DownloadMakruk, also known as Thai chess, is a fascinating traditional strategy game that shares similarities with international chess but boasts its own unique rules and pieces. Played on an 8x8 board, Makruk includes distinctive 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 players to demonstrate both tactical skill and strategic planning. This game enjoys immense popularity in Thailand, captivating players with its depth and complexity.
Features of Makruk:
- Play Against AIs: Sharpen your skills by challenging artificial intelligences ranging from Easy to Expert levels.
- Daily Challenge: Engage with a new challenge each day to test your abilities consistently.
- Global Leaderboard: Compete with players from around the world and strive to climb the ranks.
- Share Your Games: Showcase your best moves and strategies with friends and family.
- Undo & Save/Load: Correct any mistakes and save your progress to resume playing later.
- Timer Based Game: Experience added excitement with timed gameplay.
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. As a direct descendant, it is closely related to chess and is considered the most similar living game to this ancient ancestor of all chess variants.
In Thailand, approximately two million people play Makruk, while only about 5,000 can play international chess. According to former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik, Makruk Thai demands even more strategic planning than international chess. Kramnik compares playing Makruk to navigating an anticipated endgame in international chess, emphasizing the need for meticulous planning.
Rules
The Pawn (เบี้ย bia, a cowry shell, historically used as currency) moves and captures similarly to a pawn in international chess, but with a key difference: it cannot move two steps on its initial move and thus cannot be captured en passant. When a pawn reaches the sixth rank, it is promoted to a queen (med).
The Queen (เม็ด met), the weakest piece on the board, moves one step diagonally in any direction, akin to the fers in shatranj or the cat sword in dai shogi.
The Bishop (โคน khon, meaning nobleman or mask) moves one step diagonally or one step forward, mirroring the movement of the silver general in shogi.
The Knight (ม้า ma, horse) retains the movement of its Western counterpart, moving in an L-shape: two steps in one direction and one step perpendicular, capable of jumping over other pieces.
The Rook (เรือ ruea, boat) moves identically to the rook in Western chess, capable of moving any number of steps horizontally or vertically.
The King (Ang) moves like a king in international chess, one step in any direction. Historically, the king was allowed to 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 gameplay experience.
