Free Online Jungle Chess
Reach the Den
Jungle Chess is not won by collecting every opposing piece. You win by getting one animal into the enemy den. That makes the route across the board more important than the size of your army: a rat can hold up a lion at the river, a trapped elephant can be taken by anything, and one open square near the den can decide the game.
How Jungle Chess Works
The game uses a 7×9 board. Red and Blue each start with a rat, cat, dog, wolf, leopard, tiger, lion, and elephant, ranked from one to eight. Red goes first. Most pieces move one square up, down, left, or right. A piece may normally capture an equal- or lower-ranked animal. The first animal to enter the opposing den wins.
The board creates the exceptions. Only rats may enter the rivers. A rat on land can capture an elephant, while an elephant cannot capture a rat. Lions and tigers may jump across a river if no rat is in the way. An animal standing in an enemy trap loses its rank and can be captured by any opposing piece. A player with no legal move loses; after sixty half-moves without a capture, this site declares a draw.
Plan Around the Board
The two rivers narrow the routes through the middle. Elephants have to walk around them, while lions and tigers may jump from bank to bank unless a rat is blocking the water. At each end, three traps guard the den. A capture is useful when it opens one of these routes; chasing a piece away from the action often is not.
Do Not Waste the Rat
The lowest-ranked animal has several jobs. It can enter the rivers, stop lion and tiger jumps, and threaten an elephant once it is back on land. A rat in water cannot capture a piece on land, and land animals cannot capture it from the bank. Sometimes its best use is simply to stay in the river and deny a crossing.
Find the Turning Point
There are four AI levels, and you can start as Red or Blue. Hints help when you cannot see a useful move; undo lets you test a different choice. The move record and replay are most useful after the game, when you can find the turn that opened the den, cleared a river jump, or sent a strong animal into a trap. The AI and game record run locally in your browser.
7×9board
8pieces per side
1–8animal ranks
1 moveinto the enemy den wins
FAQ
Which Jungle Chess rules does this site use?
The standard ones. The board is 7×9, each side has eight animals, and Red moves first. Pieces step one square at a time, and an animal can take anything of equal or lower rank. The special rules are all in: rats swim, rats take elephants, lions and tigers leap the river, and a piece caught in a trap can be taken by anything. Get one animal into the enemy den and the game is yours.
How can a rat capture an elephant?
It's the famous exception. The elephant outranks everything, yet a rat on land can take it, while the elephant can never take the rat. One catch: a rat coming out of the water can't capture on that same move. It has to climb onto the bank first. Keep a rat near an enemy elephant and the elephant has to think twice before it advances.
When can't a lion or tiger jump the river?
A lion or tiger can leap straight across the water, landing on the first square of the far bank. A rat anywhere along that line, yours or your opponent's, blocks the jump. So does a stronger piece standing on the landing square. Putting a rat in the river is the simplest way to shut down an enemy lion.
What happens when a piece walks into a trap?
In an enemy trap, its rank drops to zero, so even a rat can take it. Step back out and the rank comes back. Your own traps have no effect on your own pieces. The three squares around each den are where games turn, so check who's guarding them before you send a big animal in.
Can I enter my own den, and how does a game end in a draw?
No, your own den is off limits. You can only guard it from outside. If it's your turn and you have no legal move, you lose. If sixty half-moves pass in a row without a capture, the game is drawn here, so nobody gets stuck circling the board forever.
Can I choose to play Red or Blue?
Against the AI, yes. Pick Red and you move first; pick Blue and the AI opens. Switching sides mid-game starts a new one. In two-player mode there's nothing to pick: Red moves first and you take turns. In an online room, the host chooses a side when creating it.
How do I use hints and undo without just copying the AI?
Decide on a move first and know why you want it, whether that's a capture, guarding the den entrance, or sending a rat into the river to block a jump. Then check the hint. Hints play at the AI level you picked, not a hidden stronger one. Use undo to go back to a move you weren't sure about and try another plan. After the game, replay it to find the move where your den defense started to crack.
If I close the page, will my game still be there?
Games against the AI and two-player games are saved in this browser on this device, so you can pick up where you left off. Red and Blue each keep their own saved game. You won't see them on another phone or computer, and clearing this site's data in your browser deletes them.
Can I use undo and hints when playing a friend online?
No. Every move in an online room goes straight to your opponent, so there's no undo and no hints. You can offer a draw, resign, or leave the room. If your connection drops, open the same link again and you'll usually be back in your seat.
Do I need an account or an app?
Neither. The game runs in your browser on phones and computers, with no account, email, or password. If you play often, you can add the site to your home screen for one-tap access, but that's entirely optional.
