Halma Rules - How to Play
Halma is a 16×16 corner race. Red starts on this board, and each player must carry all 19 pieces into the opponent’s 19-point camp.
Board, camps, and the first turn
Two players begin with 19 pieces in opposite corner camps on a 16×16 grid. Red moves first here. The aim is travel, not combat: your pieces stay on the board for the entire game, including pieces your opponent jumps.
Make one move with one piece
- Select exactly one of your pieces for the turn.
- Take a single step to an empty neighbouring point in any of the eight directions: horizontal, vertical, or diagonal.
- Or hop over one adjacent occupied piece—red or the other color—to the empty point immediately beyond it in the same direction.
- After hopping, continue with that same piece while a legal hop remains, or stop at any legal landing.
Hops can make a route
A hop is always two squares along one of the eight directions, with exactly one occupied point in the middle and an empty landing point. A multi-hop chain may turn corners: for example, a diagonal hop can be followed by a horizontal hop if the next bridge is available. You never capture or remove the piece you jumped over.
Winning means filling the camp
Reach the opposing starting camp with every piece. The game ends immediately only when your 19 pieces occupy all 19 points in that target camp. Getting a fast leader to the far corner, or getting 18 pieces there, is not a win.
Halma rules FAQ
- Can I jump my own pieces?
- Yes. Any adjacent occupied piece can be jumped, whether it belongs to Red or the opponent, provided the point directly beyond it is empty.
- Must a jump chain be straight?
- No. Each individual hop is straight, but the same piece may change direction after each landing and create a turning chain.
- Do I have to continue a jump chain?
- No. Once a piece has reached a legal landing point, you may end the turn there even if another hop is available.
- Can a piece step after it has jumped?
- No. A turn is either one single-square step or a sequence of hops by the same piece; steps are not mixed into a hop chain.
- What is captured in Halma?
- Nothing is captured. Hopping changes only the moving piece’s position, so bridges can be useful to both players.
Learn the routes on a live board
Start a game and inspect the empty landing points around a compact group of pieces. Practice one turning hop chain, then notice how keeping the jumped pieces in place creates the next route.
Know the legal moves? Read Halma strategy →