Pontoons 1870

Pontoons is played on a 6x10 grid of rectangular cells; these are almost square but a little shortened on the longest side of the board. The board is oriented with a side of six cells next to each player. These nearest six cells are called the “bank,” and to start the game, each player has six pieces called “men” in his own color, one on each cell. In the next two rows, referred to as a “mooring,” each player starts with twelve “boat” pieces of his own color. These pieces are large enough for the “men” to easily stand upon.

Players take turns moving one piece at a time, man or boat. Men may move any number of spaces vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, but not back towards their own bank. Between banks, men may only move about on or over boats. Only one man may ride a boat at a time. Boats move in the same manner as men. Men may ride a boat of either color, but the boat’s rules of movement do not change. Men may not be removed from a boat of their own color, but may be thrown overboard from one of their opponent’s boats.

Men may throw the other player’s men overboard by landing on or jumping over their boat. To do this, the opponent’s man must be in an adjacent cell; the capturing player must land on that boat or land on an empty boat opposite. A man thrown overboard returns to any empty cell on his player’s bank and begins again.

When a boat and man reach the opponent’s mooring, they are permanently removed from the board. The first player to remove all his own pieces from the board wins the game.