Bridge
Bridge: connect two corners of the board with your stones.
Learn Havannah
Havannah is a strategic board game by Christian Freeling. It is played on a hexagonal board of hexagonal cells. There is no capturing and no draw – the first player to complete a bridge, fork or ring wins.
Three ways to win
Fork
Fork: connect three sides of the board with your stones.
Ring
Ring: enclose at least one cell with a ring of your stones – whether the cell is empty or occupied.
Basics
Moves
Black moves first. Players then alternate – exactly one stone per turn on an empty cell. Stones are never captured or moved.
No draws
A game of Havannah always ends with a winner – draws are impossible.
Swap colors?
Pie rule: after Black's first move, White may swap colors.
The board
The board is a hexagon of hexagonal cells with side length S. Common sizes are 4, 5, 8 and 10.
| Board size (S) | Cells |
|---|---|
| 4 × 4 | 37 |
| 5 × 5 | 61 |
| 8 × 8 | 169 |
| 10 × 10 | 271 |
Strategy tips
- The corners are the most valuable cells – they count for both bridge and fork.
- A ring only exists once it is closed – watch for gaps in your opponent's structures.
- The sides count toward the fork – control as many sides as possible without overextending.