Gala Another game that employs custodian capture is Gala from Sulawesi (formerly called Celebes), an island of Indonesia. The game was described by Harold James Ruthven Murray in A History of Board-Games Other Than Chess (1952) in which he references Walter Kaudern's Ethnographical studies in Celebes: Results of the author’s expedition to Celebes 1917–20, vol. 4: Games and dances in Celebes. (1929) as his source, and Walter Kaudern in turn references Benjamin Frederik Matthes' "Makassaarsch-Hollandsch Woordenboe" (1859) and Ethnographische Atlas (1859) as his sources which are written in Dutch. Kaudern makes no attempt to translate the description and rules of the game from Matthes, and simply copies verbatim the passage from Matthes' book along with a diagram of the board. Murray attempts to describe it in English, although there may be a slight discrepancy with that of Matthe's, but Matthe's description may be unclear in some areas. Murray describes it as a two-player game played on a 7 x 7 square board of which the central square is marked with an X (or a cross) along with the middle square of each edge row (there are four edge rows, and they are the top-most and bottom-most ranks, and the left-most and right-most files of the board). This would describe a board containing five X's. However, in Kaudern's diagram of the board which is based upon Matthes', there are nine X's to be found on the board. The other four X's are to be found on the four corner squares of the board. One player plays 10 black pieces, and the other player plays with 13 white pieces. The game begins with an empty board. Black moves first and places one piece on the central square (which is called the soelisañgka by the Bugis people of Sulawesi). Murray states that play continues with each player alternating their turns placing one of their pieces on their half of the board (Matthes does not specifically mention that pieces are entered one at a time, although that may have been his intent). Since White moves second, White has three remaining pieces left when Black has dropped all of its pieces on the board, but neither Murray or Matthes describe how those remaining three pieces are placed. Does White continue to drop them one piece per turn (which allows Black to move his pieces three times before White is able to), or are all three dropped in one turn, or is there another procedure? Matthes specifically mentions that a player's piece cannot be moved to the opponent's half of the board until all of their pieces have been entered on the board. Murray describes that pieces move orthogonally any number of unoccupied spaces as in the Rook in Chess, and never diagonally.This may be a correct interpretation of Matthes' rule, although another interpretation of Matthes' wording may be that the pieces are placed in a straight line and never in the cross (perhaps squares that are marked with an X), but if this were the case, then Matthes' makes no attempt to describe the movement capabilities of the pieces. Murray states that this board is also used for a race-game, and the squares marked with an X (with the exception of the central square) may not have any function in Gala. Murray describes that pieces are captured by interception (custodian method) in which a single enemy piece is flanked on two orthogonally opposite sides by two pieces of the player performing the capture. Murray states that when one player has hemmed in all of the other player's pieces, that is, the other player's pieces are prevented from performing a legal move on their turn, the situation is called a "pōle" by the Bugis, and "bāttoe-mi nāi" by the Makassars of Sulawesi.
