Makruk, also known as Thai chess, is a captivating traditional strategy game that shares similarities with chess but boasts its own distinct rules and pieces. Played on an 8x8 board, the game involves pieces such as the king, queen, and various pawns, each with unique movements. The ultimate goal is to checkmate the opponent's king, requiring players to demonstrate exceptional tactical skill and strategic planning. This game holds a special place in Thai culture, cherished for its depth and challenge.
Features of Makruk:
- Play Against AIs: Sharpen your skills by challenging artificial intelligences of varying difficulties, ranging from Easy to Expert.
- Daily Challenge: Engage with a new challenge each day to test your Makruk prowess.
- Global Leaderboard: Compete with players around the world and strive to climb the ranks to the top.
- Share Your Games: Showcase your best moves and strategies by sharing your games with friends and family.
- Undo & Save/Load: Rectify mistakes with the undo feature and save your progress to continue your game later.
- Timer Based Game: Heighten the excitement with timed gameplay, adding a thrilling dimension to your matches.
Makruk, known in Thai as หมากรุก (Mak Ruk), is a board game that traces its origins back to the 6th-century Indian game of chaturanga or a close relative, making it a direct descendant of the common ancestor of all chess variants. It is considered the living game most closely related to this ancient progenitor.
In Thailand, approximately two million people can play Makruk, while only about 5,000 are proficient in international chess. According to former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik, Makruk Thai demands even more strategic foresight than international chess, akin to an anticipated endgame scenario.
Rules
The Pawn (เบี้ย bia, a cowry shell, historically used as currency):
- Moves and captures similarly to a pawn in international chess but cannot advance two squares on its first move and thus cannot be captured en passant.
- Upon reaching the sixth rank, it is always promoted to a queen (med).
The Queen (เม็ด met):
- The weakest piece, it moves one step diagonally in any direction, similar to the fers in shatranj or the cat sword in dai shogi.
The Bishop (โคน khon, nobleman or mask):
- Moves one step diagonally or one step forward, akin to the silver general in shogi.
The Knight (ม้า ma, horse):
- Moves exactly like a knight in Western chess, jumping over any intervening pieces.
The Rook (เรือ ruea, boat):
- Moves like a rook in Western chess, any number of squares horizontally or vertically.
The King (Ang):
- Moves like a king in international chess, one step in any direction. It can also make a Ses (knight jump) on its first move, though this special move is no longer used in Thailand. The game concludes when the king is checkmated.
What's New
- Bug fixes have been implemented to enhance your gaming experience.
