How to Play Chinese Checkers

Chinese checkers is a board game usually played by 2-6 people, where the objective is to move 10 game pieces from one side of the board to the other. Games are usually carried out on a game board shaped like a six-pointed star, and each set of pieces is a different color. Gameplay is turn-based; each player starts in the one of the points of the star and attempts to move his pieces as far as possible in one turn. This can best be achieved by “hopping” over other adjacent pieces, versus a normal move of one peg in any direction. Making multiple jumps is the key to winning the game of Chinese checkers. The name “Chinese checkers” is a misnomer: the game did not originate in China, as the name suggests, but was first called “Chinese” in the United States as a marketing scheme to make it more attractive to Westerners. Nevertheless, people all over the world have been enjoying the game for years. In this free video series, learn how to play a game of Chinese checkers. Our expert will demonstrate the basic moves the pieces make, with a discussion of the rules of the game, as well as some tips on playing strategies that will increase your chances of winning.