Christmas cracker cannon game

An abstract strategy game for two played on the intersections of the square of 9 cells, making a 4x4 playing area. One player has 6 red counters, the other has 6 blue. Starting position: Red places 4 counters along the upper edge, and the remaining two counters on the two points on the sides that adjoin his two corners. Blue places his 6 counters on the remaining edge points. Players take turns to move one of their counters either vertically or horizontally. The rules do not state how far a counter may be moved. If, by moving a counter, a player creates a horizontal or vertical line of exactly 3 counters, consisting of two of one colour and one of the other, then the singleton is removed from the board. Rules suggest, but do not confirm, that the line of three must be unbroken. No capture is made if a line of four is created. Rules do not state what happens if horizontal and vertical unbroken lines of 3 are created simultaneously. When one player loses all his counters, the other is the winner.

This game was included in a Christmas cracker in England in about 1998.

The name given above is a place holder, as no name is given. It was chosen as the board is embellished with a picture of a person with a cannon! The game is printed on a small piece of glossy paper, which also bear the rules. This is folded into quartets, and supplied in a small polythene bag, along with six red counters, and six of another colour (blue or yellow), weighing just 4 grammes.