Description

Lau kata kati (or Lau Kati Kata) is a two-player abstract strategy game from India, specifically from Lower Bengal, United Provinces, Karwi Subdivision where it is called Kowwu Dunki.

The game is related to Draughts and even more so to Alquerque. Pieces are captured by hopping over them, and the board is composed of two triangle grids.

It is the same game as Butterfly (game) from Mozambique, which suggests a historical connection between the two games.

Lau kata kati belongs to a specific category of games called Indian War-games, and the other games in this category are Dash-guti, Egara-guti, Pretwa, Gol-skuish. All Indian War-games have one important thing in common, and that is that all the pieces are laid out on the grid patterned board, with only one vacant point in the center. This forces the first move to be played on the central point, and captured by the other player's piece.

To capture all of the opponent's pieces, or be the one with more pieces when no more pieces can be taken by either player, or stalemate the other opponent's pieces such that they are immobilized.

It is important to realize that Lau kata kati's board is the basis of other games, in particular, Dash-guti and Egara-guti. In serves as a basis for other games in the same way that the Alquerque board and the draughts board is a basis for other games.