This is a game for one person, played on a board pierced with
thirty-seven holes, in each one of which is placed a marble or peg.
The art or motive of the game is to remove one marble and then to
shift the rest about, so as to bring the last marble to the hole
whence the first was removed. One marble or man takes any other over
which it can leap into a vacant hole beyond; or any number of men in
succession, so long as there is a hole into which it can go. An
example of a game played will better explain the method, than any
amount of verbal instruction.
Remove the marble from the centre hole; then bring the marble from 1
in the upper limb of the diagram, to the centre, jumping over and
taking the piece between. By following the direction of the figures,
it will be found that the last place arrived at will be the centre
from which you started. With practice and patience the Solitaire
player will be able to start from and return to any hole on the board.
5 O-----O-----O 35
| | |
| 1 | |
14 O-----O-----O 4
| | |
17 16 18 17 |15 16|18 3|5 18 2
15 O-----O-----O-----O-----O-----O-----O 9
| | | |2 | | |
| | 14|21 19|20 4 |6 22 | |
O-----O-----O-----O-----O-----O-----O
| | |12 1 |22 |21 19| |
| 10|18 11|13 18|8 7 |9 8 |18 7 |
17 O-----O-----O-----O-----O-----O-----O 9
| 10|18 |
| 20| 6 |
12 O-----O-----O
| | |
|13 |13 |
11 O-----O-----O
THE CENTRE-HOLE GAME.
Many variations of the game will suggest themselves as you proceed;
but the above will suffice to show the plan and system of Solitaire.