What is German Peg Solitaire?
German Peg Solitaire is played on a cross of 45 holes on a 9×9 grid. Like the English board, its arms are three holes wide, but each arm is three holes long instead of two, which adds twelve holes.
The game starts with the centre empty and 44 pegs on the board. The moves are those of the English board: a peg jumps over a neighbouring peg, along a row or a column, into the empty hole beyond, and the jumped peg is removed. You win by leaving a single peg.
The longer arms make the game longer, 43 jumps. The last peg can only end in the centre (e5) or in the middle hole of an arm (e2, b5, h5, e8).
Rule changes
| Rule | Standard Peg Solitaire | German Peg Solitaire |
|---|---|---|
| Board | Standard Peg Solitaire33 holes in a cross on a 7×7 grid: arms three holes wide and two long. | German Peg Solitaire45 holes in a cross on a 9×9 grid: arms three holes wide and three long. |
| Empty hole at the start | Standard Peg SolitaireThe centre hole, with 32 pegs on the board. | German Peg SolitaireThe centre hole, with 44 pegs on the board. |
| Where the last peg can end | Standard Peg SolitaireOnly in the centre (d4) or in the middle hole of an arm's outer edge (d1, a4, g4, d7). | German Peg SolitaireOnly in the centre (e5) or in the middle hole of an arm (e2, b5, h5, e8). |
| Jumps in a solution | Standard Peg Solitaire31. | German Peg Solitaire43. |
| Finish in the starting hole | Standard Peg SolitaireOffered as an option: the last peg must end in the centre. | German Peg SolitaireOffered as an option: the last peg must end in the centre. |
History
The 45-hole board was described by Johann Christian Wiegleb in Germany in 1779, and it is often named after him. It enlarges the English cross by lengthening each arm by one row while keeping the arms three holes wide.
Like the English board, and unlike the French 37-hole board, it can be solved from the centre start with the last peg returning to the centre.