News
RSSZones and federation: what is changing in the club
The club lives in two zones, vogclub.com and vogclub.ru, linked by a federation. What you get, which limitations to keep in mind, and why this is a step towards sites for clubs and federations.
Games of the World: Dots, from the school exercise book to a rating
Squared paper and two pens: surrounding, houses and grounding. Not to be confused with Dots and Boxes. A sports club with a rulebook, millions of casual players — and our check of whether moving first gives an advantage.
Games of the World: Ugolki, Halma for an ordinary checkers board
Nine pieces in a corner and a race to the opponent's home: how to play, the 40 and 80 move deadlines, ladders and stragglers, the family of variants — and where to play right now.
Games of the World: Chinese checkers — neither Chinese nor checkers
From the English Hoppity and the American Halma to the German star of 1892 and a marketing name from 1928. How to play, why six players make it a different game — and where to play it right now.
Games of the World: togyz kumalak, the nine stones of the steppe
Kazakhstan's national game: 162 stones, the first stone back into its own hole, the captured “tuzdyk” hole and victory at 82. On the UNESCO list since 2020 — and we are already building it for the club.
Games of the World: Ludo, from Indian Pachisi to a billion phones
Cowrie shells and Akbar's living pieces, an English patent of 1896, Germany's “Don't Get Angry” and Ludo King. Why Ludo is not in our near-term plans yet — and which races to play instead.
Games of the World: games of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas
Aztec patolli, Maya bul, the Haudenosaunee bowl game and slahal: how they are played, why we will not make online versions — and how to play bul at home with four corn kernels.
Games of the World: mus, Spain's game of cards and gestures
We start a series about games from different countries. Mus: a Basque card game for two pairs, four contests in one deal, the all-in “órdago” and allowed signals to your partner — and why we are considering it.
Go: from 9×9 to 19×19, with handicaps and byo-yomi
19×19, 13×13 and 9×9 boards, Japanese and Chinese rules, handicaps and byo-yomi, counting with dead stones marked automatically, six KataGo bots from 20 kyu to very strong, a study room and tournaments.
Filler: take over the board with colour
A board of coloured cells where a move is a choice of colour. A match on one board with swapped corners, six rated variants from Quick 8×7 to Vinco with 1377 hexagons, five bots, the Flood the board puzzle, a daily board and 100 puzzles.