[aidenn0]

The name of my favorite abstract strategy game escapes me, but it is played on a solitaire[1] shaped board, with lines connecting the dots indicating valid moves (all lateral moves are allowed, diagonal are somewhat restricted; I can draw the board from memory). It starts with the offense occupying every spot except for the nine that make up one limb of the cross (the "fortress"). Defense has two pieces only, placed anywhere inside the fortress.

Offense can move any piece by one dot, following the lines, and cannot jump. Defense can move or jumping the pieces from the offense, in any direction, following the lines.

Jumping is obligatory, consecutive jumps are allowed (and also obligatory, e.g. you can't not take a double jump).

Game ends when:

1. The offense occupies all 9 squares of the fortress (offense wins)

2. There is no legal move for a player on their turn (that player loses)

3. The offense has fewer than 9 pieces left (defense wins)

For practiced players #1 is the most common end to a game and the offense gets a number of points equal to the remaining pieces; players then switch sides and the player with the most points wins.

1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peg_solitaire

[Paracompact]

Asalto? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asalto

[aidenn0]

Bingo!

That looks exactly like the game I'm thinking of, but it was not named that. What I played was in one of those books that came with checkers and had different board-game printed on each page, and I'm guessing "Asalto" is trademarked or something.

[quuxplusone]

The Book of Classic Board Games called it "The Dalmatian Pirates and the Volga Bulgars."

https://boardgamegeek.com/image/926606/the-book-of-classic-b...

[aidenn0]

That image looks exactly like what I remember; thanks!