Mancala (Kalah) strategy: extra turns and captures

This guide teaches Kalah, as explained on our Mancala rules page: six pits each, four stones per pit, and a store at each end.

Count distance to your store

The pit nearest your store is 1 step away. The next is 2 steps, and so on to 6. A pit with the same number of stones as its distance from the store ends in your store and earns another turn.

At the start, every pit has 4 stones, so the pit 4 steps from your store gives you an extra turn. Each lap around the board is 13 spaces (your six pits, your store, and the opponent’s six pits), so a pit also earns an extra turn with its distance plus 13 stones.

Chain your extra turns

Before you move, look for the order of moves that lets you finish in your store more than once. Play the pit nearest the store first when it has an exact count. Sowing from a farther pit drops a stone into the nearer ones and spoils their count. Then re-check what is left.

Set up captures

A capture needs your final stone to land in an empty pit on your side, with stones opposite. In this ruleset an empty opposite pit gives no capture.

• Empty a pit deliberately when the pit opposite it is full.
• Watch for your opponent doing the same. If one of your large pits is opposite an empty pit on their side, move it or fill the empty pit.

Defend your big pits

A large pit holds a lot of stones, but it can be captured. Sow it around the board before your opponent can set up a capture.

Keep the tempo

Extra turns are only useful if the move is good. Do not chain moves at the cost of leaving your side open to a large capture.

Time the end

The game ends as soon as one side is empty. The other player sweeps their remaining stones into their own store. Do not empty your side while the opponent still holds many stones. Conversely, if you hold plenty of stones and the opponent runs low, forcing them to empty first helps you.

Count to win

There are 48 stones, so 25 guarantees a win. Track the two store totals as you play.