How to Play Fox and Hounds

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Fox and Hounds is a two-player asymmetric strategy game played on a standard 8x8 draughts board. One player controls a single piece, the Fox, while the other controls four pieces, the Hounds. The sides have different goals and different movement rules, which gives the game a pleasing tension from the very first move.

Its appeal lies in how quickly it teaches and how long it rewards. A child can learn the rules in under two minutes, yet the game contains genuine strategic depth, particularly for the player controlling the Fox. It is commonly played at home on a draughts set and travels well, since no extra equipment is needed beyond what most households already own.

A little history

The precise origins of Fox and Hounds are unclear. It belongs to a broad family of hunt games found across many cultures, in which an outnumbered quarry piece is pursued by several blockers, but tracing a single authoritative lineage is not possible. The game is traditionally associated with Britain and has appeared in British game compendiums and puzzle books since at least the nineteenth century, where it is consistently described as a well-known pastime rather than a novelty, suggesting a considerably older folk origin.

Setting up

1. Orient the board so that a dark corner square is at the bottom-left for both players.
2. Place the four Hound pieces on the four dark squares of one player's back rank (the row nearest that player).
3. Place the Fox piece on any dark square in the opposite back rank, chosen by the Fox player.
4. Decide which player controls the Fox and which controls the Hounds. The Hounds move first.

How to play

1. All movement takes place on the dark squares only. Pieces never move to light squares.
2. The Hounds move first. On each turn, the Hounds player moves exactly one Hound diagonally forward one square (forward meaning toward the Fox's starting side). Hounds cannot move backward.
3. The Fox player then moves the Fox diagonally one square in any direction, forward or backward.
4. Neither side may jump or capture. Pieces simply block one another.
5. Players alternate turns: Hounds, then Fox, then Hounds, and so on.
6. The Hounds win by surrounding the Fox so completely that it has no legal move on its turn.
7. The Fox wins by breaking through the line of Hounds and reaching any square on the Hounds' original back rank, or by manoeuvring the Hounds into a position from which they can never corner it (see Winning section).
8. A Fox that has passed all four Hounds and cannot be caught is considered to have won, even if it has not yet reached the back rank.

Winning and scoring

The Hounds win by leaving the Fox with no legal diagonal move on its turn, that is, every square the Fox could reach is either occupied or off the board. The Fox wins by slipping past all four Hounds so that none of them can get behind it, making it impossible for the Hounds to ever complete a surround. Reaching the Hounds' original back rank is the clearest proof of this, but a Fox that has clearly outflanked all four Hounds with no path of interception available is also considered the winner by agreement. There is no points system; each game produces a single winner.

The fine points

The most common dispute is whether the Fox has genuinely escaped or whether the Hounds still have a theoretical chance to cut it off. The cleanest resolution is to play on until the Fox either lands on the back rank or the Hounds demonstrably cannot reach any square in the Fox's path. If both players disagree, continue play; a truly escaped Fox will reach the back rank within a few moves. Do not concede prematurely.

A second recurring question is whether a stalemate-like position, where the Hounds cannot advance without leaving a gap, counts as a Fox win. It does. If the Hounds are unable to make progress and the Fox is not cornered, the Fox wins, because the Hounds must eventually open a route or remain frozen, which is an illegal situation since the Hounds player must move on every turn. Agree before play begins that if the Hounds player has no forward move available with any Hound, the Fox wins immediately.

How to win more often

• Fox: aim for a corner or edge of the Hound line, not the centre. The Hounds cannot change direction, so a Fox that commits to one flank forces the Hounds to choose which gap to close.
• Hounds: keep your line diagonal and connected. A gap of two squares between any two adjacent Hounds is usually enough for the Fox to slip through; close gaps before advancing.
• Fox: use backward moves deliberately. Retreating one square can lure Hounds into an advancing formation that creates a gap elsewhere on the line.
• Hounds: advance as a coordinated unit rather than rushing one Hound forward. A lopsided line gives the Fox an angle of attack on the lagging side.
• Fox: watch for the situation where all four Hounds are committed to one half of the board. A sudden diagonal run to the neglected side can end the game in three or four moves.

Variations

Reverse Setup

The Fox chooses its starting square after seeing where the Hounds are placed, rather than before. This removes one source of Hound advantage and is recommended when one player is noticeably stronger, as it gives the Fox slightly more control over the opening position.

Three Hounds

Only three Hound pieces are used, placed on three of the four back-rank dark squares. The Hounds player chooses which three. This meaningfully increases the Fox's winning chances and is a good handicap adjustment when teaching the game to a younger or less experienced player.

Backward Hounds

Hounds are permitted to move both forward and backward, as the Fox does. This dramatically favours the Hounds and is rarely used in standard play, but some players prefer it when they find the basic game too easy for an experienced Hounds player. With this rule the Fox must play almost perfectly to escape.

Multiple Rounds

Players agree on a set number of rounds, typically four or six, and swap sides after each game. A point is scored for each win. Ties are broken by counting the number of moves the winning side needed: fewer moves is better. This format suits players who want a more complete contest and helps balance the fact that the Hounds have a structural advantage with optimal play.

Fox and Hounds: frequently asked questions