Subject: 3 player abalone

From: [email-masked] (Mark Torrance)
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 92 22:49:24 EDT

I have played 3 player Abalone.  It is an "elimination" format in
which you are out of the game once you have lost 6 of your marbles.
Each player begins the game with two fewer marbles than usual; the
extreme left and right marbles are removed.  Once one player is
eliminated, the other two players take turns as usual.  The eliminated
player's remaining marbles may be pushed about or off as usual.
Persuading your opponents that they are each other's most imminent
threat turns out to be an important strategy.  I believe the rules do
allow a player to use 3 marbles to push a mixed set of 2 marbles
consisting of one from each opponent, but I'm not positive on this
one.

I have considered an interesting extension using an idea borrowed from
Diplomacy.  In this extension, a player would be allowed to use the
marbles of another player in combination with his own to push the
third player, but only with the explicit verbal consent, at the time
of the move, of the cooperating player.  This could lead to
interesting "you help me now, I'll help you later" interactions.

I may not have the rules for 3 player abalone exactly correct above.
I think the complete rule modifications are listed on each package of
extra balls for the board game, sold separately.

--Mark Torrance