How to play Peg Solitaire: legal jumps and a centre finish

Check the start, middle and landing hole

Select a peg, then an empty hole two positions away horizontally or vertically. There must be a peg in the middle. The selected peg lands in the empty hole, and the middle peg is removed. Each legal jump reduces the peg count by one.

All three positions must exist on the board. Diagonal jumps, jumping across an empty middle hole, clearing two pegs at once and landing on an occupied hole are illegal. With only the centre empty at the classic start, each possible opening jump must land there.

Know which one-peg finish the game rewards

A single peg in the centre is a perfect win in this browser edition. One peg elsewhere is a close result. If more pegs remain and no legal jump exists, the round ends with the remaining count. Do not assume every website uses the same final-hole condition.

Reducing the classic's 32 pegs to one takes 31 individual jumps. That count follows from one removal per jump, not from a shortest-path trick or a solution. The daily board starts with fewer pegs, so the same number does not describe its finish.

Evaluate the holes a jump creates

A legal jump can still close off a useful route. Check the three changed positions: the start and middle become empty, and the destination becomes occupied. Look for a follow-up jump that connects an arm of the cross to the remaining pegs.

Be cautious when a peg becomes separated from useful neighbours, and consider which later peg could provide a bridge. This is not a rule to clear all edges first or always fill the centre. You need a centre peg at the finish, but an empty centre can be useful while you are still moving the rest.

A hint shows a move, not a solved path

Our hint selects a legal jump, preferring one into the centre if available. It does not search for a complete winning continuation. Use it to notice an overlooked option, then inspect the position that option would leave.

Undo is available while the round is active and stops when the round ends. Compare alternatives before making a final jump or a move that leaves no legal jumps. The classic has no time limit, so there is no need to sacrifice a careful check to beat a countdown.

Choose a starting board and controls

The daily puzzle uses a board shared by UTC date. Its generator starts from one centre peg and applies reverse jumps to build a shorter position. It is a different starting task from the full classic. A route back exists by construction, but an arbitrary legal jump need not preserve it.

Click or tap a peg and its destination, or use arrow keys with Enter or Space to select. Z undoes and H highlights a legal move during play. Progress and statistics stay in the current browser; the game page lists the current version, controls and fullscreen play option.

Keep playing

Every game page lists its current version and controls and offers a fullscreen play view.

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