Comparison
Makruk vs Chess: How Thai Chess Differs
Updated October 6, 2026
Makruk is the traditional chess of Thailand. As in chess, you checkmate the enemy king on an 8×8 board, but it keeps many features of ancient chess: there is no long-range queen or bishop, pawns start further forward, and endgames have a unique counting rule. Chess players trying Makruk for the first time mostly need to adapt to a slower pace and shorter-moving pieces.
The differences at a glance
| Makruk | Chess | |
|---|---|---|
| Board and first move | 8×8, White moves first | 8×8, White moves first |
| Pieces per side | Khun, Met, 2 Khon, 2 Ma, 2 Ruea, 8 Bia | king, queen, 2 bishops, 2 knights, 2 rooks, 8 pawns |
| Strongest piece | Ruea (moves like a rook) | Queen |
| Pawns | Start on the third rank; one step only, no double step and no en passant | Start on the second rank; may move two squares on their first move; en passant |
| Promotion | A Bia always promotes on its sixth rank and becomes a Met | A pawn promotes on the last rank, usually to a queen |
| Castling | None | Yes |
| Endgame | Counting starts once no pawns remain; if the limit is reached without mate, it is a draw | Threefold repetition, the 50-move rule and more |
The four key differences
- The Met and the Khon are short-range pieces: the Met moves one square diagonally, and the Khon one square diagonally or straight forward. They take the place of the chess queen and bishops, so Makruk has no piece that can strike from far away along a diagonal.
- Pawns start further forward and promote sooner. The pawn lines are only two ranks apart at the start and clash quickly. A Bia promotes on its sixth rank, but it only becomes a Met, nowhere near as strong as a queen.
- Checkmate is harder. Without a queen, endgames are won mainly with the Ruea and the Ma working with the Khun. The stronger side has to plan ahead, or the game easily drifts into a draw.
- The counting rule: once no pawns remain, counting begins. When one side has only the Khun left, the limit depends on the stronger side’s pieces (for example 8 moves with two Ruea, 16 with one); otherwise the limit is 64. If the limit is reached without checkmate, the game is drawn.
Moving from chess to Makruk
Chess tactics — forks, pins, discovered attacks — and the moves of the knight and rook carry over directly. Two things need adjusting: the pawns meet early, so steady the centre with Bia and Khon first; and in the endgame you cannot count on a queen, so the stronger side must keep an eye on the count and mate early with the Ruea and Khun.
Play both on this site
Makruk and chess both start right in your browser here, with AI games, ranked matchmaking, friend invites, spectating and replays. In Makruk the site does the counting automatically and shows it on the page; the game is also drawn when both sides have only the Khun or the same position appears a third time.