How to play peg solitaire
- At the start, every hole has a peg except the one in the center.
- Tap a peg: the holes it can jump to are marked. A peg jumps in a straight line (up, down, left or right) over a neighboring peg and lands in the hole right after it.
- The peg that was jumped is removed from the board. You cannot jump diagonally or over an empty hole.
- The game ends when no jumps are left. The fewer pegs remain, the better: the ideal is to leave just one.
Strategy for leaving a single peg
On the English board of 33 holes, starting with the center empty, you can always finish with a single peg, and you can even make it end exactly in the center: every solution takes exactly 31 jumps, one for each extra peg. On the European board of 37 holes the challenge is harder: getting down to two pegs is already a great result.
Some ideas that help: remove the pegs on the edges and corners first, since they have the fewest jumps; avoid leaving isolated pegs far from the rest because nobody can jump them later; and try to keep pegs together in compact blocks. Before a jump, think about which hole it leaves and which pegs are left unable to move.
Everything happens in your browser and nothing is sent to any server. Your game in progress and your best result for each board are saved on your device.
Things to keep in mind
- The record (the fewest pegs you managed to leave) and the game in progress are saved only in this browser: if you clear the site data, they are lost.
- You can undo as many moves as you like, all the way back to the start, with the Undo button.
- Both boards start with the hole in the center. Switching boards or starting over asks for confirmation if you have already made moves.
Frequently asked questions
What is the goal of peg solitaire?
To remove pegs by jumping them, one by one, until as few as possible are left. The ideal result is a single peg; on the English board, if it also ends in the center, it is the perfect finish.
Can you jump diagonally?
No. Pegs jump only in a straight line: up, down, left or right, over a neighboring peg and into an empty hole.
What is the difference between the English and the European board?
The English board is cross-shaped with 33 holes. The European (or French) one adds four holes at the corners of the cross and reaches 37. The rules are the same, but the European one is quite a bit harder.
Can you always finish with a single peg?
On the English board yes, with the starting hole in the center, and there are known solutions that end in the center. On the European one it is much harder and you do not need to reach one: two pegs is already an excellent result.
Can I undo a move?
Yes, as many times as you like with the Undo button. It is a good way to try out paths and learn which jumps to avoid.
Is my game saved?
It is saved on this device, so if you close the page you can continue later. Nothing is uploaded to any server.