Fetaix

Fetaix is a two-player abstract strategy board game from Morocco, closely related to Alquerque. The main difference is that pieces cannot move backward unless they are promoted to a Mullah—the equivalent of a King in draughts. Mullahs can move any number of vacant points along the board and capture enemy pieces from any distance, much like Kings in International draughts. The game is also called qireq.

The goal is to capture all of the opponent’s pieces. The board is the same as an Alquerque board, and each player starts with 12 pieces, one side playing black and the other white. The initial setup mirrors Alquerque: each player’s pieces occupy the first two rows on their side, plus the two rightmost points of the center row, leaving only the middle point empty.

Players take turns. On a turn, a player may either move one piece or use a piece to capture an opponent’s piece. A non-Mullah piece can only move one space forward (straight or diagonally), following the board’s pattern. A Mullah can move in any direction, any number of vacant points in a straight line.

Non-Mullah pieces capture by the short leap method: leaping over an adjacent enemy piece in a straight line to a vacant point beyond. Captures are compulsory, and multiple captures must be taken if possible, provided there is exactly one vacant point between enemy pieces and a vacant point beyond. Non-Mullah pieces cannot capture backward. Mullahs can capture in any direction, from any distance, and land any distance beyond, as long as no other piece lies in the straight path. Multiple captures are also compulsory for Mullahs.

A non-Mullah piece is promoted to Mullah when it reaches the opponent’s first row. It is uncertain whether a piece can be promoted during an intermediate step of a multiple capture sequence.