Makruk, also known as Thai chess, is a captivating traditional strategy game that shares similarities with international chess but stands out with its unique set of rules and pieces. Played on an 8x8 board, the game features familiar figures like the king, queen, and various pawns, each with distinct movement patterns. The ultimate goal is to checkmate the opponent's king, making Makruk a test of tactical skill and strategic foresight, and a beloved pastime in Thailand.
Features of Makruk:
- Play Against AIs: Hone your skills by challenging artificial intelligence opponents, ranging from Easy to Expert levels.
- Daily Challenge: Engage with a fresh challenge every day to keep your strategies sharp.
- Global Leaderboard: Compete against players from around the world and strive to reach the top of the rankings.
- Share Your Games: Showcase your best moves and strategies with friends and family.
- Undo & Save/Load: Correct your mistakes with the undo feature and save your game to resume later.
- Timer Based Game: Experience an added thrill with timed gameplay options.
Makruk, known in Thai as หมากรุก (Mak Ruk), traces its origins back to the 6th-century Indian game of chaturanga, or a close relative, and thus shares lineage with chess. It is considered the closest living relative to this ancient ancestor of chess variants. Approximately two million Thais are proficient in Makruk, while only about 5,000 can play international chess.
Former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik has praised Makruk for its strategic depth, noting that it requires meticulous planning similar to the endgame phase of international chess.
Rules
The Pawn (เบี้ย bia)
The pawn, symbolized by a cowry shell, moves and captures as in international chess but can only advance one step at a time, ruling out the possibility of moving two steps initially or being captured en passant. Upon reaching the sixth rank, it is promoted to a queen (med).
The Queen (เม็ด met)
The queen, the game's weakest piece, moves one step diagonally in any direction, akin to the fers in shatranj or a cat sword in dai shogi.
The Bishop (โคน khon)
The bishop, referred to as a nobleman or mask, can move one step diagonally or one step forward, similar to the silver general in shogi.
The Knight (ม้า ma)
The knight, represented by a horse, mirrors the movement of its international counterpart: two steps in one direction followed by one step perpendicular, jumping over any intervening pieces.
The Rook (เรือ ruea)
The rook, symbolized by a boat, moves any number of steps horizontally or vertically, just like in Western chess.
The King (Ang)
The king moves one step in any direction, akin to a king in international chess. It can also execute a Ses (knight jump) on its first move, though this special move is no longer practiced in Thailand. The game concludes when the king is checkmated.
What's New
- Bug fixes for a smoother gaming experience.
