Description

Kisolo (also called Cisolo in Kasai) is a mancala type game played by the Luba, Lulua and Songye in the southeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Initially there are three seeds (makombo) in each hole.

If a player cannot capture, he starts his turn by emptying one of his holes and then distributes its contents one by one counterclockwise into the following holes. When he can't capture (see below), he makes a new lap by distributing the contents of the hole following the hole in which he dropped the last seed in hand. The move ends when the last hole is followed by an empty one. It is either possible to capture before the actual move starts or during a move.

If, at the beginning of a turn, two inner holes (one from each player) opposite to each other contain seeds, the enemy seeds of the opposite hole and, if there are any, of the enemy hole of the same file behind it are picked up and then distributed counterclockwise on the own side. The first seed must be put into the hole which effected the capture. This kind of capturing is compulsory, but the player is free to decide from which holes he captures when he has more than one choice.

If the last seed falls into a non-empty hole and the following hole is in the inner row and contains seeds, the contents of the opposite enemy hole in the opponent's inner row are captured and also the seeds in the outer enemy hole just behind it. Again, the captured seeds are distributed on the player's own side, starting in the hole which effected the capture (that is, straight opposite the captured holes).

The player who captures all seeds of his opponent's inner holes is declared winner, no matter how many seeds his opponent still has in his outer row. The game is a draw, if a move doesn't end. Perpetual sowing occurs, for instance, if empty holes alternate with holes containing one seed, when at the beginning of the turn, no two inner holes opposite of each other have seeds."