Alquerque
The medieval ancestor of draughts — leap and chain-capture on a line board.
How to play Alquerque
You play the dark discs against the computer's light discs on a 5x5 grid of points linked by lines. Click one of your pieces, then a highlighted point to move it one step along a line to an empty point. You capture by leaping over an adjacent enemy, in a straight line, to the empty point beyond — and if another leap is then available with the same piece it chains, so captures come in runs. Captures are compulsory: when a jump exists you must take one. Wipe out the enemy, or leave them with no legal move, to win.
Alquerque leaderboard
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Alquerque — frequently asked questions
How do captures work in Alquerque?
Leap over one adjacent enemy piece along a drawn line to the empty point just beyond, removing it. If the same piece can then jump again it must continue, capturing several pieces in a single chained turn.
Are captures mandatory?
Yes. Whenever any of your pieces can make a capturing leap, you must play a capture rather than a quiet step — the game highlights only the pieces that are allowed to move that turn.
How do I win?
You win by capturing all of the computer's pieces, or by reducing it to a position where it has no legal move on its turn. Likewise you lose if you run out of pieces or moves, so watch for forced leaps.
How is Alquerque related to checkers?
Alquerque is the medieval ancestor of draughts and checkers: the short-leap capture and mandatory jumps carried straight over when the game was later moved onto a chequered 8x8 board.
Is Alquerque free to play?
Yes — Alquerque is completely free on Inkplay, with no download, no sign-up, and no in-game purchases. Open the page and play instantly on desktop or mobile.
Can I play Alquerque unblocked?
Yes. Alquerque runs entirely in your browser with no download, install, or plugins, so it loads instantly and keeps working even on school or work networks where bigger game sites get blocked.
More black & white games
In the mood for more? Try Chess, Tic Tac Toe, Connect Four, Reversi — or browse all board games and the full games list on Inkplay.