How to Play Chinese Checkers

Chinese Checkers is a classic strategy game for two to six players. The goal is to move all of your pieces from your starting triangle to the opposite triangle on the board.

What you’ll need

• A Chinese Checkers board (star-shaped or 2 player)
• 10 pieces per player
• 2–6 players

Set up

Two-player boards

• Each player chooses a color.
• Place all 10 pieces in the triangle closest to you.
• Your home triangle is the triangle directly opposite your starting position.

Two to six player boards

• Each player chooses a color and a starting triangle.
• Place all 10 pieces into that triangle.
• The triangle directly opposite is that player’s home triangle.
• Unused triangles remain empty.

In all versions of the game, the goal is to move all of your pieces from your starting triangle to your home triangle.

Objective

Be the first player to move all 10 of your pieces into your home triangle.

Taking a turn

Players take turns moving one piece per turn.

On your turn, you may make one of the following moves:

• A single-step move to an adjacent empty hole, or
• A series of hops over other pieces

Single-step moves

A single-step move consists of moving one piece to any adjacent empty hole.

Hopping moves

You may hop over any adjacent piece (your own or another player’s) if the hole immediately beyond it is empty.

• Hops may be made in any direction
• You may make multiple hops in a single turn with the same piece
• Each hop must land in an empty hole

You may not mix a single-step move and hops in the same turn.

Movement rules

• Pieces are never captured or removed from the board.
• You may hop over pieces of any color, including your own.
• You must complete your entire turn with the same piece.

Entering and leaving home triangles

• You may move through other players’ triangles.
• Once a piece enters its home triangle, it may not leave.

Winning the game

The first player to move all 10 of their pieces into their home triangle wins.