How to play Peg Jump
Jump pegs over each other into empty holes, removing the jumped pegs, until only one is left. Also known as Peg solitaire.
The rules
- A peg jumps over one neighbouring peg in a straight line, landing in the empty hole just beyond.
- The peg that was jumped over is removed.
- On the cross board jumps go across and down; on the triangle board they also go along the diagonals.
- Finish with just one peg on the board.
Playing Peg Jump on Puzzle Solvers
- Choose a board (cross or triangle) and how many pegs, then press New Puzzle.
- Tap a peg, then tap the empty hole two places away in a straight line. The peg jumps, and the peg it jumped over is removed.
- Keep jumping until only one peg is left.
- Hint shows a jump that still leaves a way to finish — and tells you how many of your options do.
A worked example
Three pegs sit in a row with an empty hole at one end. Jump the far peg over the middle one into the empty hole — the middle peg comes off.
Now two pegs sit with a gap between them; if a third peg is next to them, you can keep going.
Strategies
- Keep pegs together. A lone peg far from the others can never be jumped or jump anything.
- Clear the edges early. Pegs on the edges have fewer ways to move — deal with them before the middle empties.
- Think in packages. Small groups of pegs can often be cleared with a fixed set of jumps — learn them.
- Undo freely. If you get stuck, step back a few jumps and try another way.
Common mistakes
- Leaving single pegs in far corners.
- Taking the first jump you see — often only a few jumps keep a way to finish.
Where it comes from
Peg solitaire is said to have been played at the court of Louis XIV of France in the 1690s. The cross board is the classic English board; the triangle is a popular smaller version.
Frequently asked questions
Does the last peg have to be in the middle?
No — any one peg left counts as solved.
Can every puzzle be finished?
Yes — each one is made by playing backwards from a single peg.
What if I get stuck?
The hint notices when a position can’t be finished and takes you back to the last one that can.
Keep going
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