Jul-gonu (줄 고누 in Korean) is a two-player abstract strategy board game from Korea.[1] It is one of many gonu games. The game has a relatively small board (4×4 square board), and yet offers a challenge at different levels. The game could be played on a larger board, however, it tends to be tiresome. Jul means "lines", and the lines of the board are often drawn on the ground. The game is also referred to as "ne-jul-gonu" (네 줄 고누), i.e. "four-lines gonu", referring to the four lines in each direction.
The game bears resemblance to hasami shogi, dai hasami shogi, mak-yek, apit-sodok, rek, ming mang, gundru, seega, ludus latrunculorum,[2] petteia,[2] and Firdawsi's nard. It also bears resemblance to the tafl games, and to a lesser extent to agon, awithlaknakwe, bizingo, watermelon chess, reversi, Othello, wei-chi, baduk, and Go as all of these games exhibit custodian capture or some form of it (as in the case of wei-chi, baduk, and Go).
A 4×4 square board (or grid) is used. Each player has four pieces. One plays as the black pieces, and the other plays as the white pieces. If one has a piecepack, the board is made from four face-down tiles, and players use coins, suit side up, as playing pieces.
Players decide what colors to play, and who starts first.
Each player's four pieces are initially set up on the first rank of their respective side of the board and which is opposite of one another.