Peg solitaire: prepare your next jump

One fewer peg does not always mean a better position. Keep useful connections and explore a worked solution whenever you want.

3 min · RafaGonMar · October 20, 2026

Every jump changes three squares

The source and neighboring peg must both be present. The destination, two positions away, must be empty. After jumping, the source and middle square are empty. The total falls by one peg, so going from 32 pegs to one takes 31 jumps.

Look at the jump you prepare next

Clearing an edge peg can look useful, but it also changes the available holes. Before moving, check which peg will occupy the destination and how it could join another jump. A distant peg is not necessarily lost, but reconnecting it can require planning.

An opening to explore

Try D2 → D4. The center fills and D3 becomes empty. Now B3 → D3 uses that hole. Next, C1 → C3 uses another cleared square. Notice how one jump prepares the destination for the next, rather than focusing only on the number of pegs removed.

Practice with coordinates

Enable Coordinates in the game to show square names. Letters run across columns from left to right; numbers run down rows. Undo lets you return to a decision and try another plan.

The solution below is optional and starts from the original board. If your game has already followed other jumps, start again before reproducing it. Close the solution whenever you want to explore on your own.

More ideas for playing

Nim: from the last counters to a complete strategy →

Minesweeper: turn numbers into decisions →