Know your board

Diamond game
or Chinese checkers?

The six-pointed star, ten pieces per player and step-or-jump movement are familiar features of the game commonly called Chinese checkers. “Diamond game” is another name used for this style of star-board race. DIAMONDGAME is a browser edition with its own interface and setup choices.

It is a race, not a capturing game

Traditional checkers is usually played on a square board with diagonally moving pieces. Captures remove an opponent’s pieces, and reaching the far side can change a piece’s role. The star-board game here has a different objective: move every one of your ten pieces into a target triangle.

When a piece jumps over another piece in DIAMONDGAME, neither piece is removed. There is no crowning or king piece. Your own pieces and other colors remain on the board and can be used as bridges.

How the grid determines a move

The holes form a triangular grid with six directions. A step goes into one empty neighboring hole. A jump crosses one occupied neighboring hole and lands in the empty hole directly beyond it. A piece cannot simply jump across a long empty stretch or land on an occupied hole.

Several jumps can form one move if every link is legal for the same piece. In this browser edition, you select the final destination rather than tapping each intermediate landing. The game animates a valid route when it finds one.

The choices in this edition

DIAMONDGAME offers two or three players. Each seat may be human or computer. Homes are paired by color across the star. Turn timers and limited undos are optional conveniences for browser play rather than requirements of the underlying board format.

Possible destinations are deliberately not highlighted. The board invites you to recognize a route yourself. If you tap an illegal hole, your piece stays selected so you can try another destination.

Agree on the edition’s finish rule

Board games may be played with different house rules. Here, a win requires all ten target holes to contain the winner’s own pieces. Another player’s piece in the target prevents that condition, even when every hole is occupied. There is no separate anti-blocking or tournament rule beyond the movement checks described on this website.

Which setup should I choose?

Choose two players to learn the grid and manage a less crowded board. Choose three players when you want more bridges and a center that changes more between turns. Either setup can be played alone against the computer.

For a complete walk-through of the controls and rules, use How to play DIAMONDGAME.