The Traditional Board Game Series Leaflet #49: Mak-ruk

MAK-RUK
scribed number of moves, otherwise 14. If the stronger player has by Damian Walker
a draw is declared. The number of some composition of pieces not lis-
moves depends upon the composi- ted, then no limit on the number of
tion of the stronger player's pieces, moves applies.
and is given in Table 1.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Readers interested in finding out more about the game of Mak-ruk can look
in the following books:
Bell, R. C. Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations, vol. 2,
pp. 31-33. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1979.
Bell, R. C. Discovering Old Board Games, p. 26. Aylesbury: Shire
Publications Ltd., 1980.
Murray, H. J. R. A History of Chess, pp. 113-117. Oxford: The Clar-
endon Press, 1913.
Parlett, D. The Oxford History of Board Games, p. 295. Oxford: Ox-
ford University Press, 1999.
Copyright © Damian Walker 2011 - http://boardgames.cyningstan.org.uk/

Pieces Left Moves

Two boats 4
One boat 13
Two noblemen 18
One nobleman 41
Two horses 29
One horse 63
One minister draw
Minister and two cowries 83
Minister, nobleman, 10
horse, boat
Table 1: number of moves allowed for Board Games at CYNINGSTAN
checkmate against a lone lord. Traditional Board Game Series
(Second Edition)
4 Leaflet #49
 The Traditional Board Game Series Leaflet #49: Mak-ruk The Traditional Board Game Series Leaflet #49: Mak-ruk

forwards; pieces capture enemies by landing

INTRODUCTION & HISTORY (v). the noblemen can move to on the enemy in the course of their
Mak-ruk is also known as Thai verse Chinese version of chess, and an adjacent square in any of the four usual move.
Chess, or in old books, Siamese in some areas of Burma this is the diagonal directions, or to the adja- 8. Captured pieces are removed
Chess. Little is known of the his- usual form of chess. cent square straight forward; from the board and take no further
tory of this game, but it is supposed Knowledge of this game was (vi). the horse moves one part in play.
that it entered Thailand some time introduced to Europe in the nine- square in a vertical or horizontal 9. A lord may not be captured,
in the first millennium A.D. It is a teenth century. Unlike the Western direction, and one further square di- but may be threatened with capture.
close relative of the original Indian game, the board is not chequered, agonally away from his current pos- 10. If a lord is threatened with
version of chess, with some devel- and there are no marks on the board ition, jumping over any piece that capture, termed check, his player
opments to speed up the game. other than the basic grid. It is, how- might be in the way; must immediately remove the threat
The game is still played today ever, played with the same basic set (vii). the boat moves as many by moving the lord out of danger,
in Thailand, alongside the more di- of pieces as chess. squares as is convenient in a capturing the piece that threatens
straight line horizontally or vertic- him, or otherwise interposing a
HOW TO PLAY ally, though it cannot jump over piece to protect the lord.
pieces in the way;
Mak-ruk is played by two players of his pieces according to that Ending the Game
(viii). the cowrie moves one
on a board of eight rows of eight piece’s particular mode of move-
square directly forward. 11. The game is ended when a
squares, each having a set of sixteen ment:
4. When a cowrie reaches the player’s lord is threatened with cap-
pieces. The pieces are the lord, the (i). the lord can move to an ad-
sixth row, it is turned upside down ture such that threat cannot be
minister, two noblemen, two horses, jacent square in any of the eight dir-
and moves from then on like a min- evaded. This is checkmate, and the
two boats, and eight cowries. ections;
ister. player whose lord is thus threatened
(ii). or on his
Beginning the 5. There is no loses the game.
first move of the
Game limit to the num- 12. The game
game, the lord can
ber of such pro- is also ended when
1. The game move as a horse:
moted ministers in a player cannot
begins with the see rule 3(vi);
play at one time. move any piece
pieces set out as in (iii). the min-
ister can move to without exposing
Illustration 1. Capturing
an adjacent square his lord to the
2. The player Enemies
in any of the four threat of capture.
controlling the
diagonal direc- 6. A cowrie This is stalemate,
white pieces be-
tions; may capture an en- and is a draw.
gins the game.
(iv). or on his emy piece by 13. When one
Moving the moving one square player's army is
first move of the
Pieces game the minister diagonally for- reduced to just his
Illustration 1: mak-ruk pieces set out ready wards to land on lord, his opponent
3. A player in for play. From the bottom left the pieces are can move two
that enemy. Illustration 2: the moves of the mak-ruk must win the game
his turn moves one the boat, horse, nobleman, lord and squares directly pieces. Note that the cowrie moves
minister, with cowries out in front. 7. Other differently when capturing. within a pre-

2 3