Parcheesi Composite Rules and Instructions
Purpose Of This Document
Perhaps you went to a friend's or relative's house for a party or holiday and they brought out the Parcheesi set. You started playing and you were surprised by moves you never heard of. "Is this really the way it should be played?" you thought to yourself.
Parcheesi's rules are "complicated." Admittedly, revisions have been made to the rules over the decades since Parcheesi (versions with that name) was introduced. In addition, players have made up their own rules (house rules), sometimes intentionally, sometimes because they did not have a printed set of rules handy.
Here we describe rules that have been included with Parcheesi and similar games from selected manufacturers and of different vintages so you will know what rules actually existed in the past and so you could better choose which rules you want to use in case there you run into an ambiguity.
The manufacturers we named were: Selchow and Righter (New York), Transogram (New York), Parker Bros. Ltd (Ontario), and Milton Bradley (Massachusetts). The Selchow & Righter rules have changed very little since the 1940's. The Parker Bros. rules are simpler and more suited for younger children.
Object of the Game
To move (four) pawns from a start area along a shared path to a finish area. Movement is governed by dice. Hazards include being blockaded and being captured en route and sent back to the start to repeat the trip.
What's In a Name
"Parcheesi" is a trademark which orignally went with a game, version if you insist, published/manufactured in large quantities beginning in the late 19'th century by Selchow and Righter. From examination of various vintage versions sold via eBay and various other channels it appears as if Selchow and Righter held the U.S. copyright while Parker Bros. held the Canadian copyright. This point no longer matters since Hasbro has acquired both (and also the Parker Bros. and Milton Bradley names). What is significant is that the Selchow and Righter rules and the Parker Bros. rules have a few noticeable differences.
Symbols:
(MB) -- Milton Bradley India game before 1988
(PB) -- Parker Bros. Parcheesi
(SR) -- Selchow & Righter after 1955, Milton Bradley after 1988
(TR) -- Transogram India and Pa-Chiz-Si
v0000 -- Approximate date of manufacture
(nr) -- We do not recommended as house rules or to settle disputes with.
Unless further qualified, "one version," "other versions," and "some versions" will refer to game versions other than the preceding. Rules paraphrased from third party or composite web sites comparable to this web site are treated this way.
The forerunner of Parcheesi is over 1500 years old and originated in India. The most common Anglicised spelling of its name is Pachisi. Parcheesi was simply a variation on Pachisi. The name Pachisi, which is not copyrighted, has been re-used for other more modern versions. Here we will use "Pachisi" to refer to rules used in the centuries old version of Pachisi but not known to be hard and fast..
Given the origin of its forerunner Pachisi, (SR) Parcheesi has been nicknamed "Backgammon game of India" (v1960), "Royal game of India" (v1975) and "Classic game of India" (v2001).
Setting Up the Game
We suggest that players position the board each with a corner facing him. The "start" of "nest" for each player is in the corner nearest him, outside the travel path. (The "finish" area or "goal" or "charkoni" is in the center.) If there are just two players they should sit facing each other. Each player chooses the four pawns (men; tokens; pieces; markers) of a different color and places them in the start area in front of him or slightly to his right.
Not mentioned in the rules is players who may have difficulty distinguishing the pawns by their colors. We suggest that players who have such difficulties choose their pawns first. A player only needs to identify his own pawns, not which opponent's are which. Four tarnished pennies and four dimes kept handy should resolve most situations where more than one person has difficulty distinguishing colors. A recent edition of Parcheesi has pawns of different shapes but a player having difficulty distinguishing colors would need sharp distance vision to easily distinguish the shapes.
It is better when players use starting areas near them even if the color or symbol in the starting area does not match the chosen pawns.
(SR), (PB), most (MB), (TR), and most other versions use two dice for each move; a few other versions use one die. One (MB) version used a spinner that pointed to numbers. Pachisi traditionally used six or seven cowry shells to govern movement which behavior can be approximated by flipping six or seven coins.
"Roll," "throw," "pop," and "flip" all mean the same thing with respect to dice, coins, or similar small objects. One version had the die (just one used) in a chamber fastened to the game board and with a push button to prevent influencing the outcome of the die roll using one's fingers.
