Quoridor

Overview

Quoridor is an abstract strategy game for 2 or 4 players. Each player tries to move their pawn across a 9x9 board to the opposite side. On each turn, a player either moves their pawn one space or places a fence to block opponents. Fences cannot completely block access to the goal – a path must always remain open.

Components

Component	Quantity
Game board (9x9 grid)	1
Pawns	4 (1 per player)
Fences (wooden walls spanning 2 squares)	20

Setup

2 Players

• Each player takes 10 fences and places them in their storage area.
• Each player places their pawn in the center of their base line (edge of the board).
• Draw to determine who starts.

4 Players

• Each player takes 5 fences.
• Pawns placed in the center of each of the 4 sides.

Turn Structure

On your turn, choose one action:

1. Move your pawn, or
2. Place a fence

When you have no fences remaining, you must move your pawn.

Actions

Moving a Pawn

Move your pawn exactly 1 square horizontally or vertically (forward, backward, or sideways). Pawns must navigate around fences.

Placing a Fence

Place one fence between 2 sets of 2 squares. Fences can facilitate your own progress or impede your opponent. Critical rule: You must always leave at least one path open for every player to reach their goal line. A fence placement that would completely block any player is illegal.

Face to Face (Jumping)

When two pawns are on neighboring squares with no fence between them, the active player may jump over the opponent’s pawn, landing on the space directly behind them. This advances the jumper an extra square.

If there is a fence behind the opponent’s pawn (blocking the jump-through), the active player may instead move to the left or right of the opponent’s pawn.

4-Player Jumping

In the 4-player game, you may not jump more than one pawn.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The first player to reach any of the 9 squares on the opposite side of the board (the line furthest from their starting position) wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Fences are permanent once placed and cannot be moved or removed.
• Diagonal movement is not allowed.
• A typical game lasts 10-20 minutes.
• Tournament play may use timed turns.
• The critical strategic tension is between advancing your pawn and using fences to lengthen your opponent’s path.

Player Reference

Player Count	Fences per Player	Pawns
2	10	2
4	5	4

Action	Description
Move pawn	1 space horizontally or vertically
Place fence	Between 2 pairs of squares; must leave all paths open
Jump	Over adjacent opponent (no fence between); lands behind
Lateral jump	If fence blocks jump-through, go left or right of opponent
Win	Reach any square on the opposite base line