People new to the game ask where the “right” square is. That question is too large for a first sitting. A smaller habit works better: look for a hop you are required to take, then ask whether the last rank still blocks a chain jump, then ask whether the centre still has an exit. Use the same three questions when you rewind the game. That beats a pocketful of slogans.

Enough rules to sit down

  1. Twenty-five points, Black to play. Twelve pieces each. With no jump waiting, a piece steps to an adjacent empty point along a marked line and may not retreat.
  2. A capture is a hop along a line. If an enemy piece sits on the next point and the point beyond it is empty, you land there and take it off.
  3. A jump is required, the longest is not. While any jump exists, a quiet step is illegal. When several lines exist, you may choose among them.
  4. There is no king. A piece that reaches the far rank may only capture. You win by taking the other army or leaving it with no move.

Those four facts are enough to start. The rest of this page is about wasting fewer moves once the pieces start to touch. The full rule list is on Alquerque rules. To try a game immediately, open Play vs AI.

A pause that actually helps

  1. Is a hop waiting for me or for them? Count that line first. Missing a forced capture usually costs more than a timid quiet move.
  2. Does this step open the last rank? Pieces left on the back rank are a gate. Strip them too early and a chain jump can empty the row.
  3. If they do not hop, what do I want next? If you cannot answer, the move is probably just noise. Pick a clearer job.
  4. Am I winning a piece, or parking one on their fork? The centre is strong because many lines meet there. A piece standing alone is easy for two others to pocket.
When you cannot see a clever idea, walk this list. It will not pick a masterpiece. It will stop a lot of busy, empty moves.

Hops you are not allowed to skip

Because a jump is mandatory, a hop you failed to see often ends the game faster than a quiet mistake. Before you move, count every hopping line for both sides. Sometimes the only legal move walks you into a chain they already built. When you can choose among hops, ask whether the landing square still looks safe.

Why the back rank is not decoration

Men left on your last rank delay a chain jump landing there. The centre is useful because many lines meet, and it is also the point most easily surrounded. If no friend is nearby, keep an exit before you send a piece hunting. Empty the back rank too soon and the board goes hollow; one multi-jump will rake both ways.

Using this board as a scratch pad

You do not need a long sitting. Pick a gentler computer, give the game one job — “find the hop first,” or “leave the back row alone” — and when it ends, rewind three places: the first forced jump, the first time the back rank opened, and the last few pieces facing each other.

A first-game checklist

  1. Before you sit: choose a gentler opponent. The point of this game is not the score. It is finding the hop before you slide.
  2. On your turn: ask whether a capture is waiting. If none is, pick a man that either advances or still guards the last row.
  3. After the first contact: stop long enough to count both sides’ remaining hops. If the line is muddy, undo and try the other landing square.
  4. After the game: write down one place you missed a forced hop, or one place you stripped the back row too soon.
Open a computer game
  • A hint is a comparison, not a substitute. Pick your own jumping line first, then see whether the hint lands in the same neighbourhood. A different square does not mean you are simply wrong. It means the two moves solved different problems.
  • Undo is for a small experiment. If a hop left you thin, take it back, try the other hop or a hold on the last row, and watch the reply.
  • Replay is for one sentence. “I took the piece and forgot the back rank” will travel to the next game. “I played badly” will not.

A shared-device game is the place to talk a jump through. An online room sends each accepted move to the other player, so look twice before it sticks. Those rooms have no undo. Do not take the practice habit of walking moves back into a game with a friend.

Questions that come up after a couple of games

I have never played Alquerque. Is the computer a reasonable opponent?

Yes, if you start on a gentler search and treat the sitting as a lesson in forced hops and back-rank cover, not as a match you have to win. The opponent is local browser search. It is not a rating and not a titled player.

Can I take a move back against the computer or on one shared device?

Yes. Local computer games and same-device games include undo, a hint, and replay, so you can walk a jumping line twice. An online room has no undo, because both players have to see the same accepted moves.

Why does the board sometimes ignore the point I tap?

Usually a jump is still waiting, or the landing point is occupied. Look for a required hop first, then confirm the destination is empty.

I keep marching every piece into the centre. How do I stop?

The centre is useful, and one piece there is still easy for two others to pocket. Ask whether the back rank is still there and whether another piece can meet it before you send it chasing.