diff --git a/README.MD b/README.MD
index fe8fcd9..9bcb202 100644
--- a/README.MD
+++ b/README.MD
@@ -109,6 +109,26 @@ fn main() {
     let i = 100
     for i in 0..3 { ... }        // loop vars are scoped to the loop
     println(i)                   // 100
+
+    if score >= 90 {             // else-if chains
+        grade = "A"
+    } else if score >= 80 {
+        grade = "B"
+    } else {
+        grade = "F"
+    }
+
+    match day {                  // match on any comparable value
+        "sat" {
+            println("weekend")
+        }
+        "sun" {
+            println("weekend")
+        }
+        else {                   // optional fallback arm
+            println("workday")
+        }
+    }
 }
 ```
 
@@ -120,9 +140,12 @@ fn main() {
   `for i in 0...10 { }`; loop variables are scoped to the loop body
 - `break` / `continue` inside `while` and `for` loops (in `for` loops
   `continue` advances the loop variable / iterator first)
+- else-if chains: `if a { } else if b { } else { }`
+- `match`: `match expr { v1 { } v2 { } else { } }` — arms test equality on
+  any comparable value (ints, strings, ...); the `else` arm is optional
 - operators: `+ - * / %`, `== != < <= > >=`, `and or not`, unary `-`
-- statements: `let`, assignment, `if/else`, `while`, `for`, `break`,
-  `continue`, `return`, `assert`, calls, `print(...)` / `println(...)`
+- statements: `let`, assignment, `if/else`, `match`, `while`, `for`,
+  `break`, `continue`, `return`, `assert`, calls, `print(...)` / `println(...)`
 - comments: `//`
 
 ## Assembly
diff --git a/compiler/compiler.v b/compiler/compiler.v
index bfecf28..49ee4f0 100644
--- a/compiler/compiler.v
+++ b/compiler/compiler.v
@@ -190,6 +190,40 @@ fn (mut g Gen) gen_stmt(st Stmt) ! {
 			}
 			g.emit_label(end_l)
 		}
+		.match_stmt {
+			// match x { v1 {..} v2 {..} else {..} }  →  subject := x; a chain of
+			// equality tests jumping to the matching arm; else falls through.
+			subj_idx := g.new_local()
+			end_l := g.new_label()
+			g.gen_expr(st.expr)!
+			g.emit_store(subj_idx)
+			for i, arm in st.arms {
+				next_l := g.new_label()
+				g.emit_load(subj_idx)
+				g.gen_expr(arm.val)!
+				g.code << op_eq
+				g.code << op_jz
+				g.code << obj.encode_i64(0)
+				g.fixups << Fixup{ name: next_l, off: u32(g.code.len) - 8 }
+				for s in arm.body {
+					g.gen_stmt(s)!
+				}
+				g.code << op_jmp
+				g.code << obj.encode_i64(0)
+				g.fixups << Fixup{ name: end_l, off: u32(g.code.len) - 8 }
+				g.emit_label(next_l)
+				if i == st.arms.len - 1 && !st.has_else {
+					// no else: fall through to the end label
+					g.emit_label(end_l)
+				}
+			}
+			if st.has_else {
+				for s in st.els_body {
+					g.gen_stmt(s)!
+				}
+				g.emit_label(end_l)
+			}
+		}
 		.while_stmt {
 			loop_l := g.new_label()
 			end_l := g.new_label()
diff --git a/compiler/lexer.v b/compiler/lexer.v
index d0af92c..abf52ee 100644
--- a/compiler/lexer.v
+++ b/compiler/lexer.v
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ pub enum TokKind {
 	kw_while
 	kw_for
 	kw_in
+	kw_match
 	kw_break
 	kw_continue
 	kw_return
@@ -253,6 +254,7 @@ fn (mut l Lexer) lex_ident(line int) Tok {
 		'while' { TokKind.kw_while }
 		'for' { TokKind.kw_for }
 		'in' { TokKind.kw_in }
+		'match' { TokKind.kw_match }
 		'break' { TokKind.kw_break }
 		'continue' { TokKind.kw_continue }
 		'return' { TokKind.kw_return }
diff --git a/compiler/parser.v b/compiler/parser.v
index 1b808b7..e741b52 100644
--- a/compiler/parser.v
+++ b/compiler/parser.v
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
 //   stmt     := 'let' IDENT '=' expr
 //             | IDENT '=' expr
 //             | postfix '=' expr            (a[i] = v)
-//             | 'if' cond block ['else' block]
+//             | 'if' cond block ['else' ('if' ... | block)]
+//             | 'match' expr '{' (expr block | 'else' block)* '}'
 //             | 'while' cond block
 //             | 'for' IDENT 'in' range block        (range := expr '..' expr | expr '...' expr)
 //             | 'for' IDENT 'in' expr block          (iterate an array)
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ pub enum StmtKind {
 	assign_stmt
 	index_assign
 	if_stmt
+	match_stmt
 	while_stmt
 	for_range_stmt
 	for_in_stmt
@@ -67,6 +69,13 @@ pub enum StmtKind {
 	assert_stmt
 }
 
+// MatchArm is a single `value { body }` arm of a match statement.
+pub struct MatchArm {
+pub mut:
+	val  Expr
+	body []Stmt
+}
+
 pub struct Stmt {
 pub mut:
 	kind      StmtKind
@@ -77,6 +86,9 @@ pub mut:
 	idx       Expr // index_assign: the index expression
 	body      []Stmt
 	els       []Stmt
+	arms      []MatchArm // match_stmt: the arms (val + body)
+	has_else  bool       // match_stmt: a trailing else arm exists
+	els_body  []Stmt     // match_stmt: body of the else arm
 	has_val   bool
 	inclusive bool // for_range_stmt: `..` (false) vs `...` (true)
 	line      int
@@ -194,15 +206,31 @@ fn (mut p Parser) parse_stmt() !Stmt {
 			e := p.parse_expr()!
 			return Stmt{ kind: .let_stmt, target: name.lit, expr: e, line: t.line }
 		}		.kw_if {
+			return p.parse_if(t)!
