Epaminondas (game)

Epaminondas
Epaminondas starting position. Row A is Black's goal; row Z is White's.
DesignersRobert Abbott
Years active1975 to present
GenresBoard game
Abstract strategy game
Players2
Setup time~1 minute
ChanceNone
SkillsStrategy, tactics
SynonymsCrossings

Epaminondas is a strategy board game invented by Robert Abbott in 1975. The game is named after the Theban general Epaminondas, known for the use of phalanx strategy in combat. The concept of the phalanx is integral to the game.

Epaminondas was originally introduced in Sid Sackson's A Gamut of Games as Crossings. While the original version used an 8×8 checkerboard, the current game uses a 12×14 board and different rules for capture. When published, it claimed to be one of the first modern games to acknowledge the name of its inventor in its rules.