Question 1

What is a mill in Nine Mens Morris?

Accepted Answer

A mill is when you align exactly three of your own pieces in a straight line along one of the 16 possible lines on the board. Forming a mill lets you remove one opponent piece.

Question 2

How old is Nine Mens Morris?

Accepted Answer

Nine Mens Morris is over 3,500 years old. Game boards have been found carved into ancient Egyptian temples, Roman ruins, and medieval European cathedrals.

Question 3

What is the flying phase?

Accepted Answer

When a player is reduced to exactly 3 pieces they enter the flying phase and can move any piece to any empty node on the board, not just adjacent ones.

Question 4

Can you reuse the same mill every turn?

Accepted Answer

No. To score a second capture from the same mill line you must move a piece out of the line on one turn then move it back in on a later turn.

Question 5

How many pieces does each player start with?

Accepted Answer

Each player starts with 9 pieces placed one per turn during the placement phase. The board has 24 nodes total.

Question 6

What happens if a player cannot move?

Accepted Answer

If a player has 3 or more pieces but cannot move any of them because all adjacent nodes are blocked, that player loses immediately by immobilization.

You win!

How to play Nine Men's Morris