Gipf: I play the game

D. The ZÈRTZ-potential

Use of the special ability

1. The ZÈRTZ-potential has the ability to jump over other pieces. Making a jump counts as a turn, meaning that you make a move with a potential instead of playing with a piece out of your reserve.

Note: the use of the TAMSK-potential is connected to a condition: you must push a piece loaded with a TAMSK-potential onto the central spot , in order to be allowed to use it. This is not the case with the ZÈRTZ-potential. You may make use of your ZÈRTZ-potentials in play at any moment during the game - this is, of course, when it is your turn.

2. The use is simple: take the potential from the basic piece and jump. By doing so, you must take notice of the following:

You must jump over at least one piece on an adjacent spot. If you jump over more than one piece, they must be lined up along one and the same line.
A jump always ends on the first vacant spot in the jumped direction (i.e. you may not jump over empty spots).
You may jump over both you own and your opponent's pieces of any kind (i.e. over basic pieces, loaded pieces and GIPF-pieces).
The potential must remain in play; you may not jump onto a black dot.

Note: a jump is a particular move, not a second way of capturing. Pieces that are jumped over remain on the board.

3. The consequences of a jump with a potential are exactly the same as when playing with a piece out of the reserve. E.g. capturing pieces can be the result of a jump.

4. The particular ability of a potential can be used only once. As a single piece ( i.e. after you made a jump with it) it has no more special power. This means that you may not leave it on the board when it is part of a row that must be captured; it must be removed. The potential goes out of the game, no matter whether it is you or your opponent who takes it from the board.

5. It may happen, towards the end of a game, that you have no more basic pieces in reserve, but still have one or more loaded pieces on the board. You may continue the game by making use of your potentials - at least if they are in a position that they can be used. I.e. use of a potential counts as a move in its own right.

The ZÈRTZ-potential can be used with or without connecting ZÈRTZ to GIPF. If you play without ZÈRTZ, you may use the special ability of the potential as described above, without further notice. First try it out at least a few times like that before you start combining games.