Amazons

Amazons is an abstract strategy game for two players, created in 1988 by Argentinian Walter Zamskauskas and first published in 1992. The game is typically played on a 10x10 square grid board, with each player starting with four amazons positioned in predetermined locations on their side of the board. Amazons move like chess queens, meaning they can move in any direction (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) for any number of spaces, but they do not capture other pieces.

Each turn, a player must perform two actions: first, move one of their amazons to a new position. Then, from the position where the amazon landed, the player must fire an arrow. Firing an arrow means placing a new arrow piece on the board, which also moves like a chess queen from the firing point, until it lands on an empty space. Once an arrow is placed, it becomes a permanent block on the board, preventing both amazons and other arrows from passing through it.

The objective of the game is to corner the opponent. The first player who cannot make a legal move – that is, move an amazon and then fire an arrow – loses the game. Amazons is a deep tactical challenge where each move and each arrow fired permanently alters the board, creating a dynamic battlefield that requires careful planning and anticipation of the opponent's moves.