Conquer · Complete guide
Conquer (Kepung Titik): how to play the encirclement dots game
Squared paper, two colours, and one idea: ring your rival's dots and the territory is yours. Known as Точки in Russia and Kropki in Poland.
This is the exercise-book game: squared paper, two coloured pens, and a contest to surround each other's dots. In Malay it is kepung titik, "surround the dots"; in Russia it is Точки, in Poland Kropki. It has no inventor and no publisher, which is exactly why it turns up in so many countries.
The rules fit in a sentence. Take turns placing a dot on any empty intersection. Close an unbroken ring of your own dots — connecting in all eight directions, diagonals included — around one or more enemy dots, and you capture them along with the territory inside, which is then sealed off for good.
The comparison with Go is obvious and slightly misleading. Diagonal connections make rings far easier to complete, so the game is faster and more tactical. Captured dots stay on the paper but are dead. The board edge cannot be used as part of a ring, so the corners are not the shelter they are in Go. And most importantly, your captured dots can be revived if you later enclose the area holding them — which means no lead is ever entirely safe.
How to play
Place dots on squared paper, close an unbroken ring around your rival's dots, and the territory is yours — plus dead dots, empty rings and the rescue that turns games around.
Where it comes from
A school game with no inventor and no publisher, played on squared paper from Kuala Lumpur to Kraków — and taken seriously enough in Eastern Europe to have tournaments.
- The game has no known inventor — it spread as a school paper game.
- It is called Точки in Russia, Kropki in Poland, Židi in Czech and Kepung Titik in Malay.
- The traditional Russian board is the 39×32 grid of a standard squared copybook.
- It resembles Go but connects diagonally, cannot use the edge, and lets captured dots be revived.
How to win
Why strong players count how many moves an enclosure needs, when sacrificing a dot is worth it, how empty rings trap the unwary, and how the scoring method should change your play.
- Count how many moves an enclosure needs — that number, not the ring itself, is the real threat.
- Keep dots connected, and use diagonal chains: they cover more ground per dot.
- Never chase an escaping dot into open space; attack towards your own strength.
- An empty ring captures nothing but traps anything played inside it later.
Common questions
Is this the same as Dots and Boxes?
No. Dots and Boxes is about drawing lines to complete squares. This game is about placing dots and surrounding your opponent's, and it is much closer to Go.
Do diagonal connections count?
Yes — dots connect to all eight neighbours, which is the main difference from Go and the reason rings close so much faster.
Can captured dots come back?
Yes. If you later enclose the area containing your own captured dots, they revive. Large captured territories are therefore a liability as well as a score.
Can I use the edge of the paper to close a ring?
Not in this version. You must close the ring with your own dots, so the border offers much less shelter than in Go.
What is the game called elsewhere?
Точки in Russian, Kropki in Polish, Židi in Czech, and simply Dots in English. The Eastern European versions have organised tournaments and rating systems.
Guides
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