Makruk: Thai Chess

Thai Chess: A Digital Adaptation of a Classic Game

Thai Chess, a game played on an 8x8 board, shares similarities with classical chess but features key differences in piece setup and movement. This digital version allows for gameplay against AI, a local opponent, or online adversaries.

The board setup mirrors classical chess, with two exceptions: the white queen starts on e1 and the white king on d1 (each king is to the left of its queen from the player's perspective); and pawns are positioned on the third rank (white) and sixth rank (black).

Piece Movement:

• King: Moves one square horizontally, vertically, or diagonally (no castling).
• Queen: Moves only one square diagonally.
• Rook: Moves any number of unoccupied squares horizontally or vertically.
• Bishop: Moves one square diagonally in any direction or one square forward vertically.
• Knight: Moves in an "L" shape, two squares in one direction (horizontally or vertically) and then one square perpendicularly (as in classical chess).
• Pawn: Moves one square forward vertically and captures one square diagonally forward (as in classical chess). Pawns promote only to a queen upon reaching the sixth rank.

Winning the Game:

The objective, as in classical chess, is to checkmate the opponent's king. A stalemate results in a draw. This digital adaptation retains the strategic depth of the original game while offering convenient and accessible gameplay options.