Starting layoutĮach player sets his 10 pieces in one of the board corners. The game goard is made of 121 cells ordered in the shape of a six pointed star (Star of David), while the small triangles that make its corners are made of 10 cells each. To race all one's pieces into the star corner on the opposite side of the board before opponents do the same. The game was introduced to Chinese-speaking regions mostly by the Japanese. The Pressman company's game was originally called 'Hop Ching Checkers'. The name 'Chinese Checkers' originated in the United States as a marketing scheme by Bill and Jack Pressman in 1928. The 'Stern' (German for star) refers to the board's star shape (in contrast to the square board used in Halma). The game was invented in Germany in 1892 under the name 'Stern-Halma' as a variation of the older American game Halma. The rules are simple, so even young children can play.įigure 1 - Chinese Checkers Board with 6 player setsĭespite its name, the game isn't a variation of checkers, nor did it originate in China or any part of Asia (whereas the game 象棋 xiangqi, or 'Chinese chess', is from China). The remaining players continue the game to establish second-, third-, fourth-, fifth-, and last-place finishers. The objective is to be first to race all of one's pieces across the hexagram-shaped board into 'home'-the corner of the star opposite one's starting corner-using single-step moves or moves that jump over other pieces. The game is a modern and simplified variation of the game Halma. Chinese Checkers Background on the game and rules Background on the gameĬhinese checkers (US and Canadian spelling) or Chinese chequers (UK spelling) is a strategy board game of German origin (named 'Sternhalma') which can be played by two, three, four, or six people, playing individually or with partners.

Rules chinese checkers