Chinese Checkers Tips
Chinese checkers Chinese checkers (alternative spelling Chinese chequers) is a board game that can be played by two to six people. A board game in which each player tries to move a set of marbles through a set of holes from one point of a six-pointed star to the opposite point A board game for. Chinese checkers is a relatively simple game, but that doesn't mean it's easy to win. Like any game, the more you play the better you'll get at it. However, it is also helpful to consider some basic and advanced strategies so that you have a leg up on your opponents.
Chinese checkers is a strategy board game of German origin which can be played by two, three, four, or six people, playing individually or with partners. The game is a modern and simplified variant of the American game Halma. Java chinese-checkers. Updated on Mar 28, 2018. Yes, Chinese Checkers is a strongly solved game for 2 players and weakly solved for 3 players. Solved game For 2 players, the 1st player wins by 2 moves. For 3 players, it is a draw between the 1st and 2nd players.
Chinese checkers may be played by 2, 3, 4 or 6 players.
The chinese checkers board is shaped like a star with 6 points. Each player starts the game with 10 marbles filling all 10 spaces in their point of the star. This is their home point. The color of the player’s marbles matches the color of their home point. Sometimes pegs or other types of playing pieces are used instead of marbles.
When 2 players play, they set up in points opposite each other. When 3 play, one empty point is left between each player. When 4 play, each player must be directly opposite an opponent. Five players cannot play since the game will not be balanced. That is, one player would be opposite an empty point.
The object of the game is to move all your marbles into the point of the star directly opposite your home point. The player that does this first is the winner.
Players decide among themselves who will start. When only two players are playing, players may flip a coin to decide who starts. Some boards are actually capable of spinning, depending on the company that makes the board. If this is the case with your board, you can use it pick the starting player. Place a single peg in any given slot and spin the board. Players take turns, clockwise.
The player may move one marble to any adjacent space. Or the player may jump over an adjacent marble to the space immediately past that marble. A player may make as many consecutive jumps during the same play as is possible. Marbles may be moved in any direction. The player can jump over any colored marble.
Unlike checkers, players do not capture a marble when they jump over it. Nothing happens to the marble that was jumped over. No marbles are removed from the board during the game.
Chinese Checkers Tips
Once a marble has entered the destination point, that is, the point directly opposite the home point, it may not be moved out of that point. It can only move within that point.
Chinese Checkers Strategy Tips
For what it’s worth, there are a lot of similar games you can play online like roulette, bingo or craps, all of which you can read more about. Nevertheless, if you want to play Chinese checkers, the best thing to do is to watch the video below for a visual explanation of how to jump marbles and play the game.
The main variation for Chinese checkers is Super Chinese checkers. This setup allows for much bigger hops/jumps and is also known as Fast Chinese Checkers. The idea is to try to finish the game quicker. The basic rules are the same. But when it comes to jumps, the pegs do not have to be adjacent. However far away the peg to be jumped over is, there must be an equal number of empty spaces behind it. This is why you really have to pay more attention to what’s available to you and your opponent for potential moves. Depending on house rules as well, you might or might not be able to jump 2 pegs that are adjacent in line. In the standard rules, you cannot make such a jump.
Chinese Checkers Tips
For example, you may see your own peg two spaces away from the peg you want to move. With the standard rules, the peg you want to move is a “stray”. But with Super Chinese Checkers, as long as there are two empty spaces on the opposite side of the peg to be jumped over, it’s a valid move. The actual distance doesn’t matter as long the spaces are all empty. You could very well get to the other side of the board with a single hop!!
Next, take that same example and imagine more pegs in between each other. Yes, you can hop over pegs as in the standard rules. But if a peg at a distance manages to line up as well for a longer hop, it’s all still within the same hop/single move of the peg you moved.
Another variation is playing multiple sides, when there are only two players, at the same time. Each player can play up to three sides at the same time. This makes for a much slower but much more difficult game. You not only have to track your own and your opponent’s moves as good strategy, but now you have to do so with up to three sides of pegs. This is a variation that really requires you to pay attention. And while trying to move your own pegs, make sure you don’t block yourself!
There are versions of Chinese checkers available for both the iOS and Android devices. As of this writing, only the Android version was tested. The Android version listed here happens to be the highest rated Chinese checkers game for the platform. It uses the Super Chinese Checkers variation. And yes, the AI is quite good. The AI is designed to find the largest hops it can make at any given time. When you try the normal difficulty mode or higher, be prepared to see some serious long distance moves!
OBJECTIVE OF CHINESE CHECKERS: Be the first player to get all your pieces to the “home.”
MATERIALS: Star-shaped Checker board, 60 pegs (6 different colored sets of 10)
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2, 3, 4, or 6 players
TYPE OF GAME: Checkers
AUDIENCE: Teens, Kids, Adults
INTRODUCTION TO CHINESE CHECKERS
Chinese Checkers is a strategy board game. Despite the name, the game actually originated in Germany, where it was called Sternhalma. It is a simpler version of the game Halma, which is an American game. The goal of the game is to move all of one’s pieces across the hexagonal board to the “home,” which is a corner across the board from a player’s starting corner. Players use single step moves and jumps to win. Play continues until all players place, i.e. a second, third, etc place.
SETUP
The game can accommodate 2, 3, 4, or 6 players. A six player game uses all the pegs and triangles. Four player games should be played with two pairs of opposite triangles, two players games should always be played with opposing triangles. Three player games use the triangles equidistant from each other.
Players each choose a color and its 10 corresponding pegs. The unused pegs are left to the side so they are not used in the game.
THE PLAY
Toss a coin to pick the first player. Players alternate turns moving single pegs. Players may move pegs into holes adjacent to the starting hole or jump over pegs. Hopping moves must be to adjacent and empty holes. Players are permitted to hop over as many pegs as possible in a single turn. Pegs stay on the board. When a peg reaches the opposite triangle across the board it cannot be moved out, only within that triangle.
Some rules claim it is legal to block players with your pegs in their home triangle. However, there are anti-spoiling rules which claim these pegs do not inhibit players from winning. The game winner wins by occupying all the vacant holes of the opposing triangle.
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