Tsoro Yematatu Guide
Tsoro Yematatu is a quick three-in-a-row strategy game from Zimbabwe. Each player has just three pieces, and the aim is to line them up before your opponent does. It looks as simple as noughts and crosses, but once the pieces are on the board they keep moving and jumping, so the game rarely stalls. This guide explains the board, the rules and a few tips to help you win.
The board
Tsoro Yematatu is played on a triangle-shaped board. Draw a large triangle, then add two lines: one running from the top point straight down to the middle of the base, and one running across the middle of the triangle from one sloping side to the other.
Pieces sit on the points where lines meet or end. There are seven points in all:
- the top point of the triangle;
- the centre, where the two inner lines cross;
- the two ends of the middle line, one on each sloping side;
- the two corners of the base and the middle of the base.
You can play Tsoro Yematatu on a board drawn on paper or scratched in the ground, with coins, stones or bottle tops as pieces. Each player needs three pieces in their own colour.
Placing your pieces
The board starts empty. Players agree who goes first, then take turns placing one piece on any empty point. You cannot move a piece until all six pieces are on the board.
If you get three in a row while placing, you win straight away, so placing is already part of the battle. Every piece you place should either build towards a line of your own or block your opponent’s.
Moving and jumping
Once all six pieces are placed, only one point is left empty. From then on, each turn you must move one of your own pieces into that empty point. There are two ways to do it:
- Step. Move a piece along a line to the empty point next to it.
- Jump. Jump over one piece, yours or your opponent’s, in a straight line, and land on the empty point just beyond it.
A jump never captures anything. The piece you jump over stays where it is. Pieces must travel along the lines and cannot turn a corner during a move.
How to win
The first player to get all three of their pieces in a straight line along one of the board’s lines wins. Because pieces keep moving and jumping, a position that looks safe can change in a single turn. If neither player can make progress, the players can agree to call the game a draw and start again.
Five strategy tips for Tsoro Yematatu
- Take the centre early. The centre point connects to four other points, more than any other. A piece there can move in the most directions and can block the most lines.
- Block every two-in-a-row. In the placing phase, if your opponent has two pieces on a line with the third point empty, place your piece there before you build your own line.
- Think about the empty point. There is only ever one empty point in the moving phase, and every move shifts it. Before you move, ask what the new empty point will let your opponent do.
- Watch for jumps. A jump crosses two points in one move, so a line can be completed from further away than it looks. Check every jump your opponent could make, and look for jumps of your own.
- Don’t open a line by accident. Moving a piece away from a line can leave exactly the gap your opponent needs. If you have to move, choose the piece whose move gives the least away.
A short note on history
Tsoro Yematatu comes from Zimbabwe, where it is a traditional game. The word tsoro is also used in Zimbabwe for other board games, including a mancala game played with seeds. The name Tsoro Yematatu is usually linked to the three pieces each player uses, though sources differ on its exact meaning. The game belongs to a large family of three-in-a-row games played around the world, which also includes Achi from Ghana, Shisima from Kenya and Tapatan from the Philippines. Its jumping moves give it a character of its own.
Try it
The best way to learn Tsoro Yematatu is to play a few games. You can play Tsoro online for free against the computer or a friend, with no download and no sign-up. Games are short, so you can learn the patterns in a few minutes.