Ugolki

Ugolki, Russian for corners, is a two player abstract strategy board game similar to halma, believed to have been invented in Europe in the late eighteenth century. It is typically played on an eight by eight grid, with each player starting with sixteen pieces massed in a corner of the board diagonally opposite their opponent's. Pieces move one step at a time or leap over adjacent pieces in any direction, and a player wins by being the first to move every one of their pieces into the opposite corner. Variants of Ugolki exist using different board sizes and different numbers of starting pieces per side, but the core race to occupy the far corner remains unchanged. Its simple rules and small board make it a common introductory strategy game in Russian speaking countries, often taught to children as a stepping stone toward chess.