THE INTERNATIONAL RULES OF PENTE
The 1987 Proposal
1 INTRODUCTION
Pente is played between two opponents on a board by making moves with men in different colours. If the colour of the stones are not white and black, when using these rules, the light colour is valid as the white colour and the dark colour as the black colour.
The men are usually made of glass and the men are called "stones".
2 THE BOARD
The board has 19 vertical and 19 horizontal lines with 361 intersections. The colour of the board must not be the same as the colour of any stones.
3 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
FIVE IN A ROW Exactly five stones of the same colour arranged in an unbroken straight sequence after each other diagonally, vertically or horizontally.
OVERLINE
Six or more stones of the same colour arranged in an unbroken straight sequence after each other diagonally, vertically or horizontally.
CAPTURE
Stones are captured in pairs (and only in pairs) whenever two adjacent stones are bracketed by stones of the opposite colour.
All four pieces involved must be in a straight consecutive line. Captures can be made along diagonal as well as horizontal and vertical lines. As soon as the capturing play is made, the captured stones should be removed from the grid and placed in view along the border so that both players can see how many pieces have been taken.
A stone may legally be played onto any empty intersection, even if it forms a pair between two enemy stones. Such a move is no capture for the opponent.
Multiple captures can be made. Thus theoretically five, or even eight different pairs of stones could be captured and removed in a single play.
If captured stones not are removed from the grid before the move is completed i.e. before the player stops his clock then the capture is not valid as a capture and the captured stones must not be taken away from the board in connection with the actual move. If, however, the opponent demands the stones to be removed the stones must be removed and then the removed stones are counted as a capture.
4 THE WAY TO PLAY
4.1 One of the players has at his disposal the white stones and the other player has the black stones.
4.2 Both the players must alternately make one move each time. White (the player with the white stones) begins the game by making a move in the middle of the board.
4.3 White to play means that it is white's turn to move. Black to play means that it is black's turn to move.
5 THE CONCEPTION MOVE
A move consists of either the putting of a stone on one of the intersections of the board or of the declaration by the player to play that he gives up his right to put a stone on the board (he passes).
6 MAKING A MOVE
The making of a move is considered to be ended when the player has released the stone. When a player passes the move is ended when he has declared that he passes.
7 MOVED STONE
The player to play has the right to adjust one or several stones on their intersections but before he adjusts the stones he has to inform his opponent.
8 WRONG POSITION
If during a game one or several stones have become disarranged or if the stones are incorrectly removed or replaced the position must be reconstructed as it was before the mishap and after that the game will continue.
If one of the players is responsible for the disarranged position and if the game cannot be reconstructed he will lose the game.
If the position is disarranged and if the game cannot be reconstructed and if none of the players can be regarded as responsible for the disarranged position
the game is ungilty and a new game must be played.
9 WIN OF A GAME
9.1 The winner of the game is the player who will be the first to
9.2 The game is won for the player who can prove that the time of the opponent has ended, or who can prove that the opponent has not made the stipulated number of moves within the stipulated time.
9.3 The game is won for one of the players if his opponent gives up the game.
9.4 The player who wants to win always has to claim win and at the same time he has to stop both the clocks. To obtain win according to 9.1-9.3 the winning players clapper has to be up when both the clocks has been stopped.
10 DRAW
a) The game is a draw
10.1 when all the intersections of the board are occupied;
10.2 by agreement between the both players;~
10.3 when both the players (after each other) pass (refrain from making their moves);
10.4 when both the player's time has ended;
b) An offer of draw according to 10.2 can only be made of a player at the same time as he makes his move. After that he has offered draw he starts the clock of his opponent. The opponent is able to accept or refuse the offer either orally or by making a move showing the refusal. In the meantime the player who has made the offer has no right to cancel the offer.
11OPENING RULE
White's second move must be at least three spaces from the center point. A square (zone) can be drawn including the central $xS intersections. White's second move must be outside the perimeter of this square (zone). No other restrictions are imposed on either player in the opening of the game.
12 MATCH
A match between two players may consist of more than one game. If a match consists of two games both players must once play as black and once as white within the match.
13 RECORD OF THE GAME
The organizer of the competition may decide the following rules for records of the games.
13.1 During the game both players are guilty to record the game (both the moves of his own and of the opponent) move by move in a legible way on a record decided by the organizer of the competition.
13.2 If a player has only five minutes or less left of his time he does not need to fulfil the duty prescribed in 13.1, but he has to complete his record as soon as the lack of time is over if it is possible
14 USE OF CLOCK
14.1 During a certain time both players have to make a certain number of moves.
14.2 The control of the time for the players is made with help of a special clock for this purpose.
14.3 At the time when the game begins Black's clock will be started. Henceforth after making a move each player has to stop his own clock with the same hand as he used for making the move. At the same time as he stops his own clock he has to start the opponents clock. The stop of his own clock and the start of the opponents clock must regularly be made immediately not to disturb the opponents making of moves. This rule does not prevent a player to forget to stop the clock and his opponent does not have to point out if he notices the the forgotten stop.
>14.4 When it is time to decide if the stipulated number of moves have been made within the time stipulated, the last move is considered not to be made until the player has stopped his clock.
14.5 The time registered by the clock is considered as decisive unless obvious defects exists. A player vho wants to points defects of the clocks has to do this immediately.
14.6 If the game has to be interrupted by a reason, not caused by any of the players, the clocks >must be stopped, till the matter is solved.
14.7 The players must not decide theirselves to stop their clocks without immediately to send for the organizer of the competition.
14.8 It is not allowed for anyone else then the players in a game including the organizer of a competition to point out that the time is out for a player or that a player has forgotten to stop his clock.
14.9 It is allowed for the organizer of a competition to use TIME REFEREES. If TIME REFEREES are used the TIME REFEREES control the time and 14.8 is not valid. If TIME REFEREES are used the organizer has to see to it that all games can get a TIME REFEREE when it is needed.
When 5 minutes are left of a time stipulated in a game the players immediately have to send for a TIME REFEREE.
15 LATE ARRIVAL
When the games have to start all the clocks must be started on the request of the organizer of the competition. If both players are absent one clock will be started. The time of this clock runs for both players.
16 THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE PLAYERS
When the game has started it is prohibited for the players to use written or printed documents or to analyse the game on another renju board.
When games are going on or when one or several games are interrupted, no analyse is allowed in the room or rooms for play.
It is not allowed to distract or disturb the opponent in any way.
The player has to follow the rules stipulated for the competition.
Transgression against above mentioned rules of behaviour can lead to punishment and loss of a game.
17 ORGANIZER OF THE COMPETION
To lead and organize the competition an organizer has to be appointed.
The tasks of the organizer are:
17.1 to control that the valid rule are carefully used;
17.2 to judge in all disputs that may occur during the competition;
17.3 to control that good circumstances are present during the competition;
17.4 to control that the players are not disturbed by each other or by spectators;
17.5 to punish players who does not follow the rules;
17.6 to decide the order when interrupted games have to start again;
18 CHANGE OF RULES
These rules can only be changed after a decision made by the General Assembly of the Pente International Federation and after the approval of the Parker Brothers, Massachussetts, USA.