Halma(Spear's)

An early 1970's edition of the classic game of 'pawns'. The game can be played with 2 or 4 players, and the object of the game is simply to get your pawns, starting from one corner, across the board to your opponent's corner - while he is trying to do the same.

There is no 'taking' of opponents, as in chess or draughts, just a mad dash to get to the other side of the board, by hopping over your own and your opponents pieces.

It sounds terribly simple, and like many of the most addictive games, the basic rules are very straightforward. However, winning (particularly in the 4-player game) takes a lot of thought and forward planning.