The basic aim of Blue Mens Morris is to make "Mills" - vertical or horizontal lines of three in a row.
Every time this is achieved, an opponent's piece is removed.
A player wins by reducing the opponent to two pieces or by leaving him without a legal move.
The game proceeds in three phases:
Phase 1:
Placing pieces (on vacant position)
To begin with the board is empty. The players take turns placing their men one per play on vacant postion.
If a player is able to place three of his pieces in a straight line, vertically or horizontally,
he has formed a mill and may remove one of his opponent's pieces from the board.
Any piece can be chosen for the removal, but a piece not in an opponent's mill must be selected, if possible.
Phase 2:
Moving pieces (to adjacent position)
Players continue to alternate moves, this time moving a man to an adjacent point.
A piece may not jump another piece.
Players continue to try to form mills and remove their opponent's pieces in the same manner as in phase one.
A player may break a mill by moving one of his pieces out of an existing mill,
then moving the piece back to form the same mill a second time (or any number of times),
each time removing one of his opponent's men.
Phase 3:
Flying (to any valid position)
When a player is reduced to three pieces, there is no longer a limitation on that player of moving to only adjacent position.
The player's men may fly to any valid position.