Shax: An Ancient Somali Board Game

[Geeljire]

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BACKGROUND
Shax is one popular name for a game played throughout much of the Somali inhabited regions of the Horn of Africa.With its origins dating back centuries, it is still popular today. While in the northern regions of Somalia it is known as shax, in the central andsouthern regions it is called jar (literally meaning "cut").

Shax is similar to the game Nine Men's Morris and uses the same board. However, in Shax, mills formed during placement do not immediately result in the removal of opposing pieces. When placement is finished, if any mills have been formed, the player who formed the first one may remove one opposing piece, and the other player may do the same whether they formed a mill or not. Play then continues as before. If no mills were formed during placement, the second player to move during placement is the first to move after it.

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In the nomadic areas it is played mainly by the older men with few day to day responsibilities. In the city it is played by older men but also by younger men who are unemployed. One public notice incentral Mogadishu exhorts such people saying "jaraystoow jinkaa ku dhaaf" - you players of jare,your generation has left you (i.e get moving and do something). Shax is played exclusively by men.One Somali male player of shax has offered the following explanation:"

First, women keep aloof from playing it perhaps because, like chess, it stands for war and thus calls for a quick and sharp mind to conduct tactical and strategic planning.

Secondly, this may be so because, like all games, it is a time killer and women hardly afford, at least in the good old traditions, the luxury to let time pass-by unutilised."

Although it is only a two person game, in practice it often involves many more. Observers usually hover nearby, offering advice and often even making moves for the players, sometimes even without consulting them. The games are played very quickly by "professionals" and more slowly by"amateurs".
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[Geeljire]

Shax in somali literature and poetry

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References to shax occur in many stories about people famous in Somali history and folklore (GaraadXirsi Garaad Faarax better known as Wiilwaal, Sayid Maxamed Abdulle Xasan and Suldaan Yusuf Ali of Obbiyo). Often one player will talk about the movement of the pieces using them as a metaphorfor a larger plan of action which he wants to communicate to the other player. The other player will then reply.. "
in the same fashion of subtle dialogue or debate. This could be in the case of a player threatening his arch enemy or that of a player searching the inner soul of a beloved kinsman for information "(1)

Two well known examples are recounted below:1."

1. "When Suldaan Yuusuf Cali from Bargale traveled all the way to Hobbiyo to establish and consolidate his grip over clansmen there late last century he was quoted as saying the following poem in the shax he played with one of the prominent elders in the area."Kanaan degay kanaandegahayaa, kanina ii laaban ku kaloo an kuu qarinayaa, kayd qotoma weeye"

"
I have put (my piece) there
I shall put it here
and here is yet to be filled.
Another secret move
is reserved for you"

The implication of this poem is that Suldaan Yuusaf Cali was actually referring to his subtle intention of dominating these clansmen. However, whether or not his wisdom was perceived by his opponents is not clear from the story....This can be classified as a case of passing on a message of threat.

2. Another story recounts how Wiilwaal was fond of conducting business with enigmatic wits and riddles. Suspecting that his nephew might be had an affair with his wife; he invited him to a shax and then engaged him into poetic riddles as follows:

(If) there is a nice cow with a female calf near a well
and this crazy cow chases the boys
that you never touched its teat,
swear by God!

The nephew answered:

Oh uncle you gave me an advice,
let me ask you a question
(if) a she-camel is killed by hyena, and slaughtered by the owner
if you are told to take a quarter free
that you won’t bring a vessel for it, swear by God!

This is a case of soul searching.."(1)

 

[Geeljire]

THE RULES OF THE GAME

Each player has twelve pieces which he has to place on the "board" (shown below). In the first phaseof the game each player takes a turn in placing a piece on any of the corners or intersections on theboard. At this stage players try to locate their pieces in a way that will be to their strategic advantagein the second phase of the game. This is usually done very quickly

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While placing their pieces each player also aims to be the first to place three in a row, on any part of the board. This is called a jare. In doing so players have to be very careful not to score a jare at theexpense of poor deployment of pieces, thus badly affecting the future outcome of the game.

The second phase then begins:

When both have placed all their pieces on the board the player who first made a jare has the right toremove one piece belonging to the other player, from anywhere on the board.

Then the other player has the same right.

The player who first made a jare then takes the first turn to move one of his pieces to any adjacentempty space that has now been created.

If no jare was created in the first half of the game then the player who did not make the first moveof the game now makes the first move.

Each player then tries by such moves, in turn, to establish new jare.

Each time a new jare is established the maker has the right at that time to remove one of the otherplayers pieces from anywhere on the board.

If one player by his moves happens to block all possible moves for the other player, the other playercan cry out "jid i sii aan jar aheyn" (give me a way without jare). The besieger is bound to open up a space to move by moving one of his pieces without scoring a jare.

If such a move happens to resultin the besieger scoring a jare, that player is not allowed to exercise his normal right to remove one of his opponents pieces from the board. Oodan (closed) is the term used to describe this situation.The players continue until one player has removed all but two pieces of the other player off theboard (three pieces are needed to make a jare). Alternately a player may decide to forfeit the gamebefore then.)

