Alquerque Game – Rua do Relógio

A recurring pattern in many Portuguese monuments since the Upper Middle Age until the end of the 19th century is the existence of engraved board games on low walls and stair steps. Leaning against the wall of the Castelo Rodrigo castle, there is an Alquerque (Qirkat) nine board game. It survived some renovations and, without any room for players to sit around, became merely a decorative object. Many pass by this rock and do not pay any attention to it.. On a smooth rock, with enough space for two players to sit around the board, three squares are engraved with some lines connecting their sides or a grid of four squares with all the vertices joined. It was played with small rocks that each player would place on the board. The rules used are unknown, since there are few people still alive who would have played on these boards engraved into the rock, but it is assumed that it would be similar to the Alquerque twelve or Alquerque nine, also known as Mill or Windmill game, played on boards with these designs. These are thought to be forerunners of the game of checkers.