{{short description|Strategy board game}} {{about|the game|other uses|Boku (disambiguation)}} thumb|Bōku
'''Bōku''' is an abstract strategy board game<ref name="bgg">Boku at Board Game Geek [https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/69/bollox] retrieved 29 April 2011</ref> played with marbles on a perforated hexagonal board with 80 spaces. The object of the game is to arrange five marbles in a row. The game has also been sold under the name ''Bollox'', and later ''Bolix''<ref name="bandoodle">Boku background http://boku.bandoodle.co.uk/story.php</ref> and won a Mensa Select award in 1999.<ref>List of Mensa select winners {{cite web |url=http://boardgames.about.com/od/awards/a/mensa_select.htm |title=Mensa Select Games - Mensa Mind Games - Award Winners - Board Games - Card Games |accessdate=2015-06-24 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626134309/http://boardgames.about.com/od/awards/a/mensa_select.htm |archivedate=2015-06-26 }} retrieved 29 April 2011</ref>
Invented by Rob Nelson,<ref name="bandoodle"/> the former Portland Mavericks left-handed pitcher and creator of Big League Chew bubblegum. The idea for the game came to Nelson in 1991 when he was in London pitching for the Enfield Spartans. Along with good friend and owner of the Spartans Malcolm Needs they developed and marketed the game. Distributed by the London Games Company in Europe and Cadaco Toys in North America,<ref name="bandoodle" /> for a time it enjoyed the position of being the best selling two player strategy games in both Harrods and Hamleys. The game was awarded a Mensa International Gold Star.
==Rules== ''Bōku'' belongs to the class of connection games ("n-in-a-row" games) similar to Gomoku or ''Connect Four''. It has two main rules: * the game is won by putting five marbles into a row * if a player traps two of the opponent's marbles between two of their own, the player may remove one of the sandwiched marbles (and the opponent may not put a marble back into the same place on the next move).<ref>Rules of Boku [http://boku.bandoodle.co.uk/rules.php] Retrieved 29 April 2011</ref>
==World championships== The official Boku world championships have been held as part of the Mind Sports Olympiad since 2000<ref name="mso-res">Mind Sports Olympiad Boku Results http://www.boardability.com/result.php?id=boku {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708075003/http://www.boardability.com/result.php?id=boku |date=2011-07-08 }} 06 September 2010</ref> in England and David M. Pearce (England) has been the champion five times. Andres Kuusk (Estonia) has won the title four times. The 2005 ''Bōku'' World Champion was Joey Ho from London, who was aged 17 when he claimed the title after defeating reigning champion David Pearce.
===List of World Champions===
* 2000: Belgian David Glaude (Belgium) * 2001: Sweden Jan Palmgren (Sweden) * 2002: British Ben Pridmore (England) * 2003: British David M. Pearce (England) * 2004: British David M. Pearce (England) * 2005: Hong Kong Joey Ho (Hong Kong) * 2006: British David M. Pearce (England) * 2007: British James Heppell (England) * 2008: British David M. Pearce (England) * 2010: British David M. Pearce (England) * 2011: Estonian Andres Kuusk (Estonia) * 2012: Estonian Andres Kuusk (Estonia) * 2013: Estonian Andres Kuusk (Estonia) * 2014: Estonian Andres Kuusk (Estonia) * 2015: Estonian Martin Hobemagi (Estonia) * 2016: South African Alain Dekker (South Africa)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100706024532/http://www.boardability.com/game.php?id=boku MSO ''Boku'' page] * [http://boku.bandoodle.co.uk/ The Game of ''Bōku''] * {{bgg|69|''Bollox''}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boku}} Category:Board games introduced in 1999 Category:Abstract strategy games Category:Mensa Select winners Category:In-a-row games