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
