تعريف ومعنى "makruk"

What is "makruk"?

Makruk, also known as Thai chess, is a traditional chess variant from Thailand. It is played on an 8x8 board, similar to regular chess, but with different pieces and movement rules. Each player starts with a king, a queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns, but the pieces move in unique ways compared to Western chess. For example, the queen moves more like a rook, and the pawns move differently, only advancing one square at a time but capturing diagonally. Additionally, pawns can promote to a queen upon reaching the farthest rank. The main goal is to checkmate the opponent's king, just like in traditional chess. Makruk has been played for centuries in Thailand and remains popular in the country today.