Halma

Halma (from the Greek word meaning "jump") is a board game invented by an English surgeon, Howard Monks, in 1883. The name Hoppity was also used in attempts to expand into less-educated demographics.

Halma 2-player setup

Playing equipment consists of a checkered board, divided into 16x16 squares. Pieces are typically black & white for two-player games, and of various colors or other distinction in games of four players.

Two-player matches start with 19 pieces in opposing corners and four-player games have 13 pieces per player, arranged in each corner. The goal of the game, whether of two or four players, is to transfer all of one's pieces to the opposing corner. Each turn, a player either moves a single piece to an adjacent open square or by jumping another piece (of any color) to a vacant square on the other side. Pieces making a successful jump may continue jumping until they are unable to continue, though is not compelled to do so. This mechanic of jumping pieces is reminiscent of draughts or checkers but differs in that no opposing pieces are ever captured or otherwise withdrawn from the board nor is jumping compulsory.

Similarities between Halma and Chinese Checkers are not coincidental. Chinese Checkers was originally published in 1892 as Stern-Halma ("Star Halma") and later renamed upon marketting to America to appear more exotic.

The game appears in Billy Wilder's 1944 classic film Double Indemnity and talking halma pieces featured in a Rupert story.