Chinese Checkers

Chinese checkers is a race. Every player starts with 10 marbles in one point of a six-pointed star, and tries to move all of them into the point directly opposite before anyone else does.

Set up

• 2 players: start in opposite points.
• 3 players: start in every other point, so each player races toward an empty point.
• 4 players: two pairs of opposite points.
• 6 players: every point is full.

Taking a turn

1. Move one of your marbles, either a step or a chain of hops.
2. Step: move to any empty hole next to the marble, in any of the six directions.
3. Hop: jump over one marble next to you (yours or anyone's) into the empty hole right behind it. If you land next to another marble with an empty hole behind it, you can hop again, as many times as you like, changing direction as you go.
4. Turns go clockwise around the star.

1. Move one marble per turn. You cannot step and hop in the same turn.
2. A hop goes over exactly one marble that is right next to yours. You cannot hop over two marbles or across an empty gap.
3. Nothing is captured. Hopped marbles stay where they are.
4. You can move in any direction, including backward and sideways.
5. You win when your target point is filled with your marbles.

Our house rules (on by default)

Two common house rules keep the game moving. Both are on unless you switch them off under Settings.

• No parking: you can hop through another player's point (their starting point or the point they are racing to), but you can't stop in it. Points nobody is using are open, so in a 2-player game you can stop anywhere except the other player's starting point.
• No blocking: you win once every hole in your target is filled and at least one marble there is yours. A player who leaves marbles behind in their starting point cannot block you from winning.

Unused points with 2 or 4 players

With 2 or 4 players, some points of the star have no one starting in them or racing to them. Families handle them two ways: leave them open, so anyone can hop through them and stop in them, or close them off (on a real board, by filling them with the spare marbles). This game leaves them open by default; choose Removed under Settings to take them off the board.

1. Build ladders. A line of marbles with gaps between them lets you hop a back marble all the way to the front in one turn.
2. Use everyone's marbles. Any marble can be a stepping stone, including your opponents'.
3. Don't leave stragglers. A marble stuck at home costs you many turns at the end.
4. Stay near the middle. The center line is the shortest road, and the middle is where the hops are.
5. Fill the target from the tip. Pack the far holes first so late marbles have room to come in.

Can you move backwards in Chinese checkers?

Yes. Marbles can step or hop in any of the six directions, including backward. Hopping backward is often how you set up a longer hop forward.

What are the jumping rules in Chinese checkers?

You can hop over one marble that is directly next to yours, as long as the hole right behind it is empty. You can keep hopping in the same turn, in any direction, over any color. Hops never capture anything.

Can you play Chinese checkers with 2 players?

Yes. Start in opposite points with 10 marbles each. Some families give each player two sets for a longer game; this board uses one set each.

How do you play Chinese checkers with 3 players?

Each player starts in every other point, so the three target points start empty. The rules are otherwise the same.

Can you play Chinese checkers with 5 players?

You can, but one player has no opponent racing toward them, so it is unbalanced. This game supports 2, 3, 4 and 6.

How many marbles are in Chinese checkers?

Each player has 10 marbles, and the star board has 121 holes.

Is Chinese checkers from China?

No. It is a German game from 1892 called Stern-Halma, a star-shaped version of the older game Halma. It was renamed Chinese checkers when it was sold in the United States in the 1920s.