How to Play Lasca

Lasca was invented by world chess champion Emanuel Lasker in 1911. It plays like draughts, except that nothing ever leaves the board: captured pieces are stacked under their captor and can be freed again.

The rules

1. A 7×7 board; play is on the 25 dark squares. Each side has eleven soldiers on its first three rows. White moves first.
2. A soldier moves one square diagonally forward onto an empty square. An officer moves one square diagonally in any direction.
3. Capture by jumping over an adjacent enemy column onto the empty square beyond. The jumped column's top piece is placed under the jumping column. The remaining pieces of the jumped column stay where they are and are uncovered.
4. A column is controlled by its top piece: it moves and captures as that piece does, and only that piece's owner may move it.
5. Capturing is compulsory, and a capture continues as long as further jumps are possible, in any direction allowed for the piece. You may choose between different capture sequences but must finish the one you start. A column uncovered mid-move may be jumped again if its new top piece is an enemy.
6. A soldier reaching the far row becomes an officer (it gains a mark). Promotion ends the move, even if more jumps are available.
7. The player who cannot move on their turn loses. Sixty consecutive moves without a capture or promotion is a draw.

Playing on kawu

Tap a column, then each landing square in turn; dashed squares show legal landings and the move is made when the sequence is complete. The badge on a column shows its height; the officer's top piece carries a dot. Hint shows the hard computer's move. Play either colour against three levels, or two players on one device. Undo is allowed.

Next: Lasca strategy.

Last updated 2026-10-21