Igori is a traditional board game played by Ebira People of Nigeria, this game also known as Ayo Olopon in Yoruba language It is a game that requires a lot of mathematical skills and logics. Igori is played in a carved wooden, Iron box, and containing twelve holes (six holes on each side), and forty-eight Igori seeds (four seeds in each hole). Children most times dig in the soil for playing the same game since they can’t afford the board.
The art of playing Igori is called Igori Oiche. According to the Ebira Culture, Igori Oiche is observed in the evening after the day’s work. It is often believed that only unemployed and lazy men played the game in the morning. Children learn to play Igori in most government schools in Yoruba land (I personally learn how to play this game in my school back in the days) as it is a cultural heritage that must be passed on from generation to generation.
Ebira People believed that information often spread during this game, and most of the things said during the game are lies, the game is entertaining and time consuming, some of the observers of the game also gamble during the course of the game. If at the end of the game the loser is not man enough he will surely cry as people will make fun of him.
Most times schools in the western part of Nigeria organize Igori Competitions for kids and the winner gets a good cash prize and a new Igori board by (Ebiraonline.com).
How to Play Igori Game.
Two men take turn to play this game, which runs anti clockwise.
The first player begins by moving seeds from his right hand side to the opponent’s side. If the seed-movement terminates in a hole with three or less Ayo seeds, this player picks up the seeds as his winning, and seeds from preceding holes, if any.
Players take turn until the seeds are exhausted.
If a player records three straight wins, he becomes a champion the loser quits; a new player takes over.
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Thank you for reading my Article I am still my humble self (Yakubu Binuyaminu Adeiza aka Binoosmart.