 

[Geeljire]

POSITIONS

There are a number of significant patterns of deployment which frequently occur in games of shax and which have distinct technical names familiar to many people, including those who do not play shax. Some of these names are often used in daily life where people find themselves in social or economic circumstances which have a parallel to events in shax.Some of the technical names for the positions in shax are given below:

These are some examples of less complicated beginner moves.

1. Jare

(meaning that which cuts)

2. Laba-qaad/laba-jaraale

(having two jare)

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3. Suran

(hanging)

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4. Afarey duuban

(having folded four)

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5. Afare

(having four)

6. Afarey duuban

(second type - having four protected with two jare)

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7. Afarey kataan leh

(having four with kataan, (possibly related to kataan/kutaan meaning blood sucking bug !)

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8. Irmaan dhereran

(straight irmaan (literally meaning a camel/goat/sheep that has given birth and from which it ispossible to collect milk))

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9. Irmaan gudban

(cross irmaan)

10. Irmaan oodan

(closed irmaan)

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[Geeljire]

11. Irmaan oodan iyo lixley

(closed irmaan with six)

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12. Irmaan oodan iyo afarrey

(closed irmaan with four)

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"
Shaxda jeexannaye jaalkayoow, jare haddaan yeesho
marna inaan ku jixinjixeyn, jiri calooshaada..." - suugan bulsho"

Oh my friend that now we have drawn the shax board

if I score a jare let it be known to you that I will never be lenient to you at all​

.

 

[nambarA]

Somalis copied/borrowed Shax from other cultures.

 

[Anonymous]

Somalis copied/borrowed Shax from other cultures.

That is just Rubbish. Shax is definetly a Somali game that had been played for centuries , although there are similar boards out there. The game names, rules,formation & moves are very much distictively Somali

 

[John Michael]

Buhoodle is named Shaxda. Is that where the game was invented?

@Freebandz

 

[Freebandz]

Buhoodle is named Shaxda. Is that where the game was invented?

@Freebandz

Who knows

 

[John Michael]

Who knows

Damn you know so much about warmongering but literally nothing about your land/people smfh.

 

[Freebandz]

Damn you know so much about warmongering but literally nothing about your land/people smfh.

Am mohamud garad not farah garad there foreign to me even thoe my dhulos relatives are a mix of my dad folks and the buhoodle folks

 

[Geeljire]

Buhoodle is named Shaxda. Is that where the game was invented?

@Freebandz

It is hard to say if the game originated there but it's probable. Still relevant to note that in the North it's called "Shax" and in the South it's called "Jar". Name "Shax" might have significant meaning behind it down north for example "Shaxda" means board or formation in Af Soomaali.

 

[John Michael]

It is hard to say if the game originated there but it's probable. Still relevant to note that in the North it's called "Shax" and in the South it's called "Jar". Name "Shax" might have significant meaning behind it down north for example "Shaxda" means board or formation in Af Soomaali.

I'm from the south but I'm pretty sure we call it shax too. But maybe they call it jar as well.

My ayeeyo told me a story about buhoodle I think, but I can't remember at all. So I was wondering if anyone knew why it was named after the game.

 

[Freebandz]

I'm from the south but I'm pretty sure we call it shax too. But maybe they call it jar as well.

My ayeeyo told me a story about buhoodle I think, but I can't remember at all. So I was wondering if anyone knew why it was named after the game.

When was the game founded?

 

[calaf doon]

​

BACKGROUND
Shax is one popular name for a game played throughout much of the Somali inhabited regions of the Horn of Africa.With its origins dating back centuries, it is still popular today. While in the northern regions of Somalia it is known as shax, in the central andsouthern regions it is called jar (literally meaning "cut").

Shax is similar to the game Nine Men's Morris and uses the same board. However, in Shax, mills formed during placement do not immediately result in the removal of opposing pieces. When placement is finished, if any mills have been formed, the player who formed the first one may remove one opposing piece, and the other player may do the same whether they formed a mill or not. Play then continues as before. If no mills were formed during placement, the second player to move during placement is the first to move after it.

​

In the nomadic areas it is played mainly by the older men with few day to day responsibilities. In the city it is played by older men but also by younger men who are unemployed. One public notice incentral Mogadishu exhorts such people saying "jaraystoow jinkaa ku dhaaf" - you players of jare,your generation has left you (i.e get moving and do something). Shax is played exclusively by men.One Somali male player of shax has offered the following explanation:"

First, women keep aloof from playing it perhaps because, like chess, it stands for war and thus calls for a quick and sharp mind to conduct tactical and strategic planning.

Secondly, this may be so because, like all games, it is a time killer and women hardly afford, at least in the good old traditions, the luxury to let time pass-by unutilised."

Although it is only a two person game, in practice it often involves many more. Observers usually hover nearby, offering advice and often even making moves for the players, sometimes even without consulting them. The games are played very quickly by "professionals" and more slowly by"amateurs".
​

Saixb you are the MVP of this forum wallahi rageedi in learning alot form you thx