Play Thai Draughts Online

Board, setup, and goal

Board: Thai Draughts is played on the 32 dark squares of an 8×8 board.

Setup: Each player has eight men placed on the dark squares of the two rows nearest them, four pieces per row.

Goal: Win by capturing every opposing piece or leaving the opponent without a legal move.

Men and promotion

Quiet move: A man advances one empty square diagonally forward and cannot move backward.

Capture: A man jumps forward over an adjacent opponent into the empty square immediately beyond. Men do not capture backward.

Promotion: A man that finishes a turn on the opponent’s back rank becomes a king.

King movement and capture

Flying move: A king can travel any number of empty squares along a diagonal in either direction.

Long capture: A king crosses the empty squares before the first opposing piece and lands on the first empty square immediately beyond it.

Continuation: If a new capture is available after landing, the king changes direction as needed and continues the sequence.

Compulsory and multiple captures

Capture first: A quiet move is illegal whenever any piece can capture.

Choice of route: When several capture routes exist, the player may choose a legal route; taking the maximum number is not required.

Remove immediately: A captured piece is removed during the sequence, which can open a new diagonal for the next jump.

Winning and draws

Victory: A player wins by taking all opposing pieces or blocking every legal move.

Draw: A game may end by agreement, repeated position, or the applicable competition rule when neither side can make progress.

A useful first-game checklist

• Scan the whole board for a compulsory capture before moving.
• Remember that ordinary men capture forward only.
• After every jump, check whether the same piece must continue.
• For king captures, land immediately beyond the captured piece.

A two-player strategy game

Thai Draughts uses a board and only sixteen pieces, making it easy to set up at home, at school, or in community spaces. Its concise rules hide a rich tactical game.

The eight-piece setup leaves more open space than many international variants, so compulsory-capture timing and promotion routes matter from the opening.

The appeal of simplicity

Makhos can be played with readily available materials: a hand-drawn grid and small counters are enough. This simplicity has helped players of different ages enjoy the game.

Beneath the easy entry point lie sacrifices, forced captures, and long-range king positioning that reward repeated study.

Modern competition and online play

Thai Draughts is played in community, educational, and competitive settings. Organized events may add clocks, scoring systems, or specific draw conditions.

Online play now lets newcomers learn the rules, practise against a computer, and meet opponents without needing a physical board.

Thai Draughts (Makhos)

Thai Draughts uses eight identical men per player. Pieces move on dark squares, capture by jumping, promote to kings, and win by capturing or blocking the opponent.

Thai Chess (Makruk)

Makruk belongs to the chess family and uses several piece types with different movements. Its goal centers on the opposing king, so it is not the same game as Makhos.

What the game develops

• Calculation: Follow multiple jumps and anticipate the opponent’s forced reply.
• Planning: Keep a sound piece structure while building a route to promotion.
• Decision-making: Compare legal capture routes by the position they leave behind.
• Connection: Play with family, friends, online opponents, or a local community.

Opening principles

Stay connected: Pieces that protect one another are less vulnerable to a free capture or a long combination.

Use the center carefully: Central pieces have more routes, but careless moves can give the opponent a forcing sacrifice.

Guard the back rank: Do not open every promotion square before you can control the opponent’s approach.

Middle-game tactics

Exploit compulsory capture: Offer a piece when the forced landing square lets you win material back or break through.

Calculate the full sequence: Immediate removal can open new diagonals, so never stop after seeing only the first jump.

Choose by position: When routes are optional, compare king safety, promotion chances, and the opponent’s reply.

Using flying kings

Open diagonals: A king is strongest when friendly pieces do not block its long-range lines.

Respect the landing rule: A capturing king must stop on the first empty square beyond its victim, so calculate that square precisely.

Stop promotion: One enemy king can change the balance quickly; watch the back rank and contain advanced men.

Improving your play

Practise regularly: Different opponents reveal new openings, sacrifices, and traps.

Review losses: Find the moment when you missed a capture sequence, weakened the back rank, or isolated a piece.

Study endings: Learn how kings control diagonals, restrict space, and cooperate with the last remaining men.