Kamaʻāina Sunday Brings Kōnane Tournament to ʻIolani Palace

Oct 01, 2026

ʻIolani Palace is hosting a Kōnane tournament and a day of Hawaiian games on October 11, good news for anyone wanting to connect with local culture.

  • Kōnane is Hawaii's own strategy game, a jumping-and-capturing board game found nowhere else in the world.
  • The tournament uses a rule set preserved in Bishop Museum archives, traced to a Hawaii Island woman who passed it to researcher Kenneth Emory.
  • Competition is open to ages 12 and up, limited to 16 players, with prizes and a wait list; sign-ups are online.
  • Players will use replica flat boards modeled on an original from the Kapiʻolani-Kalākaua collection, the same style the royal family played on.
  • Non-competitors can drop in to learn, with keiki games, mahjong, and ʻulu maika also on offer.

Outlook: Organizers see the tournament as part of a wider revival of Hawaiian practices, with more cultural programming expected at future Kamaʻāina Sundays.

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