gala AnoThEr gaMe tHAt eMploYs cusToDiAN caPtuRe iS gaLA froM sulAweSi (formErlY CAlled CeleBeS), an islAND of IndonesIa. The gAMe WAs deSCribeD BY haROlD JamES RuThveN MurrAy in A histOrY oF BOard-gamEs other ThaN CHeSs (1952) in wHIcH he refEreNCEs WalteR kaUderN's EThNograpHIcAl studIes in CELebEs: ResuLts of ThE AuThor’s expediTIon tO CelEbes 1917–20, voL. 4: gAmes And dANCes in ceLebeS. (1929) as his sOUrcE, and wAlter KaUderN in TurN REFErEnceS BenJamIn Frederik MaTthes' "makassaaRSch-HOLLanDsch wooRDEnbOe" (1859) and EthnogrAphIscHe ATlaS (1859) As HIS sOUrces which are wriTTEn in dutcH. kAudErn makeS no atteMpT to TraNslAtE the desCriptIon and rulEs of The gaMe From mattheS, aNd siMpLy CoPIES vErbAtiM the passAge From MAtthes' book aloNg witH A dIAgRam oF THe bOARd. murrAY attEmpTS to deSCriBE IT in eNGlish, Although THERe May be a SligHt dIScrepAnCy With tHaT oF mattHE's, BUT mAtThe's desCripTion MaY bE UnCLear In soMe areas. mUrray deSCribES it as A twO-player GamE pLayed On a 7 X 7 sqUaRe boArd Of whICH THe cenTral sqUAre is markEd witH aN X (or a cRoSs) ALonG with THe middLe SqUare of EacH edGe rOw (theRE aRe Four edge roWs, And ThEY arE tHe top-mOst and BOttoM-moSt Ranks, anD tHe Left-most anD riGHt-most fileS of the board). ThIs wouLd descRibe a bOarD ContaININg Five x's. HOWeVER, in KAuderN's DIagraM of tHe board whicH is based UPon mAtThes', THeRE Are niNE x's To Be fouNd on the board. the otHeR four x's arE to bE fouND on The fouR cORnER sqUares Of the board. one plaYer plays 10 BlAcK pIeces, and The other PlAyeR pLays witH 13 whitE piEces. thE GAme bEgins with an EMPtY BoaRd. bLAck moVeS FIRST and places one piecE on tHE central sQUARe (WHich is CAlLeD The SoeLiSAñGkA bY The BuGIs pEOple of sULawesI). murrAy STatEs ThaT play cOnTiNues wItH each pLayer altErnating TheIr TurNs plAcinG One of theIR PIECES on theIR hAlf of ThE boaRD (Matthes does not sPEciFically MentioN tHat PIeces are entErEd One at a time, ALthougH that may haVe BeeN hiS InTEnt). siNce White mOVes seCOnd, whITe has tHrEe ReMaIninG PIeceS LEft wHeN blaCk has dRopped all oF Its pieces on ThE bOard, BUt neither murRAy oR MattHes descrIbE how those ReMAinInG Three pieceS arE plAceD. dOes whITe continuE To droP thEm onE pIece pEr tUrN (whiCH AlLOwS bLacK to mOVE HiS piECes THree tIMes bEfore WhIte is able To), Or are All thrEe DroppeD In OnE tuRn, or Is there anoTher PRoceDUre? MatThES speciFicalLY meNtions that A player's pieCE cAnnoT BE mOved To ThE opponeNt'S hALF Of tHe bOArd UNTil aLL of their piEces haVE been enteReD oN tHE BoaRd. MuRraY dEsCribes thaT PiECEs moVE ortHoGoNAlLy any numbeR of uNoCcuPied SpAces aS in tHe rook IN chess, And nevER diAGonalLy.tHis mAy Be a coRReCt inTerprEtatiON Of maTTheS' RuLE, aLThoUgH ANoTHER intERPRetatiOn OF mattheS' wORDing May Be tHat THe pIeceS aRe PlacEd iN a sTraigHT lINe anD neveR in The CrOsS (perhapS squares thaT are marKeD wiTh AN X), but if thiS were the CaSe, Then matthes' mAkes nO aTteMPT To DeScrIbe the moVEmEnt CapabIlItieS of the piECeS. mURray states that this Board is alsO uSEd fOr a rAcE-GAMe, and thE sQuares maRked with aN x (With the exCEpTIon oF the CeNtrAL squarE) may not Have aNy functIon iN gala. Murray descrIBes ThAT piEceS aRE caPtURed by InTerceptioN (custOdian metHod) in WhIcH a sINgle ENemy Piece is fLAnked oN TWo OrThoGonally oPposite sides bY twO pieCes of The plaYER perfoRMING the caPtUrE. Murray states ThaT WheN one pLAYer haS hemMed in aLl Of thE OTher player'S PiECes, that is, the Other player's piECEs are PrevEnted frOm perfORmIng a LeGaL moVe on ThEir TuRn, the sITUaTion IS caLlEd a "PŌle" bY the bUGis, aNd "bāttOe-mI nāi" bY THe maKassArS oF sUlawesi.