Clone, jump and convert
Compare adding a nearby piece with relocating a distant one before converting neighbours.
Logic & rule checking
- Players
- 2
- Time
- 15–25 minutes
- Materials
- 5×5 grid; two labeled ownership sets
Prepare
Start W at A1,E5 and B at A5,E1. Two players alternate on an otherwise empty 5×5 board. Distance is the maximum of the absolute column and row differences; diagonal neighbours have distance 1.
Play
Choose an own source and an empty destination at distance 1 or 2. At distance 1, clone: the source stays and a new own piece appears at the destination. At distance 2, jump: remove the source and place it at the destination.
Worked example
After either action, every opposing piece in the eight cells adjacent to the destination becomes yours. This conversion is mandatory and does not spread further. There is no requirement for a friendly piece on the far side of an enemy line.
Finish and check
Separate practice W C3 and B D4: clone to C4 keeps C3 and converts D4. Jump from C3 to A3 removes C3 and converts only enemies adjacent to A3. It cannot convert D4 remotely.
Adaptation and limits
If no legal destination exists for any own source, pass. End when the board is full, one side has no pieces, both pass, or 60 turns occur. Count owned cells; more wins, equal draws. Mark cloned and jumped sources distinctly in the audit so a source is not accidentally kept on a jump.
Purpose, observation and provenance
Within this activity: Compare adding a nearby piece with relocating a distant one before converting neighbours.
A partner can replay each legal action and explain the stopping condition; this is an observable task, not evidence of lasting improvement.
Our rules, examples and printable diagrams are separately prepared. The earliest inventor of the broader mechanism is not established here.
Free alternative: Copy the supplied grids, labels and cards onto reused paper. No specialist product is needed. Adults may prepare pieces or act as a scribe.
Printable materials
Preview at 100% scale, with browser headers and footers off. Cut with suitable help. Keep host keys separate. This is a manual tabletop kit, not an online opponent, automatic judge or solver.
Rules to keep beside the materials
- Start W at A1,E5 and B at A5,E1. Two players alternate on an otherwise empty 5×5 board. Distance is the maximum of the absolute column and row differences; diagonal neighbours have distance 1.
- Choose an own source and an empty destination at distance 1 or 2. At distance 1, clone: the source stays and a new own piece appears at the destination. At distance 2, jump: remove the source and place it at the destination.
- After either action, every opposing piece in the eight cells adjacent to the destination becomes yours. This conversion is mandatory and does not spread further. There is no requirement for a friendly piece on the far side of an enemy line.
- Separate practice W C3 and B D4: clone to C4 keeps C3 and converts D4. Jump from C3 to A3 removes C3 and converts only enemies adjacent to A3. It cannot convert D4 remotely.
- If no legal destination exists for any own source, pass. End when the board is full, one side has no pieces, both pass, or 60 turns occur. Count owned cells; more wins, equal draws. Mark cloned and jumped sources distinctly in the audit so a source is not accidentally kept on a jump.
Clone, jump and convert — player materials
| Source | Destination | Clone / jump | Converted neighbours |
|---|---|---|---|
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
Write W on one side and B on the other of every token, or overwrite a pencil label when ownership changes. The25 markers cover the full board; use an erased source token after a jump.
Host check — keep separate
C3→C4 clones and keeps C3; C3→A3 jumps and removes C3.
Examples are stipulated model cases, not measured experimental or learning outcomes.
Related activities
Activity library · Bracket and flip: rules and printable materials