A solo board puzzle where each hop removes a peg, and the goal is to leave just one standing.
Peg Solitaire hands you a board packed with pegs and one empty hole. Your job is to hop pegs over each other, removing every peg you jump, until only one is left. It sounds easy, but a few careless moves can leave pegs stranded far apart with no way to reach each other.
The look is plain black and white, which keeps your attention on the shape of the board. There are six layouts to choose from, so you can start with a quick warm-up and work up to the big crosses.
Rules in brief
A legal move takes one peg, sends it over a neighbor, and lands it in an empty hole two spaces away. The neighbor that got jumped leaves the board. Once you select a peg, the game marks every hole it can reach, so you never have to guess whether a move is allowed.
Square-grid boards only allow straight hops: up, down, left or right. The triangle is the one exception, since its pegs can also travel along the two slanted lines. A counter above the board tracks how many pegs are still in play.
When no peg can hop anymore, the round is over. Finishing with one peg anywhere on the board counts as a win. Ending in the exact center is a tougher personal goal, not a requirement.
The six boards
- English cross: 33 holes, the best-known layout
- European board: 37 holes, which starts with the hole just above the middle open, because the center start cannot be solved
- German cross: 45 holes, based on a design from 1779
- Square: a 6 by 6 grid
- Diamond: 41 holes
- Triangle: 15 holes, with diagonal hops allowed
Every starting position has been checked, so each board can be cleared down to a single peg.
Strategy notes
Pegs need company. A peg with no neighbors can never hop and can never be hopped, so one lonely peg on an edge is enough to ruin a run. Before each move, glance at the outer holes and ask whether you are about to leave something cut off.
On the cross-shaped boards, it helps to empty one arm fully before you start on the next. Many players also learn short patterns that clear three pegs in a row while keeping the rest of the group connected.
If the English cross feels like too much, begin with the triangle or the square. They are small enough to solve in a few minutes and teach you how hops chain together.
Good to know
You can play with the mouse, a touch screen or the keyboard. Keyboard players tab to a peg, use the arrow keys to move between holes, and press Enter to select and jump. Undo has no limit, and the board you are on is kept in your browser between visits.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Select a peg | Tab to the peg (arrow keys move across the board), then Enter | Click the peg | Tap the peg |
| Jump into a hole | Move to the marked empty hole, then Enter | Click a marked empty hole two spaces away | Tap a marked empty hole two spaces away |
| Take back a jump | — | Click "Undo" | Tap "Undo" |
| Change board or restart | — | Choose a board, then click "New game" | Choose a board, then tap "New game" |
Peg Solitaire FAQ
Can I play Peg Solitaire on a phone or Chromebook?
Yes. The game is built for mouse, touch and keyboard, so tapping on a phone or tablet works as well as clicking on a laptop. On a Chromebook you can also move around the board with the arrow keys and press Enter to pick pegs and holes.
Will I lose my game if I close the tab?
No. The board you are working on is stored in your browser, so it comes back after a reload. Clearing your browser data or switching to another device or browser will start you fresh.
Is Peg Solitaire a one-player or two-player game?
It is strictly one player. There is no opponent and no timer, so you can take as long as you like on each hop. The only thing you compete against is the board itself and your own planning.
What should I do when I get stuck with several pegs left?
Press Undo and step back through your recent jumps. There is no limit on undos, so you can rewind until you reach a spot where a different order of hops keeps the pegs grouped together. You can also pick New game to restart the same board.
