tile within 7 intersections of the element tile doing the bending
When bent by a knight moving element a flower tile may
- Make a single move as if it were a knight
A tile being bent may not
- Land on another tile including the element tile doing the bending
- Capture another tile
- Cross or pass through either a wall or a tile, including the element tile doing the bending.
- Itself bend another tile
- Push another tile
- Move off the edge of the board
Capture
Removing one (or more) tiles from the board as a result of the last move. If a player moves a tile to an intersection occupied by an opponents tile, the opponent's tile must be captured. Players may not capture their own tiles. Capturing effectively ends the movement of the tile making the capture.
The Pot
If players choose to allow betting, The Pot is used to accumulate the stakes or wagers made during the course of play. Players may use captured tiles as counters to track the value of the pot. If players choose not to allow any betting the pot may serve as a receptacle in which to hold the captured tiles, but this has no importance to gameplay.
Gambling mechanics are still under discussion and are not available for play testing at this time. Players are free to experiment with their own system(s) of betting until more formal rules are devised.
The Wuji
If players want to use hidden information to make the game move challenging, they may place their tiles face down in pile or a container (The Wuji) and draw them one at a time at random when they want to enter a new tile into the game. The details and mechanics for this system have not been defined or tested at this time. Players are free to experiment with various ways to use hidden information with and without any gambling mechanics
Passing (Needs to be reevaluated in light of capturing all elements)
Instead of moving or dropping a tile, a player may elect to skip his/her turn. If the number of consecutive passes exceeds the number of players the game ends
Example 1:
2 player game:
Player 1 pass
Player 2 pass
Player 1 pass (game is ended)
Example 2:
4 player game:
Player 1 pass
Player 2 pass
Player 3 pass
Player 4 pass
Player 1 pass (game is ended)
Example 3
2 player game:
Player 1 pass
Player 2 moves
Game continues normally.
Example 4
4 player game:
Player 1 pass
Player 2 pass
Player 3 pass
Player 4 pass
Player 1 moves
Game continues normally.
Resigning
A player may resign (and forfeit) a game at any time.
In a two person game a forfeit results in a win for the other player.
In a three or four person game the remaining players continue to play until one of them becomes the winner.
The resigning player may continue to observe the game but may not participate or comment.
No tiles are removed as the result of a resignation, but rather remain on the board.
The remaining players may bend, capture, and form harmony (or disharmony) with the resigned player's tiles.
Sample Game preliminary outline
Sente enters an element
gote enters a Spirit Wheel
sente enters a flower
gote enters a flower
Sente enters a Spirit Wheel next to his other element.
Gote moves a tile to invade and threaten sente's flower
Sente protects his flower by adding a flower to create harmony
Gote adds an orchid to give sente's tiles disharmony
Sente threatens to capture gote's element
Gote adds a flower to create harmony
Sente captures the spirit wheel
Gote reincarnates the spirit wheel and threatens sente's element
Sente withdraws his element to his spirit wheel.
Gote enters a flower tile
Sente promotes an element tile
Gote surrounds territory with a harmony chain
Sente surrounds territory with a harmony ring
Gote captures one or more of sente's tiles in a chain with net disharmony
Sente captures Gote's only element tile in play
Gote enters a flower to control a garden
Sente has more harmony but Gote has more territory and gote wins
Victory Conditions
Ending the Game
The game ends when:
- Only one player has element tiles in play at the start his or her turn
- All but one player resigns
- The number of consecutive passes exceeds the number of players
- All players have no valid moves
Scoring
At the end of the game, each player:
- Counts the harmonies each of his/her tiles receive. (H)
- Counts the disharmonies each of his/her tiles receive (D)
- Any intersections surrounded by a harmony ring chain made up of only one player's tiles are counted for that player (HT)
- Any gardens touching or occupied by only one players tiles are counted as points for that player (GT)
- Each player calculates their total points as GT+HT+(H-D)=Total Points
The player with the highest final score wins, If there were more than two players involved second and third places are awarded according to the players' scores.
Games with 3 or 4 Players
4 Players
When playing with 4 players each player takes a color and a compass point.
Players sitting at opposite compass points cooperate as a team.
The player sitting at the East moves first. Play proceeds clockwise around the board.
Players may not discuss strategy during the game or advise each other on specific moves.
3 Players
The rules for 3 player games are the same as for 4 players, except that one player uses two colors as if he/she were a team of two in a 4 player game.
Some thought should be given to the balance of the teams in 3 player games. In general the strongest player should not be allowed to play two colors unless the other two players are equal to each other in strength. If there is a very weak player and a very strong player they should play on the same team in a 3 player game.
Recording a Game
Recorder
While all players may elect to record the game this responsibility is usually assigned to the least experienced player as a way for him / her to become familiar with the board and reading / recording a game record. All moves are recorded as if looking at the board from the position shown in the first board illustration shown at the top of this page under the heading "The Pai Sho Board".
