Makruk, also known as Thai chess, is a traditional strategy game that shares similarities with chess but stands out with its unique rules and pieces. Played on an 8x8 board, the game includes pieces such as the king, queen, and various pawns, each with distinct movement patterns. The ultimate goal is to checkmate the opponent's king, requiring a blend of tactical skill and strategic planning, which has made Makruk a beloved pastime in Thailand.

Features of Makruk:

Play Against AIs: Sharpen your skills by competing against AI opponents at different difficulty levels, ranging from Easy to Expert.

Daily Challenge: Engage in a new challenge every day to test and improve your gameplay.

Global Leaderboard: Compete with players around the world and strive to reach the top of the rankings.

Share Your Games: Showcase your best strategies by sharing your games with friends and family.

Undo & Save/Load: Correct mistakes with the undo feature and save your progress to resume games later.

Timer Based Game: Experience the thrill of timed matches, adding an extra layer of excitement.

Makruk (Thai: หมากรุก; rtgs: Mak Ruk;), or Thai chess, is a board game that evolved from the 6th-century Indian game of chaturanga or a similar game, making it a close relative to chess. It is considered the most direct descendant of this ancient ancestor of all chess variants.

Approximately two million Thais can play Makruk, in contrast to the 5,000 who can play international chess.

Former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik has praised Makruk, stating it is more strategic than international chess. He noted that players must plan meticulously, as Makruk can be likened to an advanced endgame in international chess.

Rules

The Pawn

(called เบี้ย bia, a cowry shell, historically used for money) 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

(called เม็ด met), the least powerful piece, moves one square diagonally, akin to the fers in shatranj or the cat sword in dai shogi.

The Bishop

(called โคน khon, nobleman or mask) moves one square diagonally or one square forward, similar to the silver general in shogi.

The Knight

(called ม้า ma, horse) moves identically to a knight in Western chess: two squares in one direction and then one square perpendicular to that. It can jump over other pieces.

The Rook

(called เรือ ruea, boat) moves like a rook in Western chess, any number of squares horizontally or vertically.

The King

moves like a king in international chess – one square in any direction. He can also make a Ses (knight jump) on his 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 gameplay.