An 18th century gaming board marked out like a halma board suggests it may have earlier origins, but it was not until the 1880s that it was published and came to the attention of the wider world. The larger boards have more strategic combinations available than the smaller boards, and the four player game offers more tactical intrigue than the two player game. The game of halma, whose name means 'jump' in Greek, is an entertaining product of the Victorian era. This means that a player with a pair of 'leapfrogging' pieces has an advantage over a player with two individual stragglers. It is important to understand that paired pieces move faster than single pieces in the end game. Pieces can form a two-layer blocking wall, deflecting the opponent from the centre and forcing them into a longer trajectory however, if the opponent builds an adjacent wall, then the first player to disband his wall usually suffers a strategic disadvantage. Players should also set up for the end game (when opposing pieces have passed one another and must run for home), avoiding stragglers.Īs with most board games, early control of the centre is a key tactic, as it provides additional mobility. The middle (when opposing pieces are blocking or jumping each other) is usually characterised by opportunistic play the player with the most patience to check the whole board for opportunities, including those gained by moving backwards in order to move forwards, will gain an advantage. The beginning (before opposing pieces come into contact) is usually a set-piece battle, with players setting up their favoured openings.

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In comparison with many board games, Halma has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Halma Board Game 1900-1910 (published) Place of origin Holborn (published) Object details About this object record Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images.

Board game halma