The Game Board
The main travel path officially has 68 spaces, twelve of which are specially marked, perhaps with a small circle or other symbol in them. These 12 marked spaces are called "safety" spaces or "castle" spaces or "forts". A pawn usually begins its journey from the safety space slightly to the left of the start area and travels counterclockwise spanning 64 spaces altogether to another safety space at the extreme perimeter of the board. The pawn then goes up a "home stretch" or "safety zone" of seven spaces to reach the finish area. Some (MB) versions have fewer safety spaces. In some (MB) versions the entrance space is at the entrance to the home stretch (and entering pawns must turn right and go around the board),.
The diagram recaps the journey for a pawn belonging to the player sitting at the "bottom" as shown.
The travel path is convoluted because that was the shape of the travel path in the parent game Pachisi, whose board was cross shaped (shaped like some windmill blade sets) with the travel path following the perimeter.
(Photo credits left: Framedart.com, right: Globaltoynews.com) Board decorations and cosmetics vary. Here the finish area is at the top left and a start area is at the lower right of each sample, outlined in green. The official Parcheesi board layout has two consecutive travel path spaces touching each corner of the finish area. The game can be played with one space at the corner (64 spaces in all on the main travel path) but still, different opponents' pawns may not occupy it at the same time and no more than two pawns of the same player may occupy it. Pawns do not step through the finish area, counting that as a space or retiring, when they reach that corner.
Worth noting: The official Parcheesi board has safety spaces at the entrances to the four home stretches and also five spaces before and after the home stretches. The Pachisi board has safety spaces at the entrances to the four home stretches and also four spaces before and after. Parcheesi and Pachisi boards may be interchanged with no noticeable change in play or strategies.
So for the up to four players, they share the travel path, each with their pawns entering and exiting at different places.
There are a few other versions where the pawns enter slightly to the right of the start zone and travel clockwise but the idea and strategies are the same In these versions players use the start areas slightly to their left (or directly in front). Think of a mirror image. The number of spaces on the travel path and the locations of the safety spaces may differ slightly for adult versions and may differ significantly for some children's versions.
In some versions "home" is used to refer to the start area while others including (SR), (PB), (TR), and (MB) use "home" to refer to the finish area. In this discussion we will use "finish" rather than "home" for the center area. In the parent game Pachisi, the pawns both begin and end their trips at the center. It was then common for pawns awaiting entrance to be placed on the bare table where the (modern) Parcheesi board start area would be.
Who Begins?
(SR), (MB), (TR) Each player throw the dice. Highest total goes first. (PB) Just the words "choose a starting player" are given. The method of choosing who goes first does not affect the play or strategy so in reality players can make up any method. Then play passes around the table in rotational order.
Entering a Pawn
Pawns must follow an entrance ritual starting with a five rolled on the dice, either a 5 coming up on one die, or as the sum of the numbers on the two dice such as 3 and 2. (SR) v1942 and v1989 and (TR): actually the player must enter a pawn when rolling the five (or enter two pawns when rolling double 5) unless that is impossible. (SR) v1975 and (TR): If start is not empty and a pawn cannot be entered then any remaining 5 within the throw is forfeited. (PB) and (MB) The player may at any time choose to use a 5 to enter a pawn or to move another pawn.
Unless stated otherwise above, the die value not used for entering a pawn may be used for movement of the freshly entered pawn or another pawn.
Each player's pawns always enter onto and pause on the same space near the start area, almost always a safety space that is just past (usually 5 spaces past) where the pawns come back around to the home stretch to the finish area.
Some versions use a different "magic" number, for example some (MB) versions use 7 to enter pawns with. In Pachisi each player's first pawn may come right out and move a few or several spaces without a "magic" number being thrown and thenconsumed by the entrance ritual.
Movement of Pawns
The dice throw is divided into two increments or "submoves" or "mini moves" corresponding to the spot counts uppermost on the two dice. The increments may be used by the same pawn or by different pawns (some limitations apply). A throw of 6 and 1 can therefore allow moving one pawn 7 spaces, or moving one pawn one space and another pawn 6 spaces. One increment may not be split between/among two or more pawns. Exception: some (MB) versions treat both dice as one increment.
