I love to play board games with family and friends, that’s not a surprise to regular readers of my blog. I played a lot of games as a child; my favourite was always Monopoly. But I do like to play a variety of games and recently have been playing a lot of games that I remember from my childhood: Snakes & Ladders, Ludo, Solitaire and Chinese Chequers (aka Chinese Checkers or Halma).
I first played Chinese Chequers as a child, a long time ago now, and wrongly assumed it was called that because it originated in China. Well, it isn’t Chinese and didn’t originate in China or even anywhere in Asia! It was actually invented in Germany around 1892, making it over 130 years old! A classic board game that is still bought and played today by children, adults and families.
Chinese Chequers is a strategy board game for 2-6 players, age 7+ and has a playing time of anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes. It generally features a circular board (but can come in different shapes) featuring a six pointed star and 60 coloured pegs. The aim of the game is to move your 10 pegs from one point of the star to the opposite point.
In the box:
- Wooden Game Board
- 60 Coloured Pegs (10 x6 Different Colours)
- Instructions / Rules
Each player has ten pegs, each player will have a different colour. A players 10 pegs will fill the holes in one triangular point of the star. The goal is for players to move all their pegs from their star point to the opposite one, using single-step moves or jump moves over other pegs. The first player to do so wins the game.
Players take it in turns to move one of their pegs to an adjacent hole, jumping over pegs that are blocking the way to the adjacent hole immediately beyond it (there must be a space to jump into). It is an easy game to learn and play, but it is also challenging and strategic. You must think about and plan your moves carefully, but also be flexible and adapt to the changing situation on the board. Do you block your opponent’s moves or set up your own pegs to jump over? You must find a balance between advancing your own pegs and blocking your opponent’s ones.
Overall, Chinese Chequers is a fun, thinking and strategic game. But it is also a very social game encouraging talk around the table, enjoying the company and game play with friends and family.
You can play with 2, 3, 4 or 6 players and can even adjust the difficulty level accordingly by using fewer pegs or allowing backward moves.
It is a simple game but play can be complex depending on the strategies you and other players use, making it an interesting and enjoyable game that can be played over several rounds without any boredom setting in.
The pegs are easy to move and slot into the holes and are a good size so that players of any age can play. It is a great game for children, adults and families to play.
It is an excellent game for family and friends and is value for money. If you like classic board games, then Chinese Chequers is one to add to the board games shelves or cupboards, you and your family will have lots of fun playing it. For me, it is still as much fun playing it now as I remember when I was playing as a child – maybe even more so.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £9.99
Available to buy from Amazon here.
DISCLOSURE: All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review uses an affiliate link which I may receive a small commission from if you purchase through the link.
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