Makruk

Makruk, also known as Thai chess, is a captivating traditional strategy game that, while similar to chess, boasts unique rules and pieces. Played on an 8x8 board, it features familiar pieces like the king, queen, and various pawns, each with distinctive movements. The ultimate goal is to checkmate the opponent's king, demanding both tactical finesse and strategic foresight, which contributes to its widespread popularity in Thailand.

Features of Makruk:

Play Against AIs: Sharpen your skills by facing off against AIs of varying difficulty levels, ranging from Easy to Expert.

Daily Challenge: Engage your mind with a fresh challenge each day, keeping your gameplay exciting and dynamic.

Global Leaderboard: Compete on a global scale, challenging players worldwide and striving to climb the ranks.

Share Your Games: Showcase your strategic prowess by sharing your best moves with friends and family.

Undo & Save/Load: Correct any missteps with the undo feature and save your game to pick up right where you left off later.

Timer Based Game: Amp up the thrill with timed gameplay, adding an extra layer of excitement to your matches.

Makruk, known in Thai as หมากรุก (Mak Ruk), is a board game that traces its roots back to the 6th-century Indian game of chaturanga, making it a direct descendant and closely related to chess. It is considered the most similar living game to this ancient ancestor of all chess variants.

An impressive two million Thais are adept at playing Makruk, while around 5,000 can play international chess. According to former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik, Makruk Thai demands more strategic planning than international chess. Players must approach their moves with meticulous care, as Makruk Thai can be likened to the anticipated endgame of international chess.

Rules

The Pawn (เบี้ย bia, a cowry shell): Moves and captures like a pawn in international chess but is restricted to moving one step forward at a time, thus eliminating the possibility of capturing en passant. Upon reaching the sixth rank, a pawn is always promoted to a queen (med).

The Queen (เม็ด met): The weakest piece on the board, the queen can move one step diagonally in any direction, similar to the fers in shatranj or a cat sword in dai shogi.

The Bishop (โคน khon, nobleman or mask): This piece can move one step diagonally or one step forward, akin to the silver general in shogi.

The Knight (ม้า ma, horse): Moves identically to a knight in Western chess, taking two steps in one direction and then one step perpendicular, capable of jumping over other pieces.

The Rook (เรือ ruea, boat): Moves like a rook in Western chess, able to traverse any number of steps 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 practiced in Thailand. The game concludes when the king is checkmated.

What's New

Bug fixes have been implemented to enhance your gameplay experience.

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