Bear Hunt - Sz'kwa Go - Watermelon Chess

📜 Experience the thrill of a classic Roman spectacle with "Roman Hunt," the board game that transports you to the heart of the Colosseum! 🎲

This board is one of my favorites due to its history and because it allows you to play three different games: Bear Hunt, Watermelon Chess, and Sz'Kwa. 

*This product is homemade, using natural wood with a tung oil and shellac finish. The grain and coloration may vary slightly*

Includes:

1 Solid Poplar Board 8"x7.25" Oil and Shellac Finish

2 Metal Pegs

20 black Playing pieces

20 white Playing pieces

2Piece bags

1 Storage bag 

Bear Hunt is a game with a bear-hunting theme that hails from, the Roman Empire. Archeological records have found many styles of board throughout the footprint of the old empire. 

Watermelon Chess, known as Xi Gua Qi in China, is a two-player abstract strategy game in which 6 pieces attempt to block in each other. 

Sz'Kwa is two-player abstract strategy game, hailing from Taiwan, and shares similarities with the game Go. 

These games represent a fascinating historical cross-cultural exchange. Bear Hunt, dating back over 2,000 years, originated in ancient Rome. Xi Gua Qi, with a history of at least 2,000 years, is a game from mainland China. Sz'Kwa, a variation of Go, can be found on stone boards in various places in Formosa (Taiwan).

Each game shares the objective of trapping the opponent's pieces, rendering them immobile or surrounded. The primary differences lie in the number of pieces used and their movement rules. This raises the intriguing question of which culture originally invented these games.

I often ponder the chronology of these games and how their boards found utility across such vast distances and among different cultures. Board games, like languages, evolve, but you can discern connections in their styles of play. In all three games, the central theme involves encircling the opponent. One is a one-sided chase, another resembles a pitched battle, and the third takes an abstract form akin to Go.