Sdach OukOuk Chaktrong · Traditional Khmer Chess
Sdach Oukស្ដេចអុក
Play the chess of Cambodia on your phone or in your browser. Challenge the computer, pass the phone to a friend, or meet players online, with the real Khmer rules, counting included.
The starting position: boats in the corners, fish on the third row.
What is Ouk Chaktrong?
Ouk Chaktrong (អុកចត្រង្គ), often just called Ouk, is the traditional chess of Cambodia. Like Thai makruk, it comes from the same ancient family of games as international chess, and it is still played every day in homes, markets and roadside cafés across the country.
The name is said to come from the word players call out when they put the king in check: "Ouk!". The pieces carry Khmer names (the king, the maiden, the elephant, the horse, the boat and the fish) and the game keeps its own endgame rules, the counting, that decide when a long chase becomes a draw.
Why we made Sdach Ouk
Most chess apps only know the international game. Sdach Ouk (ស្ដេចអុក, "King Ouk") is made for Khmer players and anyone curious about the game: the rules, the piece names and the counting work the way they do at a real board, and the whole app speaks Khmer and English.
New to Ouk? Read How to play below, then try a game against the computer on the easy level.
Features
Everything you need to learn, practise and play Ouk with others.
Play the computer
Three levels, easy, medium and hard, from a first game to a real challenge. Works offline.
Two players, one device
Sit across the table and take turns on the same phone or tablet, with chess clocks.
Online rooms
Create a room or join one: 1 vs 1, 1 vs 2 and 2 vs 2 team games, with a waiting list the host approves.
Chat and reactions
Talk with your opponent during the game, send reactions, and message players you meet.
Real Khmer rules
The king's and maiden's first moves, fish promotion and both counting rules are built in.
Boards and pieces
Choose board and piece styles and scenery, and follow your games and statistics.
How to play Ouk
Ouk is played on an 8 × 8 board by two players, white and gold. White moves first. Win by checkmating the opponent's king: putting it in check so that it has no way out.
The pieces
| Piece | Each side has | How it moves |
|---|---|---|
| King ស្ដេច Sdach |
1 | One square in any direction. On its first move it may also jump like a horse to a square on its second row, if that square is empty and the king is not in check. |
| Maiden នាង Neang |
1 | One square diagonally. On her first move she may instead step two squares straight forward, without capturing. |
| Elephant គោល Kol |
2 | One square diagonally, or one square straight forward. |
| Horse សេះ Seh |
2 | An L-shape: two squares one way and one square to the side. It jumps over other pieces. |
| Boat ទូក Tuk |
2 | Any number of squares along a row or a column, like a rook in international chess. |
| Fish ត្រី Trey |
8 | One square straight forward, and captures one square diagonally forward. A fish that reaches the row where the opponent's fish started becomes a maiden. |
Setting up
- Boats go in the corners, horses next to them, then elephants.
- The king and maiden take the two middle squares. The two kings face each other's maiden, not each other.
- The eight fish stand on each player's third row, so the two lines of fish start with two empty rows between them.
How a game ends
- Checkmate: the king is in check and cannot escape. That side loses.
- Stalemate: the player to move has no legal move but is not in check. It's a draw.
- Counting: the chasing side runs out of moves allowed by the count. It's a draw.
- Online and on a shared device, a player whose clock runs out loses.
The counting rules
Counting stops an endgame from going on forever when one side can't be mated quickly.
- Board's honor: when a player is down to three pieces or fewer, they may start counting. If they are not checkmated by the count of 64, the game is a draw.
- Piece's honor: when a player has only their king left and no fish remain unpromoted, a shorter count applies. Its limit depends on what the chasing side still has.
| Chasing side has | Count limit |
|---|---|
| Two boats | 8 |
| One boat | 16 |
| Two elephants | 22 |
| Two horses | 32 |
| One elephant | 44 |
| One horse, or only maidens | 64 |
Sdach Ouk keeps the count for you and shows it beside the board.
Questions and answers
Can't find your answer? Contact us.
Is Sdach Ouk free?
Yes. The game is free to download and play. The mobile apps show ads, which keep it free.
Do I need an account?
No. You can play as a guest straight away. Signing in with Google (or Apple on iPhone) keeps your progress when you change or reinstall your phone.
Can I play without the internet?
Yes. Games against the computer and two-player games on one device work offline. Online rooms, chat and messages need a connection.
What are coins?
Coins are an in-game currency for room bets, reactions and styles. You earn them by winning games and by watching optional reward ads. They have no money value and can't be bought, sold or exchanged.
Which languages does the app support?
Khmer and English. You can switch at any time in Settings.
How do I report a player or block someone?
Open the player's menu (⋮) in a game, a room or a chat and choose Report or Block. Reports are reviewed within 24 hours.
How do I delete my account?
In the app, go to Settings → Delete account. Everything is explained in the privacy policy, including how to ask by email.
Contact
Questions, feedback, a bug to report or a rule we got wrong? We read every message.