Board Locations
All intersections on the board are identified by a number and a letter. The number is always listed first. The line running from the East Torii to the West Torii is the x axis. The intersections along this line are numbered from 1 to 19, 1 being the most eastern point and 19 being the most western point. The line running from the North Torii to the South Torii is the y axis. It is lettered in uppercase letters starting with "A" as the most northern point, and ending with "S" as the most southern point.
Tile Abbreviations
Js = Jasmine
Ly = Lily
Jd = Jade
Rs = Rose
C = Chrysanthemum
Rd = Rhododendron
Qi = Chi Blocker
A = Air
W = Water
E = Earth
F = Fire
S = Spirit Wheel
Lt = Lotus
O = Orchid
Notation Symbols
Symbol |
Meaning |
- |
Move to |
x |
Capture |
* |
Drop |
~ |
Bend |
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Pass |
Passes to next player |
Notation Examples
- R*10c (Rose dropped on the board at point 10c)
- R*10c-10f (Rose is dropped on the board as point 10c and moves to 10f)
- L10j x C11j (Lotus on 10j captures the Chrysanthemum at 11j)
Recording a Board Position
Board Position Notation is used to list all of the tiles and their positions on the Pai Sho Ban starting from intersection 9s and continuing left to right, top to bottom, one line at a time until reaching 11a.
Unoccupied intersections are not listed.
In a 4 handed game red tiles use Pointy Brackets < >, yellow tiles use Parentheses ( ), blue tiles use Curly Braces{ }, and green tiles use Square Brackets [ ] . In a two handed game Sente's tiles use Pointy Brackets < >, and Gote's tiles use Parentheses ( ). But in practice only Sente uses Pointy Brackets < >, to distinguish them from Gote's. Colored text is not required but players are encouraged to use it if available because it helps make the board position clearer to anyone reading it back
Four Handed Example:
Red tile: <Lt 10j>
Yellow tile: (O 11j)
Blue tile: {Jd 12j}
Green tile: [Rs 13j]
Two Handed Example:
Sente's tile: <Lt 10j>
Gote's tile: O 11j
4 Player Pai Sho Game Record Sheet
Name |
Player 1 |
Player 2 |
Player 3 |
Player 4 |
Player Comments |
Color |
Red |
Yellow |
Blue |
Green |
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1 |
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2 |
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3 |
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Harmony
Points
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2 Player Pai Sho Game Record Sheet
Name |
Player 1 Sente |
Player 2 Gote |
Player Comments |
Color |
Red |
White |
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1 |
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2 |
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3 |
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... |
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Harmony
Points
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Dropping
Placing a tile on the board. Tiles may only be dropped onto intersections. Flower tiles may only be dropped on intersections wholly or partially within the Torii. Most other tiles may be dropped on any open intersection on the board (see individual tile descriptions for any restrictions). Tiles may move up to their maximum distance immediately after being dropped but may not capture or bend on the same turn in which they were dropped
Moving
A tile may be moved 1 or more intersections in a straight line horizontally or vertically, up to its maximum allowable distance. Some tiles may also change direction 1 or more times during a move. See individual tiles for details of their respective movement limits.
Bending
When a tile uses a special ability to move another tile.
Capture
Removing one (or more) tiles from the board as a result of the last move. If a player moves a tile to an intersection occupied by an opponents tile, the opponent's tile must be captured. If the capturing move would cause the capturing tile to also be captured (see Kamikaze capture below), the opponent's tile is captured first and then the capturing tile is also removed from the game. Apart from Kamikaze captures, players may not capture their own tiles. Capture effectively ends the movement of a tile.
Drop Capture
When a tile is dropped on a point already occupied but another player's tile it is captured. Only flower tiles have the ability to make drop captures. Flower tiles are immune to drop captures for a full turn after they have been dropped.
Kamikaze Capture
A capture that results in the tile making the capture itself being captured, or removed from play.
When a tile captures a passive element tile, the capturing tile is simultaneously captured by the passive element tile.
When a flower tile makes a capture in an unnatural garden, it dies immediately after the capture is complete, and is removed from play.
Bending Capture
When a flower tile is bent into an unnatural garden it is captured. No tile may bend if it has already captured a tile on that turn because capturing ends the turn.
Harmony
See individual tile for the list of tiles with which it harmonizes or disharmonizes.
Two harmonious tiles are in harmony if all of the following are true:
- Both tiles belong to the same player (or one tile is a Lotus belonging to either player)
- Both tiles are on the same horizontal or vertical line
- No other tile lies between them
- Neither tile is adjacent to a knotweed tile
- The horizontal or vertical line on which the harmony is formed is not shared by a rock tile
Disharmony
The same conditions must be true for disharmony as for harmony. Anything that prevents harmony also prevents disharmony
Harmony Rings
Graphics pending
Defined as a ring of tiles (all of which are in harmony), that encompasses the central point on the board
Creating a harmony ring effectively wins the game due to it's high scoring value.
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