Overview

Focus (also published as Domination or Dominio) is an abstract strategy game designed by Sid Sackson, first published in 1964. Players move stacks of pieces on a modified checkerboard, capturing opponents’ pieces by burying them in stacks. The game won the 1981 Spiel des Jahres. Players can only move stacks they control (where their color is on top), and stacks move as many spaces as they contain pieces. Excess pieces are removed from the bottom when stacks grow beyond five, creating a dynamic of capture and reserve placement.

Components

• 1 Modified checkerboard (6x6 with 1x4 extensions on each side, formed by removing the 3 corner squares from each corner of a standard 8x8 board)
• Colored pieces: quantity varies by player count (2P: 18 per player; 3P: 12 per player in 3 colors; 4P: 13 per player in 4 colors)

Setup

2 Players: Each player takes 18 pieces of their color. Place pieces alternating colors in a checkerboard pattern across the board. All pieces start as single-piece stacks.

3 Players: 12 pieces per player in 3 colors. Alternate placement in a 3-color pattern.

4 Players: Players form 2 teams of 2 (partners sit opposite). 13 pieces per player in 4 colors. Alternate placement across the board.

Turn Structure

Players take turns in clockwise order. On each turn, a player performs exactly one action: either move a stack or place a reserve piece.

Move a Stack

1. Choose any stack where the topmost piece is your color.
2. Move the stack exactly as many spaces as there are pieces in the stack (1 piece = 1 space, 2 pieces = 2 spaces, etc.).
3. Movement is orthogonal only (horizontal or vertical, not diagonal).
4. The stack may not change direction during a move.
5. A player may choose to move only the top portion of a stack (a sub-stack), leaving the bottom pieces behind. The sub-stack moves a number of spaces equal to the number of pieces being moved.

Landing on Other Stacks

When a stack lands on a space containing another stack, the moving stack is placed on top of the existing stack, merging them.

Stack Overflow (5-piece limit)

If a merged stack exceeds 5 pieces, remove pieces from the bottom until the stack is exactly 5 pieces:

• Your own pieces removed this way go into your reserve (kept beside the board). These may be placed on the board later.
• Opponent’s pieces removed this way are captured and permanently eliminated from the game.

Place a Reserve Piece

Instead of moving a stack, a player may place one of their reserve pieces onto any space on the board (empty or occupied). The piece is placed on top of whatever is already there.

Actions

Moving Stacks

• Must move the exact number of spaces equal to pieces in the stack (or sub-stack being moved).
• Movement is in a straight line (orthogonal, no diagonal, no turning).
• You may only move a stack/sub-stack if the topmost piece of what you are moving is your color.

Partial Stack Moves

• You may split a stack by lifting the top 1 or more pieces (as long as the topmost piece is yours) and moving only those pieces.
• The pieces left behind form their own stack (whoever is on top of the remaining pieces controls that stack on their turn).

Reserve Placement

• Uses your entire turn (no moving a stack on the same turn).
• The reserve piece goes on top of any stack or empty space.
• This can be used strategically to take control of an opponent’s stack by placing your piece on top.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Elimination Victory: The last player (or team, in 4-player) who is able to make a legal move wins. A player who cannot move any stack (because no stack has their color on top) and has no reserve pieces is eliminated.

Alternative Scoring (optional variant): Play a series of games. Score 1 point per opponent piece captured. Highest cumulative score after an agreed number of games wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• No Passing: You must make a move if you can. If you cannot move any stack and have no reserves, you are out.
• Team Play (4 Players): Partners sit opposite each other. You can move stacks topped with your partner’s color. Captured pieces from both opponents count. The team that eliminates both opponents (or is the last team able to move) wins.
• 3-Player Variant: Each player plays independently. Alliances are informal and temporary.
• Single Pieces: A single piece on a space is a stack of 1 and moves exactly 1 space.
• Board Shape: The playing area has 52 spaces total (6x6 center = 36, plus four 1x4 extensions = 16).

Player Reference

Turn Options (choose one)

1. Move a stack (or sub-stack) — must be topped with your color, move exactly as many spaces as pieces being moved, straight line only
2. Place a reserve piece — on any space, on top of existing stack

Stack Rules

• Maximum 5 pieces per stack
• Excess removed from bottom when merging creates >5
• Your pieces removed = reserve (reusable)
• Opponent pieces removed = captured (eliminated)

Victory

• Last player/team able to move wins
• Eliminated if: no stacks topped with your color AND no reserve pieces