Giuthi - a strategy game for two players

"Giuthi ("to place", "to distribute") is a popular mancala game of the Kikuyu and the Embu in Kenya and deserves to be better known. It is deceptively simple but a player needs to carefully plan their moves to be successful.

To start the game, an equal number of seeds are placed in each of the pits. This can be from four to nine. On my version, I suggest that you start with 4 seeds in each of the 12 pits (print 4 copies of the 12 seed model and then separate them using nail clippers or small scissors). Increase the number of seeds in each pit progressively to increase the difficulty.

To decide who starts, one player takes a seed and hides it in one of his hands behind his back so that his opponent does not know which hand it is in. The two hands are then brought forward and the opponent must guess which hand holds the seed. If they guess correctly, then they begin the game.

To make a move, you pick up all the seeds from any pit on your side of the board and sow the seeds, one seed in each succeeding pit to it, in either direction (clockwise or anticlockwise).
When placing the last seed, you pick up the entire contents of that pit and sow them in the opposite direction. Each time that you pick up a new handful, you change direction.

You cannot start with a single seed. If your last seed goes into an empty pit (so that there is now only the single seed that you placed in it) then it is the end of your turn. If it is your turn and you only have single seeds or empty pits on your side of the board then you cannot move and forfeit your go.

A move is not considered valid until the player has crossed the border over onto the other side of the board from where the move started. If your final seed lands in an empty pit before you cross the border, then you get another turn.
If, after having crossed the border, your final seed ends in an empty pit on your own side, and your opponent's pit opposite contains one or more seeds, these seeds are captured. The seed making the capture is also taken off. Captured seeds are stored in the long side pit to the player's right.
If the pit making the capture is followed by one or more empty pits, each of which has at lest one seed in its opposing pit, these are also captured. After all captures are completed, it is the opponent’s turn. In any case, the move is over once a player has landed in an empty pit on either side after having crossed the border at least once.

If a player cannot make a move because they only have single seeds or empty pits on their side of the board, they lose their turn until such time as there is at least two seeds in a pit.
If at any time, neither player has a legal move, the board repeats or one player's pits are all empty, that game is over.
The seeds left on the player’s side belong to that player together with those they have captured. The winner is the one with the most seeds.

Giuthi rules - further information.

As with the Masai, it is common practice to continue the game into a second phase like this:
The person with the less seeds replaces them on the board in any arrangement they chose. Much experience is required to take maximum advantage of this opportunity. Some versions of the game do not require the player to replace all the seeds that they have on the board. In addition, if the loser of the first game has less than half of their original number of seeds, they may ask that the board be shortened by one or more pits in each row, to a minimum of three. The opponent, the one with the most seeds, places an equal number of seeds in each pit on their side opposite to the ones placed by the loser. Some versions require that the winner place double the number in each of their pits, if the loser has less than half. The game then continues as before until one player cannot continue. The second game is begun by the loser; after that the two take turns.