How to Play Halma

Halma, invented in 1883, is the game Chinese Checkers grew out of: a race of jumping pieces across a square board.

The rules

The board is 16×16. White's nineteen pieces start in the bottom-left camp, Black's in the top-right. White moves first.
On your turn move one piece either by a step to any of the eight neighbouring empty squares, or by a chain of jumps: hop over an adjacent piece of either colour to the empty square straight beyond it, as many times as you like, turning as you go.
Nothing is captured. Jumped pieces stay where they are.
You win by moving your pieces into the opposite camp until it is full. A camp that is full with at least one of your pieces in it also counts, so an opponent cannot block you by leaving a piece behind.
After 200 turns each, the player with more pieces home wins; equal is a draw.

Playing on kawu

Tap a piece, then one of its marked destinations; the dots include the ends of every jump chain. The squares a chain passed through are highlighted after a move. Hint shows the hard computer's move. Play either colour against three levels, or two players on one device. Undo is allowed.

Next: Halma strategy. Prefer the star board? Play Chinese Checkers.

Frequently asked questions

Can I jump over my own pieces?

Yes. You may jump over any piece, yours or the opponent's, as long as the square straight beyond it is empty, and you may keep jumping in a chain, changing direction as you go.

What if the opponent leaves a piece sitting in my camp?

You still win when the camp is full and at least one of the pieces in it is yours. Squatting cannot block the game.

Last updated 2026-10-21