Chinese checkers is an easy and enjoyable family game. We spend a lot of our time in the evening playing games instead of watching the TV. The rules for Chinese checkers are easy to learn even for young children and is one of our favorites.
I can remember playing Chinese checkers with my sister many years ago when the board was a metal tin that held the marbles. It was noisy, but sturdy. You can still buy the tins on Amazon along with various other kinds of boards, from plain to fancy.
The game has to have at least 2 players, but as many as 6 can play.
The game board is simple, it’s a star with 6 points and each point usually, but not always is a different color. Sometimes the Chinese checker boards have no color, sometimes only 3 different colors. It all depends on the type and style you buy. Every player chooses their star color or star point. This will be their home point; there are 10 spaces in each point. Using a board with colors may be easier for small children.
Every player will also choose 10 marbles each, all the same color. If the board has colors then your marbles will match your home color.
Hint: Marbles are round, they roll…easily, kids can be clumsy, and so can adults for that matter. Usually it’s no big catastrophe, just something to be aware of. If your board has deep holes there is less chance for disaster. If the worst does happen…start over, it’s just a game. Another option would be to buy a board that has pegs instead of marbles.
The object of Chinese checkers is to move your marbles from your home point on the star to the star point directly opposite you. The first one to do this wins the game! Sounds easy right? It is.
The players take turns, moving clockwise. You can flip a coin or decide among yourselves who will go first.
The rules for Chinese checkers are simple
To play the Chinese checkers game you move one marble one space at a time, unless you can jump over a marble that’s in front of you, and then you can take as many consecutive jumps during the same play as possible. You can move your marbles in any direction and jump your own or other players marbles. Remember this is Chinese checkers, marbles are not removed from the board once jumped over, and the object is to get to the other point of your star. Once you get a marble to its destination it cannot be moved out of that point, it can be moved inside the point however.
A player may not arbitrarily leave a piece in their area so that another player cannot win. The rules for that are…if one piece is still in the opponent's area, it can be exchanged for the encroaching player's piece. Simple! You cannot try to block another player by leaving one of your marbles in his way.
Chinese checkers is a simple and fun game for the whole family, its good bonding time and doesn’t take a long time to play out a game. In these days of busy, busy, busy, that’s good to know.
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