 The board is four squares wide, and usually an odd number of squares long, usually from 7 to 15, but formerly up to 29 squares.Numbering the four rows 1, 2, 3 and 4, from the start one player has one (nominally) white piece in each field of row 1, and the other a (nominally) black piece in each field of row 4.The pieces may be stones or made from burnt clay.