Christmas 2020 was lockdown for most of the country so board games were always going to play a big role in keeping families entertained during the holiday period.
This year we tried our hands at Peg Solitaire ('Solitaire' as we call it in the UK), in the office during the run-up to the holidays but no one could complete it so we decided to reach out to everyone we know to see if anyone we know has completed it.
Our search was successful and a friend of a friend made a video of them completing the game and they did it in just over 1 min, clearly, the player has memorised every move but still works for us.
Before we jump into the video, how about a little bit of background about Peg Solitaire, sometimes known and Marble Solitaire or Solo Noble.
Peg solitaire history
This one player game has a history that goes back several hundred years, specifically during the court of Louis XIV in France. The game was pictured in a French literary magazine called Mercure Galant in 1687 and it detailed a description of the board along with the rules of the game.
How to play solitaire
At first sight, when the board is loaded with marbles it looks quite daunting of a prospect to complete, looks like a huge complex slide puzzle. However, the rules are quite simple.
The game starts with the entire board loaded with marbles or pegs except for the central hole. Then all you need to do is keep jumping over marbles to remove them until all the marbles are removed apart from one in the central hole.
The example in the video below does end with a marble in the central hole but you know what? If you manage to complete this game without ending in the central hole, you've still done well and can give yourself a pat on the back.
Main tip to complete solitaire
If you don't want to watch the video because you want to complete this on your own steam, the one tip we can share with you for the best chance of completing the game is to make sure you get out the marbles that are furthest away from the centre of the board as soon as possible.
Do not miss an opportunity to move marbles furthest away from the centre and bring them closer to the centre of the board otherwise those marbles will be stranded in a location that will be impossible to retrieve.
Peg Solitaire is such a fun game and it's really convenient to play whenever you have a few spare minutes. It's will get your brain juices flowing nicely and if you ever master it, it's a really nice party trick to show off to family and friends.
If you don't have one of these in your collection of board games, make sure you pick one up. They are also pretty good looking if you get a set like the one pictured above, made from a solid piece of oiled wood with smooth and shiny marbles.
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