How a jump chain works
A piece can hop over an adjacent occupied square into the empty square directly beyond it. After landing, it may hop again in another direction. The pieces it jumped over are never captured.
How to play
This page uses the standard two-player square-board variant: a 16×16 grid and 19 pieces in each of two opposite corner camps. On a turn, move one piece to an adjacent empty square in any of eight directions, or make one or more consecutive hops with that same piece. You may stop a hop chain at any landing. A step and a hop cannot be combined in one turn. Fill every square in the opposite camp to win.
Frequently asked questions
Do jumps capture pieces?
No. A jump only moves your piece over an adjacent piece. The piece jumped over stays where it is, whether it belongs to you or the other player.
Can I make more than one jump in a turn?
Yes. Continue with the same piece over another adjacent piece into an empty square. You may end the chain after any landing.
Can I step and then jump in one turn?
No. A turn is either one adjacent step or one jump chain. They cannot be combined.
Can a piece leave the opposite camp after it enters?
No. This version keeps a piece inside the opponent’s destination camp once it enters.
Does Halma have a computer opponent?
Yes. Choose the local computer or pass the same device between two people. The computer makes a simple legal move on this device; it is not online multiplayer.
Rules and limitations
The computer opponent uses a lightweight local progress heuristic, not deep search or perfect play. This is the two-player 16×16 square-board game, not star-shaped Chinese Checkers. Three repeated positions or a 400-turn safety cap are treated as a draw in this version.