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HOW TO PLAY
SO BUILD IT
AFRIKAANSE MANCALA, ONZE TJONGKLAK
Van lezer Kapenga ontvingen we dezer dagen een
artikel uit de S.F. Examiner dat een bijzonder aardige
onthulling deed. Hebt U ooit geweten dat ons tjongklak
spel In Indie, dat we met de pitten van sawoh ketjik of
kleine gladde schelpjes speelden, oorspronkelijk uit
Afrika komt en daar mancala heet. Het is nog steeds
"national game" en iedereen speelt het. Zo'n mancala
of tjongklak bord kan vrij makkelijk zelf gemaakt worden.
Ik herinner me dat mijn grootvader uren besteedde aan
het uithollen en gladwrijven van de vereiste holletjes.
Hier kan het natuurlijk machinaal.
Jammer dat foto's het in onze krant niet best doen, in
ieder geval heeft U hier een duidelijke werktekening en
de hele verdere beschrijving van onze tjongklak, dank zij
een attente lezer!
Leer het de kids, ze kunnen er net zulke prettige uren
mee vullen als wij!
The game is played with counters which can be
just about any small object, such as coins, marbles,
beans or the like.
The object of the game is to capture the most counters.
First off, each player puts the same number of counters,
in each one of the six holes on his side of the board.
It is suggested that you start with six counters per hole
and use more as you become ooficient.
To start, the first player picks up all the counters
from any one of his six holes and distributes them to
his right, placing one in each hole. If the last one lands
in his scoring bin, he gets another turn-otherwise the
turn passes to his opponent.
If the first player has enough counters to go beyond
his scoring bin, after dropping one there, he proceeds
from right to left along his opponent's side of the
board, depositing a counter in each as he did in his own.
When he can go around the other end (skipping the
other player's scoring bin) and drop the last counter in
an empty hole on his own side of the board, he captures
all the counters in the hole opposite on the opponent's
side.
The game ends when all the holes on either side of
the board are empty. The player with the most counters
in his scoring bin is the winner.
Now then, since no one -at least no one we know -
is importing mancala boards, and since your interest is
by this time at fever pitch, we invite you to build your
own.
Popular Mechanics advises how to do this.
Your finished product is only 22 3/4 inches in over
all length, and 6 1/4 inches wide, so obviously there is
not much mateiial needed.
The top of the board is made of 1/2-inch plywood,
both pieces walnut-faced on one side. If you prefer, you
could use plain plywood, finishing it carefully with var
nish or painting It for an attractive and durable finish.
A hole saw is the recommended tool for making the
cutouts in the upper half of the mancala board (see
illustration at left above). If you do not have one, use a
jigsaw for this job.
To cut out scoring bins with a hole saw, make two
overlapping hole cuts and trim the waste to leave a
smooth side.
When the holes have been cut in the upper half, simply
glue this piece to the 1/4-inch plywood base, with the
walniit-faced side of the base up so that this finish shows
through the holes. You may use wood glue or an epoxy
glue.
That's all there is to it. Even an all thumbs workman
could make it.
sOQ
loo
