Peg Solitaire Game HC194

A small wooden board with thirty-two metal pegs.

The game may have dated from the early 17th century, when a French aristocrat was imprisoned in the Bastille. The game begins with the whole board filled with pegs, except for the centre hole. The aim is to empty the entire board by jumping over pegs, leaving only one peg in the central hole. The pegs which are jumped over are removed.

How to play peg solitaire:

Objective:
Remove pegs by jumping over them until only one peg remains—ideally in the center.

Setup:

• The board has 33 holes arranged in a cross shape.
• All holes are filled with pegs except the center hole, which is left empty.

Rules:

1. A peg can jump horizontally or vertically over an adjacent peg into an empty hole.
2. The peg that was jumped over is removed.
3. Only one peg may be jumped at a time.
4. No diagonal moves are allowed.
5. The game ends when no more valid moves are possible.

Goal:
End with only one peg left on the board, preferably in the center hole.

Strategy Tips:

• Keep pegs near the center as long as possible.
• Avoid isolating pegs on the edges.
• Plan ahead—some moves may look good but lead to dead ends.

date: Replica 17th century

maximum dimension: 90mm x 90mm

subject area: Social Science, PE & Health, English and Languages

subject themes: History, French Revolution, Recreation, Traditional Games, French Culture

handling collection number: HC194