Makruk (Thai: หมากรุก) (or Thai chess) is a board game descended from the 6th century Indian game of chaturanga or a close relative thereof, and therefore related to chess. It is regarded as the most similar living game to this common ancestor of all chess variants.[1]
The name is pronounced /màkrúk/, with a tone pattern of low-high. Makruk is popular in Thailand and Cambodia. In these countries the game is more popular than chess. There are around two million Thais who can play Makruk, of which about 5000 also play chess.[2]
According to Vladimir Kramnik, Makruk Thai is more strategic than international chess. You have to plan your operations with total care since Makruk Thai can be compared to an anticipated endgame of International Chess.[3]
Rules
Pieces
- The pawn (called bia, a cowrie shell formerly used for money - Thai เบี้ย) moves and captures like a pawn in chess, but cannot move two steps on the first move and cannot capture en passant. A pawn that reaches the sixth rank is always promoted to a queen (met).
- The rook (called rua, boat - Thai เรือ) moves like a rook in Western chess: any number of steps horizontally or vertically.
- The knight (called ma, horse - Thai ม้า) moves like a knight in Western chess: two steps in one direction and then one step perpendicular to that movement. It jumps over any pieces in the way.
- The bishop (called khon or thon - Thai โคน) moves one step in any diagonal direction or one step forward (like the silver general in Shogi).
- The queen (called met, minister - Thai เม็ด) moves one step in any diagonal direction (as the Fers in Shatranj).
- The king (called khun, the lowest rank of the ancient Thai civil nobility - Thai ขุน) moves like a king in Western chess - one step in any direction. The game ends when the king is checkmated.
In starting position, pawns are placed on the third and sixth ranks. Queens are placed at the right side of kings. Pawns promote to queens when they reach the sixth rank. There is no castling, as in Western chess.
Counting rules
When neither side has any pawns the game must be completed within a certain number of moves or it is declared a draw. When a piece is captured the count starts again from scratch only if it is the last piece of one side in the game.
- When neither side has any pawns left, mate must be achieved in 64 moves. The disadvantaged player does the counting, and may at any time choose to stop counting. If the disadvantaged side checkmates the advantage side and did not stop counting, the game is declared a draw.
When the last piece (that is not the King) of the disadvantaged side is captured, the count is restarted and the stronger side is now given a count value based on the pieces it has left:
- At least two rooks: 8 moves
- At least one rook: 16 moves
- At least two bishops: 22 moves
- At least two knights: 32 moves
- At least one bishop: 44 moves
- At least one knight: 64 moves
- Only queens left: 64 moves
From these starting values, subtract 1 for each piece on the board. The resulting number is how many moves the stronger side has to win, otherwise the game becomes a draw. Once the players have reached this point, the count does not restart unless one side had stopped counting and would like to start counting again.
For example, if white has two rooks and a knight against a lone black king, he has 3 moves to checkmate his opponent (the given value of 8 minus the total number of pieces, 5). If black captures a white rook, the count does not restart. Many players don't understand the rules and would restart.
