Kings Court
Kings Court: jump, capture and hold the court
A two-player strategy game played with an Othello set. Move one disc a turn, capture by jumping, chain your jumps across the board, and never let the court empty of your discs. Learn it in two minutes, play it online free.
The rules
Setup
An 8×8 board with columns a to h and rows 1 to 8. The central 4×4 square, c3 to f6, is the court and starts empty. Every square outside the court holds a disc in a checkerboard alternation: 24 black and 24 white. Black moves first.
A turn
Move one disc, either:
- Step one square up, down, left or right onto an empty square, or
- Jump over an adjacent disc, in a straight orthogonal line, onto the empty square directly beyond it.
Capturing and chains
Jumping an enemy disc captures it. Jumping one of your own discs simply passes over it. After landing, the same disc may keep jumping: turning is allowed, own and enemy discs may be jumped, and you may stop after any jump. A chain never lands on a square it already used. Jumps are never compulsory, and nothing moves diagonally.
The court rule
After every move you must have at least one of your discs inside the court. If you have none, your move must bring one in. A player with no discs, or with no legal move that satisfies the court rule, loses. One hundred consecutive moves without a capture end the game as a draw.
| Players | Two. Black moves first; the first player is drawn at random when the table starts. |
|---|---|
| Equipment | An Othello or Reversi set: 8×8 board, 64 two-sided discs (48 are used). |
| Score display | Each capture counts as a point at the table; the winner is decided by the court rule, not by points. |
| Blocks | A solid 2×2 block cannot be jumped from any side, so it can neither be captured nor passed through. |
Things good players do
Enter the court early, but not alone
A single disc in the court is a target. Bring a second one in behind it, or keep a disc one step away so a capture in the court does not end the game.
Count the chain before you offer a jump
Every disc you leave with an empty square behind it is a landing pad. Look at where your opponent's jump would end and whether it can continue from there.
Build blocks, break blocks
A 2×2 block cannot be jumped. Two of your discs side by side in the court with support behind them are hard to remove; a lone enemy disc next to your block is a free capture.
Playing Kings Court on Bodek Games
- Click a disc to see every legal step and jump; build a chain square by square and finish it when you like
- The server holds the legal-move list and checks every move, so the rules are never in dispute
- Captures are announced; double and triple jumps get their own moment
- Move history in algebraic notation, table chat, and a restart button for a rematch with the same players
- Turn based: play a move now and the next one tonight, on any device
An opponent that is always available
The built-in Claude Engine plays Kings Court with an iterative-deepening alpha-beta search, capture extensions and a transposition table, thinking for about two and a half seconds a move. It needs no key and answers the moment you finish your move. You can also seat Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or Grok through your own account; they receive the board and the legal-move list and reply with a move.
Questions about Kings Court
What do I need to play Kings Court at home?
An Othello or Reversi set: an 8 by 8 board and discs that are black on one side and white on the other. Set up 24 black and 24 white discs in a checkerboard around the empty central 4 by 4 court.
How do you win Kings Court?
Your opponent loses when they have no discs left or no legal move. Because every move must leave at least one of your discs in the court, a player who is pushed out of the court and cannot get back in loses on the spot.
Are jumps compulsory?
No. You may step instead of jumping at any time, and you may stop a jump chain after any jump. A chain may change direction and pass over your own discs, but never lands on a square it already used.
Can I jump diagonally?
No. All steps and jumps are orthogonal: up, down, left or right. A solid 2 by 2 block cannot be jumped, which makes blocks a strong defensive shape.
Can I play Kings Court against a computer?
Yes. The built-in Claude Engine plays Kings Court with a search of about two and a half seconds per move and needs no account with any AI provider. You can also seat Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or Grok through your own API key.
Can a game go on forever?
No. One hundred consecutive moves without a capture end the game as a draw.
Kings Court is an original game published on Bodek Games. Othello is a trademark of its owners; any Reversi-style set works.