Join with a codeJOINLog in

Chinese Checkers Strategy and Tips

Here is how to think about winning at Chinese Checkers, split into short lessons. Each one reads on its own, and each one comes with a real position: press Try it on the board and you play the move yourself.

Build a ladder

Lesson 1

A jump hops over one adjacent peg into the empty hole just beyond it. A peg that can keep jumping may chain as many jumps as it likes in a single turn, so spacing your pegs one hole apart lets you use them like rungs on a ladder to cross the board in one move.

In this position, three of your pegs sit one hole apart in a row ahead of the mover. Jump the first to land two holes on, then jump the next the same way, and so on — one turn carries you straight through the centre. Jumped pegs are never captured, so every rung stays in place for your next move too.

A ladder doesn't have to be built from your own pegs alone — an opponent's peg works just as well as a stepping stone (more on that in the next lesson). Get in the habit of leaving one-hole gaps early in the game, and long jumping lanes become much easier to find later on.

Don't leave a peg behind

Lesson 2

Without a peg to jump, a lone piece can only step one hole at a time. If your other pegs race ahead toward the goal, the one left behind needs many turns to catch up — turns you'd rather spend elsewhere.

In this position most of your pegs are already headed for the goal, but two of your own pegs still sit side by side near the front. Jump one over the other and you cover far more ground than a single step ever could.

The fix is to move pegs in loose pairs so there's always a neighbour — yours or an opponent's — to jump. Avoid pushing one peg way out ahead, and avoid leaving a single peg behind at your starting camp.

Use the opponent's pegs too

Lesson 3

A jump works the same way whether the piece you hop over belongs to you or your opponent. Jumped pegs are never captured, so there's no downside to using an opponent's peg as your stepping stone.

In this position, two of the opponent's pegs sit one hole apart right in front of yours. Jump the first to land two holes on, then chain a second jump over the other, and you cross the centre in a single move without needing any of your own pegs nearby.

Opponents often leave rows like this behind early or mid-game. Whenever your own camp feels short on stepping stones, look across the board for a path the opponent has unintentionally built for you.

Finishing the endgame

Lesson 4

In the closing stage, with just one hole left to fill, a jump usually finishes the job faster than a slow one-step crawl. A jump crosses two holes over a single piece in between, so even a peg standing some distance away can land straight in the goal.

In this position, only one hole in your goal remains empty. With two pegs lined up just short of it, the first hops the second and lands right in the gap — completing the goal in a single move.

In the endgame, how you move your last one or two pegs decides how quickly you finish. Set up a jumping lane toward the empty goal hole ahead of time, and the final move takes just one turn instead of several.

Try it on the board

Pick a lesson and the board starts from that position. Start over as often as you like.

Now put it to work

Play with friendsLearn how to play (3 min)

Last updated 2026-09-23 · Run by Qdan, Inc.