Makruk

It is therefore possible that the Siamese makruk, in its present form, was directly derived from the Persian game of shatranj via the cultural exchange between the two peoples in this period.

For example, if White has two boats and a horse against a lone black lord, he has three moves to checkmate his opponent (the given value of 8 minus the total number of pieces, 5).

If no pieces have been captured, the players have these options: There is evidence that ouk has been played in Cambodia since the twelfth century, as it is depicted in several reliefs in the Angkor temples.

[3] The first nationwide ouk tournament was held 3–4 April 2008, upon the completion of a standardized rule set by the Olympic Committee of Cambodia and the Cambodian Chess Association.

[8] Ouk is one of three traditional sports introduced by Cambodia at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games, along with the martial arts of Bokator and Kun Khmer.

Makruk pieces
Makruk set from the early 20th century
Makruk set from the early 19th century, in which the pawns are made from cowrie shells
Makruk set from early Rattanakosin era (late 18th century) with pieces made from albino and black water buffalos' horn
Thai men playing makruk
Cambodian men playing ouk
A bas-relief from the Khmer Empire depicting people playing a chess-like game