Chinese Checkers Jumping Rules: Single Jumps and Jump Chains

The jump rule in one sentence

An occupied hole must sit directly next to your piece, and the hole directly beyond it on the same line must be empty.

1. A single jump

Pick one of your pieces. If an adjacent hole is occupied and the hole immediately beyond that piece is empty, you may leap across the occupied piece and land in the empty hole.

The jumped piece stays on the board. Chinese Checkers has no captures, so a jump is movement only.

2. You may jump your own pieces

Your own pieces are useful bridges. In fact, a common opening idea is to arrange pieces so the pieces behind them can use those pieces as launch points toward the center.

3. You may jump opponents' pieces

The middle piece can belong to any player. This makes crowded positions surprisingly mobile: an opponent may unintentionally give you the exact bridge you need for a long jump chain.

4. Chained jumps

After landing from one jump, check the six directions from the new hole. If another occupied neighbour has an empty hole immediately beyond it, the same piece can jump again. Continue while legal jump destinations remain.

Can you change direction during a jump chain?

Yes. Each jump is evaluated from the piece's new landing point, so the next jump can use a different one of the board's six directions. Chains can zig-zag through the center rather than travelling in one straight line.

Can you step and then jump in the same turn?

No. A turn is either an adjacent step or a jump sequence. If you choose a step, that move is complete. Chaining applies to jumps with the same piece.

What makes a jump illegal?

• The hole you want to jump over is empty.
• The landing hole beyond the jumped piece is occupied.
• The landing hole is not directly aligned with the crossed piece.
• You try to remove the piece you jumped over.
• You switch to a different piece midway through a jump chain.

How to spot long jump chains

Look two or three jumps ahead instead of evaluating only the first landing. The best first jump is often not the one that moves farthest immediately, but the one that opens a second and third landing through the middle of the board.

• Use pieces near the center as reusable bridges.
• Keep enough spacing so landing holes remain empty.
• Watch opponent pieces as possible links in your route.
• Move rear pieces early so they do not become isolated after the board clears.

Practice chained jumps

Try a few turns on the live board and compare the highlighted destinations after selecting different pieces. It is the quickest way to build an eye for reachable jump routes.