Makruk: Thai Chess

Thai Chess: A Unique Take on a Classic

Thai chess, also known as Makruk, is played on an 8x8 board, similar to classical chess. However, there are key differences in the initial setup and piece movements. The game can be enjoyed against AI, a fellow player on the same device, or an online opponent.

The initial arrangement largely mirrors classical chess, but with two notable exceptions: the white queen starts on e1 and the white king on d1 (each king is to the left of its queen from the player's perspective); and pawns begin on the third rank (white) and sixth rank (black).

Piece Movements:

• King: Moves one square horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, as in European chess. Castling is not permitted.
• Queen: Moves only one square diagonally. (This is a significant departure from standard chess.)
• Rook: Moves any number of unoccupied squares horizontally or vertically.
• Bishop: Moves one square diagonally in any direction or one square forward vertically.
• Knight (Horse): Moves in an "L" shape—two squares in one direction (horizontally or vertically) and then one square perpendicularly, as in European chess.
• Pawn: Moves one square forward vertically and captures one square diagonally forward, mirroring European chess. Upon reaching the sixth rank, a pawn promotes only to a queen.

Winning the Game:

The objective is to checkmate the opponent's king, just as in classical chess. A stalemate results in a draw.