Chinese Checkers

Chinese checkers is a board game for 2, 3, 4 or 6 players. Each player tries to move all of their marbles across a star-shaped board to the point on the opposite side. This page runs the game in your web browser, so you can play against computer opponents or with several people taking turns on the same screen.

The board has 121 holes arranged in a star, with six coloured points. You choose the number of players, decide whether you play against the computers or with people on one device, and set how quickly the computers move. The game follows the standard rules: you move marbles by stepping or by hopping over other marbles, and the first player to fill their goal point wins. Hints and undo are available if you want to check a move or try a different plan.

How to play Chinese checkers online

1. Open the Players menu and choose 2, 3, 4 or 6 players. The default is 2. Changing this starts a new game at once.
2. Open the Seats menu. Choose You vs computers to play as Red at the bottom, with every other colour run by the computer, or Everyone on this device so that people take turns on the same screen.
3. Open the Computer speed menu and choose normal or fast. This does not restart the game.
4. Tap or click one of your marbles. It gets a gold ring, and every hole it can reach lights up as a gold dot.
5. Tap a lit hole to move there. To change your choice, tap the selected marble again or tap another of your marbles.
6. Watch the Turn and Moves chips above the board. The row under the board shows how many of each player’s 10 marbles are in their goal point.
7. Press Hint to see a suggested move. Press Undo to take back your last move. In “You vs computers”, this also takes back the computer moves that followed it.
8. Press Rules to open the “How to play” panel, and press New game to start again.

Keyboard players can click the board or press Tab to reach it, then use the arrow keys to move the cursor. Enter or Space selects a marble or makes a move, Esc deselects, and U or Ctrl/Cmd+Z undoes. Press H for a hint, N for a new game, and F for fullscreen.

How to play Chinese checkers: the core rules

Each player has 10 marbles that start filling one of the six points of the star. The goal is the point on the opposite side. The board is a centre hexagon of 61 holes plus six points of 10 holes each. Turns go clockwise, starting with Red.

Seats depend on the number of players. With 2 players, you sit on opposite points (Red and Blue). With 3 players, every second point is used (Red, Green and Purple). With 4 players, two opposite pairs sit down (Red, Yellow, Blue and Purple). With 6 players, all six points are in play.

On your turn you make one move, which is either a single step or a jump chain. A step moves one marble into a touching empty hole. A jump chain moves one marble over a touching marble, which can be yours or an opponent’s, into the empty hole directly behind it. You may then jump again from that hole, as many times as you like, always over exactly one marble. A step and jumps cannot be mixed in one turn. Jumped marbles stay where they are, and nothing is captured.

Chinese checkers rules for passing through points and ending moves

A marble may jump through a point that is neither its start point nor its goal point. However, it may only end a move in the centre, in its own start point, or in its goal point. A chain may turn in any of the six directions, but no hole can be used twice in the same chain.

Once a marble reaches its goal point, it may only move to other holes in that point. It cannot leave again. If a player has no legal move at all, that turn is skipped automatically.

How do you win at Chinese checkers?

You win as soon as every hole of your goal point is occupied and at least one of those marbles is yours. An opponent’s marble parked in your goal point counts as a filled hole, so it cannot block you forever. In practice, you usually need all 10 of your marbles home.

If the game reaches 250 moves per player (500 for two players) with no winner, it stops. The player with the smallest total distance to their goal, counting marbles already home, then wins. If nobody can move, the game also stops, and the player furthest ahead wins.

Chinese checkers strategy and tips

Jump chains are the fastest way to cover distance. Look for a marble with a neighbour in front and another marble two holes beyond it. A chain of hops can move it several holes in one turn. Hint shows you the move the computers would make, which is a useful way to spot chains you might miss.

Move the marbles that are furthest behind up the board. The computers give extra weight to stragglers, and a player with a marble still at the start will need many turns to bring it home. Keep your marbles together enough that jump chains are available.

Fill the far end of your goal point first. Marbles in the goal point can only move within it, so if the front holes fill up early, the holes near the tip become hard to reach. Bring the first arrivals all the way to the tip.

Use the centre as a route. It is a legal end point for every player, and a marble that sits there can jump out in several directions. Remember that the computers look one move ahead and do not try to block you, so a plan that depends on an opponent moving out of your way is risky.

Frequently asked questions

Is Chinese checkers free to play?

Yes. The tool is free and runs in your browser. There are no accounts, and you do not need to sign up before you play.

Can I choose my colour or seat?

No. In You vs computers you are always Red in the bottom point and you move first; the other colours sit as listed above for 2, 3, 4 or 6 players.

Can I play Chinese checkers on a phone?

Yes. The board fits 320 px wide screens without sideways scrolling. The holes are small, but taps are matched to the nearest hole, so you can still select marbles and moves. You can also use fullscreen.

Is my Chinese checkers game saved?

Yes. The game in progress is saved after every move, along with your settings and your wins for each number of players. Everything is stored only in your browser on this device, and nothing is sent anywhere. Reloading returns you to the same position, and the computers carry on from there.

Can I play Chinese checkers online with friends?

Not in the way that uses separate devices. The tool does not have online multiplayer. To play with friends, choose Everyone on this device so that everyone takes turns on the same screen.

How long does a game of Chinese checkers take?

In the test games, a 2-player game took about 82 moves in total, and a 6-player game took about 198. Your own games will vary depending on the moves you make.

Can I play Chinese checkers against the computer at different difficulty levels?

No. The computers do not have difficulty levels. You can only change the computer speed, and the game does not restart when you do.

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