Chinese Checkers

George Howard Monks, an American surgeon, designed Halma in the 1880s after seeing a Chinese board game called Tiao-Wai. The German publisher Ravensburger adapted it into the six-pointed star version we now call Sternhalma in 1892. The name Chinese Checkers stuck in the United States despite the game having no direct connection to China. A 2019 study in Aging Research Reviews found that playing strategic board games helps older adults maintain cognitive function. Chinese Checkers challenges you to move 10 pieces across a 121-cell star board to the opposite triangle. Jump over neighboring pieces to chain long sequences in a single turn. Start playing right now in your browser.

1. Choose 2, 3, 4, or 6 players. In CPU mode, you control the Red pieces against one or more AI opponents. In local mode, all players share the same device.
2. The star board has 121 cells arranged in a six-pointed star. Each player starts with 10 pieces filling one triangular corner.
3. On your turn, click one of your pieces to select it. Valid moves appear as highlighted cells on the board.
4. Click a highlighted cell to move. You can either step to an adjacent empty cell or jump over any adjacent piece (yours or an opponent's) into the empty cell directly beyond.
5. After a jump, if more jumps are available from the landing cell, you may continue chaining. Click the same piece again or press End Turn to stop.
6. The first player to fill all 10 cells of the opposite triangle wins the game.

• Each player starts with 10 pieces in one triangular corner of the star board.
• A piece can move to any of the 6 adjacent empty cells surrounding it.
• A piece can jump over an adjacent piece (any color) if the cell directly beyond is empty.
• Chain jumps are allowed. After landing from a jump, you may jump again from the new position. You may stop the chain at any point.
• You cannot jump over two pieces in a row in a single leap. Each jump clears exactly one piece.
• The first player to occupy all 10 cells in the opposite triangle wins. Partial occupation does not count.

• Build a ladder of pieces across the center. Place pieces in a line so each one can jump over the next, creating a chain that moves a single piece 5 or 6 cells in one turn.
• Keep your back pieces moving. Players often leave rear pieces stranded while rushing the front. A piece stuck in your starting triangle at the end of the game costs you the win.
• Use opponent pieces as stepping stones. Since you can jump over any color, an opponent's forward advance can actually accelerate your own progress if you position correctly.
• Avoid filling your target triangle too early with the wrong pieces. If a piece that belongs in the back of the triangle blocks the entry point, your other pieces cannot land there.
• Control the center hexagon. The 61 cells in the middle of the star board serve as the highway for all 6 players. Pieces that reach the center first gain access to the most jump routes.

• Halma: The original 1880s version by George Monks. Played on a square grid rather than a star board, with pieces moving orthogonally and diagonally. The star-shaped board came later with Sternhalma.
• Checkers: A different jumping board game where you capture opponent pieces by jumping over them. In Chinese Checkers, no pieces are captured. All pieces remain on the board for the entire game.
• Two-Player Corner Variant: Some two-player rules start pieces in adjacent corners instead of opposite corners, making the game shorter and more aggressive since the paths cross immediately.

• No pieces are ever captured or removed, so every game is a pure race with no elimination.
• Chain jumps let a single piece cross the entire board in one turn, creating dramatic momentum shifts.
• The star board supports up to 6 players, making it one of the few board games that scales to large groups.
• The rules take under two minutes to learn. The strategy of building jump ladders takes much longer to master.
• Players of different skill levels can compete because a single well-timed chain jump can erase a large deficit.

Play Chinese Checkers directly in your browser. No downloads. No registration. Choose 2 to 6 players and select CPU or local multiplayer mode. The board renders as a smooth star with colored pieces, valid move highlighting, and chain jump detection. The AI opponent offers three difficulty levels. The game runs on desktop, tablet, and phone.

Chinese Checkers rewards planning over aggression. Build your jump ladders early. Keep your rear pieces moving. Control the center. The first player to fill the opposite triangle wins. Pick your player count and start racing across the star.

• Chinese Checkers - Britannica
• Board games and cognitive function in older adults - Aging Research Reviews (2019)