Konane (Hawaiian Checkers)

2026-07-28

Rules quick reference

Konane is played on a board where every point starts occupied, coloured in a strict alternating pattern like a chessboard, one colour per player. There's no separate "board" versus "pieces" distinction the way checkers has empty dark squares — the entire grid is full at the start, and the game is about clearing space through capture, not filling it.

Movement is never diagonal, and stones never change side or get promoted — a stone captured is removed from the board permanently, and a stone that survives keeps jumping in later turns exactly as it did on the first.

Reading the board before you jump

Count your legal jumps before choosing one

Every turn, scan your own stones for any that have an adjacent enemy stone with an empty landing point directly beyond it. Early in the game there are usually several options — the difference between a strong and weak Konane player is mostly about which capture leaves you exposed afterward, not about finding a capture.

Think about what your landing point exposes

After you land, your stone sits in a new position. Check immediately whether that position gives your opponent an easy jump back — landing a capture that immediately hands one back for free is usually a wash at best, and often a loss if the trade isn't even.

Watch for being left with no legal jump

Because a player with no legal jump loses outright, it's possible to be captured into a position where every one of your remaining stones is boxed in by empty space or same-colour neighbours with no enemy adjacent. Before making a capture that clears a lot of your own territory, check whether it leaves your remaining stones without a next move.

Opening and midgame ideas

Choose your opening removal with the middle game in mind

The centre points and the corners are the only legal first removals, and each shapes the board differently. A centre opening tends to open jumping lines faster and leads to an earlier, more tactical middle game; a corner opening keeps the position calmer for longer, which can suit a more patient plan.

Build toward isolated pockets, not open plains

Since the whole board starts full, the game gradually breaks into pockets of stones separated by cleared space. A stone stranded in a pocket with only enemy neighbours and no empty landing points is effectively already lost — try to steer captures so your opponent's stones end up isolated this way rather than your own.

Common mistakes

Taking the first available jump without comparing options. Multiple legal jumps are common early on; comparing what each one exposes afterward matters more than taking whichever is found first.

Forgetting jumps are orthogonal only. Players coming from checkers instinctively look for diagonal captures, which don't exist in Konane — every legal jump is a straight horizontal or vertical line.

Clearing your own stones into a dead end. A flurry of captures can leave your own remaining stones boxed in by empty space with no enemy adjacent to jump. Check your own mobility after a capture, not just what you gained.

Ignoring the opening removal's long-term shape. The very first two removals set the pattern for where jumping lanes open up. A rushed opening choice can hand the opponent an easy early sequence of captures.

Not recognising a lost position early enough. Once your stones are largely isolated with no legal jump anywhere, the game is over immediately — there's no draw or stalemate to fall back on in Konane.

Frequently asked questions

How is Konane different from checkers?

The board starts completely full — every point holds a stone, alternating colour like a checkerboard pattern. There's no diagonal movement: every jump is strictly horizontal or vertical, and pieces never get promoted.

Who moves first, and how does the game start?

Black removes one of its own stones from a corner or one of the four centre points. White then removes one of its own stones from a point directly next to that empty space. Normal jumping play begins with Black after that.

What counts as a legal move?

You must jump one of your own stones over an adjacent enemy stone into the empty space directly beyond it, in a straight horizontal or vertical line. The jumped stone is captured and removed from the board.

How does the game end?

If you have no legal jump available on your turn, you lose immediately. There's no pass and no draw — Konane always ends decisively.

Can I jump more than one stone in a single turn?

This version plays one capture per turn, then passes to the opponent. Traditional play allows chaining several jumps with the same stone in one turn if further captures are available from the new position.