The following diagram shows a move of four spaces and how younger children might be confused. Method "A" is definitely incorrect.
We have seen a rule for some pre-1950 versions: "In counting, a space on which a pawn rests is not counted" or similar. This would correspond to "C" in the diagram above. Decades ago, this writer has visited relatives where they used "C" when playing Parcheesi (while using "B" for other games including Sorry and Candy Land and Monopoly played during the same afternoon). But method "C" must be incorrect as it would make it impossible to capture opponents' pawns.
(SR), (PB), (TR), some (MB) If the player cannot make legal moves using both increments he may choose to use one die and ignore/forfeit the other. A player must use up as many increments as possible even if the only pawns that are capable of making certain movements are not the pawns the player wishes to assign the increments to. (nr) For some (MB) versions the entire throw must be used up or forfeited completely.
Rolling Doubles
"Doubles" and "doublets" mean the same thing.
Doubles Bonus #1
(SR), (TR), some (MB): After completing moves using a throw of doubles the player rolls the dice again and gets to move again. (PB) If all of the increments cannot be used then the player does not roll again. (All versions) Some other limitations may apply.
Doubles Bonus #2
(SR) If all of his pawns are out of the start area, a roll of doubles gives the player 14 spaces of movement as four increments corresponding to the spot values uppermost on the dice and the spot counts on the undersides of the dice. (For a die the spot counts on opposite faces always add up to 7, for example 1 and 6 are always on opposite sides.) (MB) The 14 spaces of movement are granted all of the time as 4 increments. (TR) The 14 spaces of movement are granted all the time and may optionally be subdivided in any fashion v1960 between two pawns or v1938 among any number of pawns. (TR) It is not clear how many spaces are granted if one or both dice of double 5 are consumed for entering pawns as is required. (PB) This bonus is not given.
Doubles Penalty #1
(SR), some (MB): If the player granted 14 spaces of movement cannot use up all 4 increments he may not move any pawns any distance for that throw. (He still rolls again.) Not imposed in (PB) and some (MB).
Doubles Penalty #2
(SR), some (MB) If the player rolls a third set of doubles during the same turn he must immediately take the pawn closest to the finish (including a pawn on his home stretch) and put it back in the start area. No one receives a capture bonus. His turn then ends with no movement granted for the throw. (TR) v1960: If the player threw two sets of doubles in the same turn and rolled doubles again then there is no movement and it is not clear whether he rolls yet again. (PB), (TR) v1938: No penalty, and also another throw after doubles is unlimited.
Some (MB) versions have no special treatment at all for doubles.
One version that uses one die for plays adapts the doubles bonuses and penalties to the roll of 6. Included is granting 7 spaces of movement corresponding to the spots on the top and bottom of the die, after all pawns are out of the start area, although it is considered one increment and not two.
Capturing.Opponents' Pawns
One important strategy in Parcheesi is capturing (or "bopping" or "bumping" or "eating"). If a dice increment lands your pawn on the same non-safety space as an opponent's pawn sitting alone, the opponent's pawn is sent back to start to re-enter and make a new trip around the board. Of course it would be a better strategy to capture an opponent's pawn when it has already made most of the trip to its finish point.
Unlike in checkers, capturing is not mandatory when there is an opportunity.
(nr) One (MB) version states that "overtaking" an opponent's pawn (not on a safety space) captures it. At least today, the word "overtake" includes coming from behind and moving on ahead.
This writer suggests that, if any player has difficulty distinguishing the colors of the pawns, that all players place captured pawns on the table outside the board and then the owner of the pawn(s) claims them.
Capture Bonus
(SR), (TR), some (MB): Upon making a capture the player gets a 20 space increment (to be taken in its entirety by one pawn, or forfeited). The capture bonus is taken before throwing the dice again (if applicable) after throwing doubles. No capture bonus for (PB), some (MB).
A pawn may not move to a safety space occupied by an opponent's pawn. But an entering pawn may capture a single opponent's pawn on the safety space that is also the entrance space. Pawns may not enter onto the safety space on the other side of the start circle for the purpose of capturing or for any other purpose.
