Application Description

Makruk, also known as Thai chess, is a captivating traditional strategy game that shares similarities with international chess but distinguishes itself with unique rules and pieces. Played on an 8x8 board, Makruk includes familiar pieces like the king, queen, and pawns, each with distinct movements. The primary goal is to checkmate the opponent's king, requiring players to employ tactical skill and strategic planning, which has made Makruk a beloved game in Thailand.

Features of Makruk:

• Play Against AIs: Challenge yourself by competing against artificial intelligences of varying difficulty levels, ranging from Easy to Expert.
• Daily Challenge: Sharpen your skills with a new challenge every day.
• Global Leaderboard: Compete with players from around the world and strive to climb the ranks.
• Share Your Games: Showcase your best moves by sharing them with friends and family.
• Undo & Save/Load: Correct mistakes with the undo feature and save your progress to continue your game later.
• Timer Based Game: Heighten the excitement with timed gameplay.

Makruk, known in Thai as หมากรุก (Mak Ruk), is a board game that traces its origins back to the 6th-century Indian game of chaturanga or a similar ancestor. As a result, it is closely related to chess and is considered the living game most similar to this common ancestor of all chess variants.

An impressive two million Thais are proficient in playing Makruk, while only 5,000 can play international chess. According to former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik, Makruk is more strategic than international chess. Players must plan their moves meticulously, as Makruk can be likened to the anticipated endgame of international chess.

Rules

The Pawn (called เบี้ย bia, a cowry shell, historically used as currency) moves and captures similarly to a pawn in international chess. However, it cannot move two steps on its first move and, therefore, cannot be captured en passant. A pawn that reaches the sixth rank is always promoted to a queen (med).

The Queen (called เม็ด met), the weakest piece on the board, moves one step diagonally in any direction, resembling the fers in shatranj or a cat sword in dai shogi.

The Bishop (called โคน khon, nobleman or mask) can move one step diagonally or one step forward, akin to the silver general in shogi.

The Knight (called ม้า ma, horse) moves like a knight in Western chess, making a two-step move in one direction followed by a one-step move perpendicular to it, jumping over any intervening pieces.

The Rook (called เรือ ruea, boat) moves like a rook in Western chess, traveling any number of steps horizontally or vertically.

The King (called Ang) moves like a king in international chess, one step in any direction. He is also allowed to make a Ses (knight jump) on his first move, though this special move is no longer used in Thailand. The game concludes when the king is checkmated.

What's New

• Bug fixes have been implemented to enhance the gaming experience.

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