Surakarta · Rules guide
Surakarta rules: how to play
Two rules and one extraordinary idea: pieces step one point in any direction, and capture only by travelling round the board's corner loops and landing on an enemy piece.
The short answer
- Twelve pieces each on a 6×6 grid of points, with eight corner loops joining the lines into two circuits.
- An ordinary move is one step to an adjacent empty point, in any direction, and never captures.
- To capture, travel along a line through at least one corner loop and land on an enemy piece.
- The capture path must be completely clear — pieces can never be jumped.
- Win by capturing all twelve enemy pieces, or by having more pieces when the game is counted.
The board and the loops
Surakarta is played on a grid of six by six points with eight looping arcs at the corners. It has essentially two rules — one for moving and one for capturing — and the capturing rule is unlike anything in any other traditional board game.
- Pieces stand on the points where lines cross, not in the squares.
- Twelve pieces each, filling the two rows nearest you.
- Eight corner loops join the lines into two closed circuits — an inner and an outer.
Moving: one step, any direction
A move is simply this: move one piece one step to an adjacent empty point — forwards, backwards, sideways or diagonally. That is the entire movement rule.
Note what is missing: a normal move can never capture. Moving and capturing are completely separate actions in Surakarta, which is why the game feels so different from checkers or chess.
The forward-only house rule
Left alone, Surakarta openings can shuffle: both players nudge pieces sideways waiting for the other to commit. A popular house rule — used on this site — restricts ordinary steps to the three forward directions (straight ahead and the two forward diagonals). Captures may still travel any way round. It speeds the game up considerably without changing its character.
Capturing: go round a loop
To capture, a piece travels along a line, through at least one corner loop, and lands on an enemy piece. The journey may cross any number of empty points before and after the loop — and it may even pass over its own starting point — but it can never jump over another piece.
The four things to remember
- At least one loop must be used. A piece cannot capture in a straight line.
- The path must be clear of every piece, yours and theirs, until the target.
- Capturing is never compulsory.
- The loops are for capturing only. You cannot use one as an ordinary move.
Winning and counting
You win by capturing all twelve enemy pieces. In practice most games end earlier:
- A side with no legal move at all ends the game, and the pieces are counted.
- If neither side can make progress, the players agree to count, and whoever has more pieces wins.
- On this site, forty moves each without a capture triggers an automatic count.
Board sizes
The standard board is 6×6 with twelve pieces a side. Larger versions — 8×8 with three rows of pieces, and extra loops — exist and produce a longer, slower game. The 6×6 board is the traditional one and the one worth learning.
Common questions
How do captures work in Surakarta?
A capturing piece travels along its line, round at least one corner loop, and continues until it lands on an enemy piece. Every point along the way must be empty — nothing can be jumped.
Can you capture in a straight line?
No. The journey must pass through at least one corner loop, which is what makes the game unique. A piece directly next to an enemy cannot capture it by moving onto it.
Is capturing compulsory in Surakarta?
No. You may always make an ordinary move instead, which makes tempo and threat management a real part of the game.
Can a capture path cross the same point twice?
Yes — a long path can go round more than one loop and cross points it has already used, including its own starting point, as long as every point is empty at the time.
What is the forward-only rule?
A popular house rule that restricts ordinary steps to the three forward directions, to stop slow shuffling openings. Captures are unaffected and may travel any way round.
How does a game of Surakarta end?
By capturing all twelve enemy pieces, by leaving your opponent with no legal move, or by agreeing to count — in which case the player with more pieces wins.
Play Surakarta free, right now
No sign-up, no download — it runs in your browser against the computer, a friend on the same device, or a friend online.