Makruk
by Elite Naga Jul 01,2025
Makruk, also known as Thai chess, is a traditional board game with origins tracing back to ancient India. Played on an 8x8 board like Western chess, Makruk features unique rules and piece movements that distinguish it from its international counterpart. The game's primary goal is to checkmate the op
Application Description Makruk, also known as Thai chess, is a traditional board game with origins tracing back to ancient India. Played on an 8x8 board like Western chess, Makruk features unique rules and piece movements that distinguish it from its international counterpart. The game's primary goal is to checkmate the opponent's king, emphasizing deep strategic thinking and tactical precision. As one of Thailand's most beloved intellectual pastimes, Makruk remains widely played across the country.
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Makruk (Thai: หมากรุก), literally meaning "dog game" (possibly referring to the symbolic value of pieces), evolved from Chaturanga—an ancient Indian strategy game—and is considered one of the closest living relatives to the ancestor of modern chess. In Thailand, approximately two million people are familiar with Makruk, compared to only about 5,000 who play international chess.
Former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik once noted that Makruk requires more strategic depth than standard chess due to its structured endgame-like nature. Players must carefully plan each move, as the game often feels like a prolonged endgame scenario, demanding foresight and resource management.
Pawns move and capture exactly like in Western chess, but they cannot advance two squares on their first move. Therefore, en passant captures are not allowed. When a pawn reaches the sixth rank, it promotes immediately to a queen (known as med).
The queen is the weakest piece in Makruk, moving only one square diagonally in any direction—similar to the fers in Shatranj or the cat sword in Dai Shogi.
Also known as the nobleman or mask, the bishop moves one square diagonally or one step forward—mirroring the movement of the silver general in Shogi.
The knight moves identically to its Western chess counterpart: two squares in one direction followed by one square perpendicular, jumping over other pieces unimpeded.
The rook behaves exactly as in standard chess—moving any number of squares vertically or horizontally without obstruction.
The king moves one square in any direction, just like in international chess. At its first move, the king may perform a special knight-like jump (called Ses), though this rule is no longer commonly used in modern Thai gameplay. The game ends when a player’s king is checkmated.
Bug fixes implemented to enhance performance and ensure smoother gameplay.
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