The pieces don't actually have numbers imprinted on them, but I have added numbers here, for the purpose of establishing an unambiguous syntax for move notation. Each piece shape has its own distinct number. Pentomino 1 is the only piece that does not occupy different squares when rotated or flipped, so its location can be indicated with just one set of coordinates. All the other pieces use two sets of coordinates. The first set will correspond to the square indicated by 1, and the second set of coordinates will be the location of the square indicated by 2. See the next diagram for an example.
Each set is a distinct color: White, Yellow, Red, or Blue. (The following two-player positions will use White versus Black.) A four-player game uses the whole board. Three players use the central region plus any two outer regions. Two players use just the 10x10 region. The board is empty of pieces at the start. White moves first. Each move consists of placing one of your pieces on the board, aligned with the grid, on five previously vacant squares. Pieces remain where they are placed. You may not "fence off" any region of 1 to 4 vacant squares with your move. For example, in the following diagram, Black's piece is illegally placed, because it fences off two regions of one square each. The notation for White's move here is 12-D3-C5, and Black's illegal move is 1-B2. |
