Amazons (Game of the Amazons)
Officially Amazons (El Juego de las Amazonas)
MODERN ABSTRACT STRATEGY board game invented in 1988 by ARGENTINE mathematician WALTER ZAMKAUSKAS. Played on a 10×10 board with 4 QUEEN-LIKE 'AMAZONS' per side (starting on symmetric positions). Each turn: MOVE AMAZON like chess queen, THEN 'SHOOT' AN ARROW like a chess queen from her new position — arrow BLOCKS all future movement through that square. LAST PLAYER ABLE TO MOVE WINS (blocking territory game). Computationally interesting — actively studied in COMBINATORIAL GAME THEORY.
Quick facts
Category
Mind Sports
Type
Individual
Players
2–2
Duration
~45 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇦🇷 Argentina
Estimated origin
Invented 1988 by Argentinian mathematician Walter Zamkauskas; first published in Spanish game magazine 'El Acertijo' (1992); international adoption by combinatorial game theorists mid-1990s; computer amazons championships since 2003 (Computer Olympiad).
Olympic
No
Popularity
niche
How it works
Objective
Be the LAST PLAYER ABLE TO MOVE — opponent who cannot move loses.
Rules
Basic rules
TURN = TWO PARTS: (1) MOVE ONE OF YOUR AMAZONS like a chess queen (any distance, any direction — up/down/left/right/diagonal, no jumping); (2) FROM NEW POSITION, SHOOT AN ARROW (like queen move) from that square to another empty square
Signature move-then-shoot 2-part turn.
ARROWS BLOCK future amazon movement + future arrows from passing through
Signature arrow-blocking.
ARROWS + AMAZONS block movement (cannot jump)
Signature no-jump rule.
PLAYER WHO CANNOT MAKE A LEGAL MOVE (all 4 amazons blocked) LOSES
Signature no-move loses rule.
GAME TENDS TO SPLIT BOARD into TERRITORIES — each player has isolated regions containing their amazons; territory size determines who runs out of moves first
Signature territory-splitting emergence.
TIE-BREAKING: not needed — 100% deterministic outcome
Signature no-draws.
TIME CONTROL: typical competition 30 min per side; blitz 5 min
Standard time control.
Scoring
Binary win/loss — no scoring during play; last to move wins.
Win condition · Opponent cannot move any amazon on their turn.
Equipment
10×10 BOARD (any color scheme)
Signature 10x10 grid.
4 AMAZON PIECES per side (traditionally BLACK vs. WHITE; queen-like tokens)
Signature 4 amazons per player.
ARROW MARKERS (small stones / tokens) to mark blocked squares — up to 92 possible arrows total
Signature arrow-marker tokens.
STARTING POSITION: BLACK at a4, d1, g1, j4; WHITE at a7, d10, g10, j7 (symmetric)
Signature symmetric starting position.
Terminology
- Amazon
- Queen-like piece — 4 per player.
- Arrow
- Blocking marker fired by amazon after her move.
- Territory
- Isolated region into which board partitions — winner determined by territory size + amazon count.
- Zugzwang
- Move you'd rather not make — key concept in amazons endings.
Major competitions
Computer Olympiad — Amazons event
annual (with Computer Olympiad) · Global (ICGA) · since 2003
BoardGameArena Amazons ladder
continuous (online) · Global online · since 2010
Where it is played
Governing bodies
International Computer Games Association (ICGA — hosts Computer Amazons)
Founded 1977 · Netherlands + Global
Abstract-strategy gaming community — informal international pool
Founded 1990 · Global (online)
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Walter Zamkauskas (AR, inventor)
- Amazons computer champions: 'Invader' (Michael Buro), 'Yamazon'
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Amazons (game)— Wikipedia
- BoardGameArena — Amazons— BGA