Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
of Kali
Copyright © 2007 John MacEnulty
Instruction Book
The Game of Kali
Copyright © 2007 John MacEnulty
It is indeed unfortunate the the fragment is here broken off. We can only surmise the
ending. From the title, however, it is obvious that somehow the Prince, utilizing the insights
gained from the game of Kali, was able to conquer the usurping half-brother and capture his
father’s crown.
A growing number of Kali scholars are beginning to cast doubt on the authenticity of this
tale. Swami Amirami, for example, is firmly convinced that the kingdom, the Prince, and indeed,
the entire social structure upon which the tale is based are the fictional creations of a diseased
mind. Swami Amirami, it should be noted, has since his investigations into the game of Kali been
seen less and less in the meditative posture of his earlier years, and more and more has been
seen hunched over a Kali board in the opium dens and other places of iniquity in the Bangali
quarter Bangalor.
Inner Meaning of the Game of Kali
Kali represents the terrifying aspect of the Mother Goddess, whose kindly or benign aspect is
reflected in the goddess Lakshmi.
Kali reflects the Indian tradition of bringing together seemingly contradictory aspects of life and
some see a link with the Great Goddess as an Earth Mother whose power was shown both in the
fertility of the earth and in the receiving of the bodies of dead.
Kali represents the realities of life and death. Kali, the devourer of time (kala) stands for the
frightening, painful side of life which all who desire to progress spiritually must face and
overcome.
Thus the pieces of the game of Kali are red, representing passion and feelings and the lust for
power, and blue, representing the deep serenity of inner being and the desire for peace and the
oneness of all things. The two forces meet in the game of life, the red pieces called upon to
understand and deal with their passions and how they influence their actions, the blue pieces,
how life beckons them from their cloistered serenity into action in the world.
Prince’s Moves:
The Prince may move only one point at a time in any direction. However, he cannot enter the
board until five enemy warriors have been captured. One Prince will be able to move before the
other. This is a major part of the strategy.
Once the Prince enters the board it is usually a sign that the end is near, one way or the other. It
only takes five moves for the Prince to reach the center. If he does, he wins the game. If he
doesn’t he is in very great danger and could be captured, thereby losing the game. So the initial
strategy is based on preparing the way for the Prince to safely gain the throne.
Captures:
Warriors or the prince may capture the opponent’s warriors or Prince. (It is highly unlikely,
however, that a Prince would capture a Prince.)
Warriors capture by jumping over one of their own men and landing on the opponent’s warrior (or
Prince). So it takes at least two warriors for a capture to occur. Capturing is the only time a warrior
can go around a corner in one move.
Since captures can be made around corners, patterns of attack can become quite complex when
all the angles are utilized.
White has now captured one black warrior. This could be followed by several alternative counter
attacks such as:
Which results in the following position:
Now, white has captured one warrior and black has captured one warrior. The consequences of
this position would be that white recaptures now having two black warriors. Black is then in a
position to take once more and have two white warriors forked. Here is one way it could play out:
White takes black resulting in:
White has now captured two black warriors. But black attacks again, forking the two white
warriors as follows:
Resulting in:
In this position black has the choice of taking either of the two remaining white warriors. They are
forked. No matter what white does, white will lose one more warrior.
Captures by the Prince
The Prince makes captures unassisted. He simply moves one point in any direction to land on an
enemy and removes the enemy from the board. It is theoretically possible for a Prince to capture a
Prince. Unlikely, but possible.
Warriors may not jump over Princes, nor may they jump over each other except to capture.
Captures are always optional. Just because you can doesn’t mean you have to.
Ending
It is important to note that the Prince cannot be stopped from reaching the center point by training
an attack on the center point. After the Prince arrives at the center point he becomes King and the
game is over. It does not matter that he can be taken after he arrives.
17
Special Considerations
Since all pieces are considered to be on the home point until moved, a warrior on any point
immediately connected to the home point may serve as a springboard for an attack on the enemy
by the forces in reserve on the home point. This makes the home territory quite formidable to the
enemy.
Strategy
Occupation of the center by as many warriors as possible may result in a solid stronghold. This
delays the advance of the opposing prince and facilitates the journey of your own Prince to the
center.
However, the nine-line points on either side of the board can serve as focal points for devastating
flank attacks.
Quick and efficient mobilization of forces should be a prime consideration. Since a warrior moved
out only one point is a blockade to the warriors behind, it may be advisable to determine the
farthest point you wish to move a warrior and get him there as quickly as possible.
Although the Prince may enter after five of the enemy have been captured, it is not always
advisable to do so.
Special care must be given to the Prince’s journey to the center. Timing is crucial. Once the
Princes get moving the end can be surprisingly swift.
Although this was stated earlier, it bears repeating: The Prince cannot be stopped by training an
attack on the center point. Once he arrives there the game is over. It does not matter that he could
be taken after he arrives.
Summation:
The game of Kali is surprisingly quick and dramatic at the point the Prince enters the game. The
preparation for that moment can seem time consuming but it is of crucial importance that the
development be carefully structured, for when things begin to fall apart for one side or the other, it
is over quickly!
Summary of the Rules for Kali:
(1) Warriors move along any straight line as far as you want, but may not turn a corner or slide
along an angle during the course of one turn.
(2) The Prince moves one point per turn in any direction.
(3) Warriors capture by leaping over an adjacent warrior of their own color and landing on the
opposing warrior on the very next point, thereby capturing it and removing it from the board.
(4) The Prince captures by moving onto the square occupied by an opposing warrior or Prince.
The prince does not leap. The capture of an opposing warrior is the Prince’s usual one point
move. He can only capture an opposing warrior on an immediately adjacent point.
(5) The object of the game is to get the Prince to the center point of the board or to capture the
opposing Prince. The game is over immediately when either of those moves occur.
(6) The Prince cannot move until five opposing warriors have been captured.
(8) Once a piece has left the home point it may not return there.
The yantra border around the game is the earthly arena. It is the place where the drama of life
takes place, the stage of life upon which we are all actors.
The circle at the left of the board with the triangles inside it is one of the basic symbols of Kali
consciousness. The fifteen points of the five triangles represent the Nityas, or eternities of Kali.
Each Nitya has her own yantra and mantra conforming to the nature of each of the days of the
dark fortnight of the Moon.
The circle itself is the symbol of eternal existence, all things emanating from the origin, the center
of consciousness.
The circle on the right contains the yin yang symbol which can be viewed as male and female
energies, positive and negative energies, or active and passive energies. The interplay of yin and
yang balance the whole of existence.
These are all within the purview of the lesson Kali offered the Prince to teach him the ways of
good and evil.