Ashta Chamma, also known as “Saat Kouta” or “Eight Stones,” is a traditional Indian board game that is widely played in various regions, particularly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The game is similar to Ludo and Parcheesi and is typically played by four players in two teams. Here are the rules to play Ashta Chamma:

Materials:

• Ashta Chamma board: A square board with a cross-shaped pattern, consisting of 8 outer squares and a central square. Each player’s “Home” is one of the four outer squares.
• 16 pawns or game pieces: Four pawns for each player, usually differentiated by color.

Objective: The objective of Ashta Chamma is to move all four of your pawns from their starting positions to your “Home” square in the center of the board.

Setup:

1. Each player controls four pawns of the same color.
2. Place each player’s pawns in their respective “Home” squares on the board.

Gameplay:

1. The players take turns in a clockwise direction.
2. On a player’s turn, they roll a six-sided dice to determine the number of squares their pawn can move. Each player can only move their own color’s pawns.
3. If a player rolls a 1 or 4, they can choose any of their pawns to move forward one step.
4. If a player rolls a 2, 3, 5, or 6, they must move one of their pawns from the starting position (not Home) to the outer square in front of their Home square.
5. If a pawn lands on a square occupied by an opponent’s pawn, the opponent’s pawn is sent back to its starting position.
6. If a pawn lands on a square occupied by one of the player’s other pawns, they can form a “Chamma.” A “Chamma” is a blockade that cannot be captured by opponents. The pawns forming a “Chamma” move together as a single unit.
7. The players continue rolling the dice and moving their pawns until all four of their pawns reach their Home square.

Winning: The first player to move all four of their pawns to their Home square wins the game.

Ashta Chamma is a fun and competitive game that requires a mix of strategy and luck. It is a great way to spend time with friends and family and enjoy some friendly competition. The rules mentioned above are based on the traditional way the game is played, but variations may exist in different regions or among different groups of player.