Play Chinese Checkers Online vs AI
Move All Ten Marbles
Getting one marble across the board looks like progress, but you win only when all ten reach the opposite camp. The marble still buried in your home triangle often matters more than the one already near the finish. Keep useful marbles in place for later jumps, fill the deepest goal holes first, and leave the entrance open for the last few pieces. A long hop saves time only if the next marble can follow.
How Chinese Checkers Works
Chinese Checkers is a race played on a six-pointed star. In this two-player version, Red and Blue each start with ten marbles in opposite triangles, and Red moves first. The first player to move all ten marbles into the opposite camp wins.
On each turn, move one marble to an adjacent empty hole or hop over a neighboring marble into the empty hole directly beyond it. You may chain several hops together and change direction along the way. You can hop over either player's marbles, and no pieces are captured.
Free the Back Row
The two players start in opposite triangles, but the four unused points and the center remain open for travel. If you move only the outer marbles early, the back row can run out of exits. Even a strong hop chain up front may not bring those trapped pieces into play. At the other end, fill the point and deeper holes first so the last marbles can still get through the entrance.
Keep the Jump Ladder
A hop works only when a neighboring marble has an empty hole directly beyond it. Because a chain can turn, one marble may have several possible destinations. The longest route is not always the best one. Check whether the landing sets up another hop and whether the marbles already in place can still carry the back row forward. Stopping early may preserve the same route for two or three pieces behind it.
Play Against AI
Choose from four difficulty levels, then play first as Red or second as Blue. Hints suggest a move from the current position, and Undo lets you compare a different destination. The move history and replay preserve every hop and turning point. All game calculations run locally in your browser.
Staropposite camps for two players
10marbles per side
6neighboring directions per hole
Fill itmove all ten marbles into goal
Common questions
How many players does this version support, and which rules does it use?
It's a two-player game. Red and Blue each start with ten marbles in opposite points of the star, and Red moves first. The first side to fill the far triangle with all ten wins. The four empty side points are open ground you can pass through.
Does jumping over a marble capture it?
No. Chinese checkers has no captures, so the marble you hop over stays put. Your own marbles and your opponent's both work as stepping stones, as long as one sits right next to you with an empty hole behind it.
Do I have to keep jumping until there are no hops left?
No. You can stop on any legal landing spot along a chain. Cutting a chain short to leave a stepping stone for the marble behind you is often worth more than the longest possible run.
Nine of my marbles are home. Why haven't I won yet?
You need all ten in the goal at once. The last one usually lags behind, or gets shut out because your earlier arrivals are parked in the mouth of the triangle. Fill the tip and the deep holes first and save the outer ones for your stragglers.
What can I do if one of my opponent's marbles never leaves my goal?
Wait for it to move. You can't capture it or move it for them, and while it sits there you can't fill all ten holes. That's why it pays to clear your own back row out early, so the same trick can't be used against you.
Can a marble leave the goal once it gets there?
Yes. This board doesn't use the house rule that locks marbles in the goal. You can step back out to make room or to act as a stepping stone. Just remember that marble still has to find its way home before you can win.
How strong is the AI, and can I choose to play Red or Blue?
There are multiple AI levels, and you can switch between them from the side panel at any time. Pick Red to move first, or Blue to let the AI open. Switching sides starts a new game. Every move is worked out in your own browser, so there's no waiting on a server.
How should I use hints, undo, and replay so I actually improve?
Pick a move yourself first and decide what it's for, whether that's opening a lane for your back row or claiming a deep hole, then check the hint. If they disagree, don't just copy it. Undo and play both lines. After the game, step back through the replay to find the move where your back row got stuck or your goal got blocked.
If I close the page, will my game still be there?
Yes. Games against the AI and in Two Players mode are saved in this browser on this device, with one game kept for each color. Open the page again to pick up where you left off. Clearing site data, or switching devices or browsers, means the game is gone.
What are my options for playing with a friend?
If you're in the same room, open Two Players and take turns on one device, with undo and replay still available. If you're apart, open an online room and send your friend the link. Online games let you resign or offer a draw, but neither player can undo alone. You never need an account or an install.
