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Nine Men's Morris — rules and how to start

NINE MEN'S MORRIS · Mill / Mühle / Merels

Form a line of three to remove an opponent stone; reduce them to two or trap them. Few rules, deep "mill" play.

Origin
—
Difficulty
★★★★★ 2–4 / 5
Time
10–30 min
Grid
24 points
Sites
—

Rules

  1. Each side has nine stones, placed in turn on 24 intersections.
  2. Three in a row (a mill) lets you remove one enemy stone.
  3. Win by leaving the opponent under three stones, or with no legal move.

How to start

Grab mill structures

Aim for intersections (like the center) that complete mills fast.

Block the opponent's mill

Occupy their third point before they line up.

Trap in the move phase

With few stones, outlast by keeping your own moves open.

Where players get stuck

  • Making your own mills but not guarding the next enemy mill.
  • Burning good spots early and having nowhere to place later.

Play Nine Men's Morris

No dedicated site listed yet

Usually played on the big multi-puzzle sites — try the portals list.

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About this page
  • Last updated 2026-09-22
  • Source Curated compilation of established puzzle rules and listed third-party play sites
  • Audience Players learning Nine Men's Morris rules or looking for online sites to play
  • Covers Rules summary, how to start, common pitfalls, and the dedicated play sites listed on this page
  • Does not cover Hosted puzzles, worked solutions, official contest rankings, third-party uptime or pricing guarantees
  • Not advice This page is puzzle reference content only. It does not constitute financial, legal, medical or other professional advice.
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