Play Fanorona Online

Choose your Fanorona level

Start on the easiest level while you get used to capturing by approach and withdrawal, which is the part of the game that feels new to most players. Once you spot both kinds of capture without thinking, move up a level. Higher levels plan longer capture chains and will punish a careless move quickly.

Game controls

• Hint. Suggests a move when you are not sure what to play.
• New game. Starts a fresh game.
• Timer. Shows how long the current game has lasted.

Fanorona rules explained

The rules are simple to learn, but the capture rules make every move count:

• The board. The board has 45 points in a 5×9 grid. Lines run across and down between neighbouring points. Diagonal lines run only through some of the points, so a piece can move diagonally from those points but only straight from the others.
• Starting position. Each side has 22 pieces. They fill the whole board except the centre point, which is the only empty space when the game begins.
• Moving. Move one piece one step along a line to an empty point next to it.
• Capture by approach. If you move towards an enemy piece and stop on the point right next to it, you capture that piece and every enemy piece directly behind it in the same line, up to the first gap or your own piece.
• Capture by withdrawal. If you move directly away from an enemy piece that was next to you, you capture that piece and the unbroken line of enemy pieces behind it.
• One or the other. If a move could capture by approach and by withdrawal at the same time, you choose which line to take. You cannot take both.
• Captures come first. If any capture is available, you must make one. A move that captures nothing, called a paika move, is allowed only when no capture is possible.
• Capture chains. After a capture, the same piece may carry on capturing. In a chain it cannot return to a point it has already visited that turn, and it cannot move twice in a row in the same direction. You may stop the chain whenever you choose.
• Winning. You win by capturing all of your opponent’s pieces. If neither side can make progress, the game is a draw.

Fanorona strategy tips

1. Check both directions. For every piece you could move, look for a capture by approach and a capture by withdrawal. Beginners often see only one.
2. Take the bigger line. When a move gives you a choice, count the pieces in each line before you pick.
3. Plan your chains. In the opening the board is packed, and a well-planned chain can remove a large part of your opponent’s army in one turn.
4. Watch what you open up. Every capture clears space, and empty points give your opponent new lines to attack. Before you capture, look at what the board will look like afterwards.
5. Use the diagonal points. A piece on a point with diagonal lines can move in up to eight directions, so it has far more ways to capture and escape.
6. Use compulsory captures. Because your opponent must capture when they can, you can sometimes offer a piece to pull theirs onto a point where you capture more in return.
7. Spread out in the endgame. With few pieces left, avoid lining them up. A single approach or withdrawal can take a whole row.

History of Fanorona

Fanorona comes from Madagascar, where it has been played for centuries and is still played across the island today. It belongs to the same family of games as alquerque, an old board game from North Africa and Europe that is also linked to the history of checkers. Malagasy stories connect the game to royal history, and it remains a proud part of the country’s culture. You can read more about its background on Wikipedia’s Fanorona page. In 2007 researchers showed that a game of Fanorona ends in a draw when both sides play perfectly, but against a real opponent one missed capture can decide the game.

Smaller versions of Fanorona

Fanorona has two smaller relatives that are often used to teach children. Fanoron-Telo is played on a 3×3 board with three pieces each, a little like noughts and crosses with moving pieces. Fanoron-Dimy uses a 5×5 board. The full 5×9 game played here is sometimes called Fanoron-Tsivy.

More board games to try

If you enjoy Fanorona, try Checkers, which shares its jump-and-capture roots, or Morabaraba, a traditional Southern African strategy game. For something quieter, try Tsoro.

Fanorona FAQ

Is this Fanorona game free? Yes. It is free to play in your browser, with no download or sign-up.

Do I need an account? No. Open the page and start playing.

Where does Fanorona come from? Madagascar, where it is the best-known traditional board game.

How many pieces does each player have? Twenty-two. Together they fill every point on the board except the centre.

Do I have to capture when I can? Yes. A move that captures nothing is allowed only when no capture is available.

Can one move capture by approach and withdrawal? No. If both are possible, you choose one.

Can I play Fanorona on my phone? Yes. The game runs in your phone’s browser.