How to Play Nine Men's Morris
A complete, beginner-friendly guide to one of the oldest board games in the world — the rules, the board, how to form a mill, how to win, and the strategy that separates good players from great ones.
Also known as Merels, Mills, Nine Man Morris, Merrills, Mühle, or "Cowboy Checkers".
The object of the game
Nine Men's Morris is a game of lining up three. Each turn you try to form a mill — three of your own pieces in a straight line along the board's marked paths. Every mill you make lets you remove one of your opponent's pieces. Grind them down to two pieces, or trap them with no legal move, and you win.
The board
Pieces only travel along the drawn lines. The four "T-junction" points in the middle of each side connect to four neighbours — these are the most valuable squares on the board (more on that under strategy).
The three phases of play
A full game moves through up to three phases. The winner is usually decided in the first two.
Phase 1 — Placing (the opening)
The board starts empty. Players take turns placing one piece at a time on any empty point, until all eighteen pieces (nine each) are down. Even in this phase, if you complete a mill you immediately capture an opponent's piece — so the opening is already a fight.
Phase 2 — Moving
Once every piece is placed, a turn means sliding one of your pieces along a line to an adjacent empty point. You can't jump, and you can't move diagonally — only where a line actually connects two points. This is where mills are opened and re-formed.
Phase 3 — Flying (a common variation)
When a player is reduced to their last three pieces, many rule sets let them "fly": move a piece to any empty point, not just an adjacent one. It's a last-chance lifeline for the losing side. Some traditional rules leave flying out entirely — agree which version you're playing before you start.
Mills and capturing
When you complete a mill, you take one of your opponent's pieces off the board. Two important rules:
- You normally cannot remove a piece that is part of a mill — unless every one of your opponent's pieces is in a mill, in which case any may be taken.
- A single move only ever captures one piece, even if it happens to complete two mills at once.
How to win
You win the moment either of these happens to your opponent:
- They are reduced to two pieces — with only two, they can never form a mill again.
- They have no legal move on their turn (every one of their pieces is blocked).
If neither side can make progress, players may agree a draw. Some rule sets also declare a draw if the same position repeats three times.
Beginner strategy
- Grab the crosses. The four side-midpoint points touch four lines each. Owning them gives you the most ways to build and block.
- Think in double threats. Aim to threaten two mills at once so your opponent can only stop one.
- Build a running mill. Two mills sharing one piece let you swing that piece back and forth, capturing every turn — usually game-winning.
- Don't over-commit in the opening. A mill formed early is great, but scattering pieces to chase it can leave you blocked in the moving phase.
- Keep your pieces mobile. Being reduced to no legal move loses instantly — leave yourself room to breathe.
A short history
Nine Men's Morris is genuinely ancient. Boards have been found cut into the roofing slabs of an Egyptian temple at Kurna, scratched into Roman ruins, and carved onto cathedral steps and cloister benches across medieval Europe, where monks and townsfolk played it to pass the time. It appears in Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream — "the nine men's morris is filled up with mud"), and versions of the "three-in-a-row plus capture" idea show up in cultures all over the world. Three thousand years on, it's still one of the most satisfying two-player games ever devised — which is exactly why we turned it into a daily puzzle.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Nine Men's Morris and Merels?
None — they're the same game. "Merels" (sometimes "Merrills") and "Mills" are older names; "Nine Men's Morris" refers to the nine-piece version. There are also smaller relatives like Three, Six and Twelve Men's Morris.
Who goes first, and is it an advantage?
Players usually choose or toss for the first placement. Going first is a modest edge in the opening, but good play by the second player equalises it — with perfect play the game is a draw.
Can you capture a piece that's in a mill?
Not usually. You must take a piece that isn't part of a mill — unless all of your opponent's pieces are in mills, in which case any piece may be captured.
Do you have to form a mill if you can?
No. Forming a mill is optional, though it's almost always worth doing. There's also no obligation to break a mill.
Is there a solved, perfect strategy?
Nine Men's Morris has been solved by computer: with perfect play by both sides it ends in a draw. In practice, against a human, tactics like double threats and running mills win games.