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Peg Solitaire
Peg Solitaire, also called Solo Noble, is a single-player game dating to at least 1697 in the court of Louis XIV. Pegs sit in a cross-shaped board of holes, and you remove them by jumping until, ideally, a single peg remains in the center — a deceptively hard combinatorial puzzle.
Peg Solitaire Rules
The classic English board has 33 holes in a plus shape. Fill every hole with a peg except the center one, which starts empty. (The European board uses 37 holes with a slightly different layout.)
A move means jumping one peg horizontally or vertically over an adjacent peg into an empty hole directly beyond it. The peg you jumped over is removed from the board. Diagonal jumps are not allowed.
Keep making jumps as long as legal moves exist. The puzzle is solved when only one peg remains, and the elegant goal is for that final peg to rest in the center hole.
Peg Solitaire Strategy & Tips
Work toward the center
Plan moves so pegs migrate inward rather than getting stranded on the arms of the cross. Isolated corner pegs with no neighbor to jump are the most common reason a game stalls.
Clear in chains
Look for sequences where one peg can make several jumps in a row, sweeping a line of pegs in a single turn. Chaining reduces the board faster and leaves fewer orphans.
Use the three-peg L block
Memorize how an L-shaped cluster of three pegs collapses cleanly. Recognizing these recurring shapes lets you dissolve groups without leaving a peg behind.
Avoid emptying the arms early
Don't strip an outer arm of the cross too soon, or pegs left there will have nothing to jump. Keep escape routes open until the central mass is small.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pegs are on the standard board?
The English board has 33 holes, so it starts with 32 pegs and one empty center hole. The European board has 37 holes.
Is Peg Solitaire always solvable?
From the standard center-start position it is solvable, ending with one peg in the center. Many other starting holes lead to positions that cannot be reduced to a single peg.
What is the fewest moves to solve it?
The central-game solution on the English board can be done in as few as 18 moves when chained jumps are counted as single moves.
Why do I keep getting stuck with pegs left over?
Usually pegs were stranded on the arms with no neighbor to jump. Keep pegs moving inward and dissolve clusters before isolating them.