(SR) An ambiguity exists about passing an opponent's pawn on a safety space when throwing doubles. Some players disallow using the throw if one die increment lands a pawn on the safety space with the opponent's pawn even if the other die increment is used to immediately move the pawn further on. We will leave it as a house rule as to whether this iwould be permitted. (PB) A pawn may use a die increment that lands it on a safety space occupied by an opponent's pawn provided that another increment of the throw is immediately used to carry the pawn further. Some (MB) versions overtly state that if the player has no other legal move then he forfeits that increment which for those versions is the total of both dice.
Blockades
Two (but not more) pawns of the same color may occupy the same space. This is a blockade; no pawns of any color may capture or overtake this pair of pawns. (SR), (PB), (MB), some (TR): A die increment that cannot be used by a pawn elsewhere is forfeited. (TR) A die interval that would take pawn beyond a blockade may land the pawn on the space immediately behind a blockade with the rest of the interval ignored.
A blockade may not be moved intact, which move might be suggested if the player rolled doubles.
But a player could move one pawn of his blockade and then use another increment (if the version's rules treat each die as a separate increment) to move a pawn from behind onto the space in question to reform the blockade. Or the player could move a pawn out of his own blockade on his entrance space and, using a 5 on the other die, enter a pawn to reform the blockade. Except for (SR) v1975 and (TR), this last move is an acceptable use of double 5.
If an opponent's blockade were on an entrance space, a player would not be able to enter his pawns onto that space. He may not enter a pawn onto another space such as the safety space on the other side of the start area.
Retiring Pawns and Winning
It is not necessary for a pawn to pause on the safety space in front of the home stretch. Pawns must enter the finish area by exact count. (TR) Doubles may bring a pawn to finish only from 14 spaces out. After entering the finish area pawns are retired, no longer vulnerable to being sent back to the start due to doubles penalty #2. It is not unusual for pawns to have to wait in the home stretch, no more than two pawns on a space, to enter the finish area.
Some versions permit a pawn approaching the home stretch to go straight past that and make another trip around the board. We cannot think of any favorable reason to choose that.
Pawns may not enter an opponent's home stretch, for example to capture, take a shortcut, etc.
Finish Bonus
(SR) and some (MB): When a pawn enters the finish area, the player receives a 10 space increment to be taken by one other pawn (the player's choice) or forfeited. (PB), (TR), and some (MB) There is no finish bonus.
Winning the Game
The first player to retire all of his pawns wins. Optionally with a house rule, play can continue to determine second place winner, etc.
Strategies
Some players, for better or worse, leave pawns on safety squares for long periods of time. It so happens that the left opponent's entrance square is a safety square exactly 20 spaces from finish, just right for a player to use a capture bonus to retire that pawn. But the left opponent might have his start area empty making the entrance square completely safe for the moment, suffer a capture himself, and very quickly re-enter his pawn and capture a pawn waiting on that entrance square.
On one version (that came with the Pachisi board layout) it is 21 spaces from the adjacent opponent's entrance to a player's own finish. We don't have the rules that came with that version so we are unsure of the capture bonus or if there is one.
Pachisi does not have a 20 space bonus but has a 25 space move increment. From the safety space at the adjacent opponent's home stretch it is a 25 space move to a given player's own finish.
While it can be a good strategy to use blockades, it is not good sportsmanship to keep blockades in place for long periods of time. When young children are playing, older players should not be the first to create blockades.
Defective Rules
Sometimes rules are ambiguous. An interpretation that can cause a player to be trapped in an impossible situation should be discarded in favor of another interpretation. One rule, source unknown, we have heard of is that if a player cannot use both die increments he must forfeit the smaller increment first. This is a defective interpretation. There is actually a documented game where a player had one pawn still in play and it was on the last space on the home stretch. Forfeiting the smaller increment would make it impossible to move that pawn the last space into the finish area. (Rolling double 1`would grant 14 spaces all of which are forfeited if all could not be taken, while rolling 1 and another number would discard the one.) The actual Parcheesi rules let the player choose which die increment to use.
Last updated March 9, 2019
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