+		}
+		.kw_match {
 			p.advance()
-			cond := p.parse_cond()!
-			body := p.parse_block()!
-			mut els := []Stmt{}
-			if p.cur().kind == .kw_else {
-				p.advance()
-				els = p.parse_block()!
+			subject := p.parse_expr()!
+			p.expect(.lbrace, "'{'")!
+			mut arms := []MatchArm{}
+			mut has_else := false
+			mut els_body := []Stmt{}
+			for p.cur().kind != .rbrace {
+				if p.cur().kind == .eof {
+					return error('unexpected end of file inside match (missing "}")')
+				}
+				if p.cur().kind == .kw_else {
+					p.advance()
+					els_body = p.parse_block()!
+					has_else = true
+					continue
+				}
+				val := p.parse_expr()!
+				body := p.parse_block()!
+				arms << MatchArm{ val: val, body: body }
 			}
-			return Stmt{ kind: .if_stmt, cond: cond, body: body, els: els, line: t.line }
+			p.expect(.rbrace, "'}'")!
+			return Stmt{ kind: .match_stmt, expr: subject, arms: arms, has_else: has_else, els_body: els_body, line: t.line }
 		}
 		.kw_while {
 			p.advance()
@@ -284,6 +312,25 @@ fn (mut p Parser) parse_stmt() !Stmt {
 	}
 }
 
+// parse_if parses `if cond block ['else' ('if' ... | block)]`. An `else if`
+// chain is represented by putting the nested if-statement in the else list,
+// so codegen needs no special casing.
+fn (mut p Parser) parse_if(t Tok) !Stmt {
+	p.advance()
+	cond := p.parse_cond()!
+	body := p.parse_block()!
+	mut els := []Stmt{}
+	if p.cur().kind == .kw_else {
+		p.advance()
+		if p.cur().kind == .kw_if {
+			els << p.parse_if(p.cur())!
+		} else {
+			els = p.parse_block()!
+		}
+	}
+	return Stmt{ kind: .if_stmt, cond: cond, body: body, els: els, line: t.line }
+}
+
 // bin_node allocates a binary-operator node. It takes copies of the operands
 // so that `&l`/`&r` target fresh heap objects (taking the address of a local
 // that is later reassigned would create a self-referential node).
diff --git a/examples/match.vr b/examples/match.vr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e17216f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/match.vr
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+// match.vr — else-if chains and match statements.
+//   vr run examples/match.vr
+
+// classify returns a label using an else-if chain.
+fn classify(n) {
+	if n < 0 {
+		return "negative"
+	} else if n == 0 {
+		return "zero"
+	} else if n < 10 {
+		return "small"
+	} else {
+		return "big"
+	}
+}
+
+// describe names a number with a match statement.
+fn describe(n) {
+	match n {
+		0 {
+			println("nothing")
+		}
+		1 {
+			println("lonely")
+		}
+		2 {
+			println("a pair")
+		}
+		7 {
+			println("lucky")
+		}
+		else {
+			println("just " + n)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+fn main() {
+	// else-if chain
+	println(classify(-5))
+	println(classify(0))
+	println(classify(7))
+	println(classify(100))
+
+	// match with else
+	describe(0)
+	describe(1)
+	describe(2)
+	describe(7)
+	describe(42)
+
+	// match on strings
+	let day = "fri"
+	match day {
+		"sat" {
+			println("weekend!")
+		}
+		"sun" {
+			println("weekend!")
+		}
+		else {
+			println("workday")
+		}
+	}
+
+	// match inside a loop (break/continue still work)
+	let found = 0
+	for i in 0..10 {
+		match i {
+			4 {
+				found = i
+				break
+			}
+			else {
+				// keep looking
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	println("found " + found)
+	assert found == 4
+}
diff --git a/examples/tests.vr b/examples/tests.vr
index eee77e7..1715089 100644
--- a/examples/tests.vr
+++ b/examples/tests.vr
@@ -125,6 +125,66 @@ fn test_break_continue() {
 	assert odds[2] == 5
 }
 
+fn test_else_if() {
+	let score = 85
+	let grade = ""
+	if score >= 90 {
+		grade = "A"
+	} else if score >= 80 {
+		grade = "B"
+	} else if score >= 70 {
+		grade = "C"
+	} else {
+		grade = "F"
+	}
+	assert grade == "B"
+	assert 10 > 5
+}
+
+fn test_match() {
+	let total = 0
+	match 2 {
+		1 {
+			total = total + 1
+		}
+		2 {
+			total = total + 10
+		}
+		else {
+			total = total + 100
+		}
+	}
+	assert total == 10 // matched the 2 arm
+
+	// match on strings
+	let word = "cat"
+	let sound = ""
+	match word {
+		"dog" {
+			sound = "woof"
+		}
+		"cat" {
+			sound = "meow"
+		}
+		else {
+			sound = "?"
+		}
+	}
+	assert sound == "meow"
+
+	// no else arm: nothing runs when nothing matches
+	let hit = 0
+	match 99 {
+		1 {
+			hit = 1
+		}
+		2 {
+			hit = 2
+		}
+	}
+	assert hit == 0
+}
+
 fn test_failing() {
 	// this one is meant to fail — shows up in `vr test` output
 	assert 1 == 2