It’s no secret that the red queen, better known as the Rani, is the most prized piece on the carrom board. Whether you’re playing carrom online or on a physical board, all eyes are on that bold red coin, and the queen receives bonus points for strategic play according to the basic rules. Pocketing carrom men earns you points, but it’s the queen that often decides the winner.
Even in pop culture and film, the queen takes center stage. Pocketing and covering the red coin in a single move is a moment of glory, a shot many carrom lovers dream of. Secure the queen, and you’re halfway to victory, a fact well-known among carrom enthusiasts . How quickly you claim the queen often shows your skill level, especially when it comes to capturing the final piece.
So, why is the red coin such a big deal? And what are the exact rules around pocketing it? Suppose you’re hooked on carrom online or offline. In that case, you need to understand the importance of the queen and how to handle it strategically, particularly if you manage to pocket it in the same turn, as outlined in the rules of carrom.
What is the Queen in Carrom?
A standard carrom setup features black and white carrom men, with a single red coin in the center. That red one? That’s the Queen, and it’s the highest-scoring piece on the board, often requiring the use of an outer piece to secure it.
According to International Carrom rules, the queen is worth 3 points, while all other coins are worth 1 point. In informal Indian home games, house rules often bump the queen’s value to 5 points or more. Some versions even award 10 points for black, 20 points for white, and 50 points for the queen, making it a game-changer with the maximum score potential, especially since pocketing the queen can earn you bonus points.
To win, you need more points than your opponent. That’s why pocketing the queen early and covering it well can shift the momentum entirely. In freestyle carrom, pocketing the queen with a white coin or your own pieces can lead to a significant score. That’s 50 + 20 points, often achieved with the finesse of striking with one finger. With a black coin? You’re scoring 50 + 10.
Rules to Pocket the Queen in Carrom
There are a few key rules you must follow to claim the queen. Whether you’re playing casually or in an online match, these queen rules can make or break your round, particularly when it comes to the covering piece, as a wrong move can lead to a scenario where the player loses, particularly if you aim for the queen with the same strike.
How to Pocket the Queen in Carrom?
The red coin starts at the center of the board. Here’s how to legally pocket it:
- Pocket one of your assigned coins first, then go for the queen.
- After pocketing the queen, you must immediately cover it by pocketing another coin of your color.
- If you fail to cover the queen, it returns to the center, and you lose your turn.
Pocketing the Queen on a Break Shot
The break shot is the first strike in a carrom game. If a player pockets the queen during the break:
- They must first pocket their coin and then cover the queen.
- If they fail to do either, the queen is returned to the center.
Carrom Rules for Queen After a Penalty
In a carrom game, if you pocket a striker, you have to return a coin to the center of the board. However, the queen piece plays a role if you have no coins in hand.
- If you have no pocketed coins to return as a penalty, you continue to owe the penalty until you pocket a coin. If you pocket a queen in such a situation, the queen is taken as the penalty to place again in the center.
- After the penalty owed has been recovered and all the coins are on the board, you can pocket the queen along with its cover.
Carrom Rules if You Pocket the Queen with a Carrom Man
In the situation when you pocket the striker, the queen, and a coin together, here are the rules that will apply:
- If you pocket a coin and a queen with a proper stroke, these coins are taken back for placing on the board. You can play your turn, but you will incur a penalty.
- You will have to pay two penalties with two coins if you pocket a coin, a queen, and a striker by an improper stroke. The queen and coin pocketed will be placed back on the carrom board, and you will also lose your turn.
- If you pot a striker by a proper stroke while pocketing a queen cover, you will have to place the queen at the center of the table. You will also owe one coin as a penalty and will lose your turn.
- If you pot a striker by an improper stroke while pocketing a queen cover, you will owe a penalty of two coins. The queen will be returned to the board, and you lose your turn.
Carrom Rules for Queen and Last Coin
In the situation when you pocket the red coin, the last coin (whether yours or the opponent’s piece), and/or the striker, the rules applied are as follows, especially if this involves the final opponent’s piece.
Pocketing the opponent’s coin
If you pocket the opponent’s last coin while covering the red coin, you will lose the points for the queen and the board by the number of coins on the board. However, your points for the red coin will not be deducted if the opponent’s points are 22 or above. For an improper stroker, the opponent can demand an additional point.
Pocketing the opponent’s last coin when the red coin is on the board
If a player pockets the opponent’s last coin when the red coin is on the board, they lose the queen and the round by the number of coins on the board.
Pocketing the opponent’s last coin, your coin, and the queen together
If a player pockets their last coin along with the red coin and the opponent’s last coin by a proper stroke, the player wins the round by 3 points. However, the player wins by one point only if the score is 22 or more.
If the same situation occurs with an improper stroke, the opponent will win by 3 points (or 1 point if the score is 22 or above). One additional point can be demanded by the opponent for an improper stroke.
Pocketing the opponent’s last coin and your coin when the red coin is on the board
If a player pockets their last coin along with the opponent’s last coin when the queen is on the board, the opponent gets 3 points and can demand an extra point if the strike was improper.
Pocketing your last coin when the queen is on the board
If a player pockets their last coin when the red coin is on the board, they lose the round by 3 points if the score is below 22. In the event of an improper stroke, the opponent can demand an extra point.
Pocketing the striker and your last coin together when the queen is on the board
In such a situation, you lose by three points (1 point if the opponent’s score is 22 or more). The opponent can claim 2 extra points for an improper stroke.
Pocketing your coin along with the striker, the queen, and the opponent’s last coin
In this case, you will lose by three points (1 point if the opponent’s score is 22 or more). The opponent can claim 1 extra point for the striker and two extra points for an improper stroke.
Pocketing your coin, the striker, and the opponent’s last coin, covered earlier with the queen.
If you had covered the queen, you would lose one point in this case, and the opponent can claim one extra point for the striker and two extra points for an improper stroker.
If the opponent had covered the queen, you would lose 3 points, and the opponent can claim one extra point for the striker and two for the improper stroke.
Pocketing the striker along with the opponent’s last coin with the queen on the board
In this case, you lose by the value of your coins on the board and the value of the queen. Only the number of coins is deducted if the score is 22 or above. The opponent can claim one extra point for the striker and two extra points for an improper stroke.
The red coin falls into a pocket.
If the queen falls into a pocket accidentally, it is considered pocketed, and the player must cover it with another coin or face the consequences of a penalty piece.
Learn Online Carrom Trick Shots to surprise your opponents
Conclusion
There’s no denying it, the queen rules the carrom board. The moment the break shot is played, all players lock onto the queen, because covering it can decide who walks away with the win. Whether you’re playing on MPL or at home, knowing the queen rules helps you plan your shots and cover her like a pro. Master the queen, and you master the game.
