Checkers

After the initial placement of the counters, the game begins. Different variations specify which color is to move first. At first, alternate turns between players entail a forward move to any diagonally adjacent and vacant cell or a diagonal short jump over an opponent’s counter in a straight line to a vacant cell immediately after the counter being jumped. Almost all variations only allow unpromoted counters to move diagonally forward, but variations differ in the rules regarding direction of capture by unpromoted counters, some allowing them to capture backwards or even orthogonally.

Counters are captured by being jumped over and are then removed from the board. Double or multiple captures in one move are permitted and direction may be changed after each enemy counter has been jumped, provided that all jumps' directions are within the rules of the game. Of course, a counter may not jump over another counter of its same color. An enemy counter may not be jumped more than once. Typically, an opponent's captured counters are removed from the board at the end of the turn rather than as they are being jumped. This may at first seem irrelevant but occasionally a captured counter may serve to block further jumps as it cannot be jumped over again. Also, a player may not land, even temporarily, at a cell occupied by an opposing counter that was captured on that turn. This is typical to nearly all Draughts variations other than Turkish Draughts, where counters are removed as they are captured and thus cannot block further jumps by the capturing counter.

Rules vary regarding the choice of captures that must be made. Some games require a player to take the longest series of captures available and some are even more specific about requiring the capture of promoted counters over the capture of unpromoted captures. Nearly all variations, however, require a series enchained capture to be completed once started. The only exception to this being in some variations where the capturing counter must stop, become promoted, and conclude the turn upon reaching the crownhead (usually the furthest row at the other end of the board from a player).

On any turn that it is possible to take an opponent’s counter, it is compulsory to do so. While this rule persists throughout nearly all modern variations, it is often abandoned for play with children or beginners. I, personally, do not think that my grandmother and I used the compulsory capture rule when I did the majority of my Checkers playing as a child. It should be noted, however, that the abandonment of the compulsory capture rule dramatically changes the depth of strategy for the game. A traditional rule stated that if a player does not make the compulsory capture on their turn by reluctance or failing to notice it, the opponent may then huff (remove) that counter as a bonus before their next move. This huffing rule is increasingly being abandoned, especially for tournament play. Typically, in tournament, a player who has noticed her opponent's failure to make a compulsory capture may either allow the move to stand as legitimate or require that the opponent remake the move correctly.

Variations will specify the degree to which compulsory capture is required. For example, a player, on their turn, may have two different series of jumps available to them both of which take more than one opposing counter. In this example, one series of jumps captures four opposing counters and another allows for three, but the move with less captures leaves the player in a more advantageous position at its end. Some variations will require the player to always make the longer the series of jumps which I will here call the Compulsory Maximum Capture Rule. Unless otherwise stated, an unpromoted counter and a promoted counter will both count as one counter when finding the maximum capture. Other variations will allow the capturing player to choose any capturing move, provided that a capture is made and that an enchained multiple capturing move is completed. I will here call this the Compulsory Free Capture Rule.

A key characteristic of Draughts games is the concept of counter promotion. All counters begin unpromoted as a single counter but become promoted upon reaching the farthest row of the board (the row closest to the opposing player). This row is variously referred to in English as the King Row, Crown Row, Crowning Row or Crownhead. The action may be referred to as crowning, kinging, promoting or doubling.

Different variations of Draughts will have differing nomenclature for promoted and unpromoted forms of counters, but the promoted form is nearly always represented by a stack of two counters. Therefore, a generic name for an unstacked and unpromoted counter may be singleton, while its double promoted form may be called a doubleton.

In an enchained series of jump and capture moves a counter may land on its crownhead. Different variations have different rules regarding promotion when this occurs. The Crownhead Stop Rule says that a counter that has attained the crownhead as part of a series of jumps must stop there and become promoted to doubleton, thus ending the turn. Even if more captures are available to that counter it may not continue capturing until the next turn. Conversely, the Crownhead Continue Rule says that a counter that has attained the crownhead as part of a series of jumps must continue making that series of jumps without promoting. Russian Draughts has an unusual method of combining these two rules which I will discuss under its section in the Draughts Variants.

The primary distinction that is almost dichotomous in its neat distinction between varieties of Draughts games separates them into Short Draughts and Long Draughts. Both varieties are distinguished by the particular movement of their doubleton. All games allow extra moving and capturing powers to a promoted doubleton, but in Short Draughts the promoted counter only attains the ability to move and capture backwards. Short Draughts variations, including American Checkers, only allow unpromoted counters to move and capture forward. Of interest, the promoted doubleton in Short Draughts is not much more powerful than an unpromoted singleton from many versions of Long Draughts.

Long Draughts doubletons, in addition to their normal powers of movement, capture and enchained capture, acquire the ability to move any unimpeded distance along a straight diagonal line (orthogonal in some variations). Long Draughts doubletons also acquire the ability to Long Jump opposing counters. This means that a promoted counter may jump an opposing counter any distance away along a straight line in any direction and they may also land at any unoccupied cell behind the counter being jumped. The only restriction being that they cannot jump the same opposing counter twice and they cannot jump more than one counter per jump, meaning that there must be at least one empty space between two opposing counters in order to jump and capture them along the same line.

Variations

Regional Variations

Checkers is also known as Straight Checkers, Anglo-American Draughts, Draughts or Draught in the UK and Dams in Scotland. It is the version played in the US, British Isles, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Denmark, and much of the Caribbean. It is a Short Draughts variation played on the dark cells of a standard 8x8 checkerboard. Each player commences with twelve counters arranged on all available cells of their first three rows. Black has the first move. A singleton, called a man, moves and captures diagonally forward only. The Crownhead Stop Rule applies and upon promotion in the crownhead, men become kings (dams in Scotland). The Compulsory Free Capture Rule also applies.

Dama (Italian Draughts), played in Italy, is a Short Draughts variation played on the dark cells of a mirrored 8x8 checkerboard. Each player commences with twelve counters arranged on all available cells of their first three rows. White has the first move. A singleton, called a pedina, moves and captures diagonally forward only. A pedina may not capture a promoted counter. The Crownhead Stop Rule applies and upon promotion in the crownhead, pedinas become damas. The Compulsory Maximum Capture Rule also applies. If two potential captures are equal, precedence is given to capture by the dama over the capture by the pedina. If two equal series of captures are available for two different damas, a series that captures more opposing damas must be given precedence. If still equal, a move must take precedence where the dama is captured first.

Dama (Spanish Draughts) is the version played in Spain and Portugal. It is a Long Draughts variation. In Spain it is played on the light cells of a standard 8x8 checkerboard. The Portuguese version is played on the dark cells of a mirrored 8x8 checkerboard. Each player commences with twelve counters arranged on all available cells of their first three rows. White has the first move. A singleton, called a peon, moves and captures diagonally forward only. The Crownhead Stop Rule applies and upon promotion in the crownhead, peons become damas. The Compulsory Maximum Capture Rule also applies. If two or more series of otherwise equal multiple jump and capture moves are available, the player must make the move which captures the maximum number of opposing damas.

Čech Dáma (Czech Draughts) is the version played in Territory formerly occupied by the Czechoslovak Republic. It is a Long Draughts variation played on the dark cells of a standard 8x8 checkerboard. Each player commences with twelve counters arranged on all available cells of their first three rows. White has the first move. A singleton moves and captures diagonally forward only. The Crownhead Stop Rule applies and upon promotion in the crownhead, peons become dámas. The Compulsory Free Capture Rule applies, but captures with a dáma take precedence over a captures with a singleton.

Thai Draughts is a Long Draughts variation played on the dark cells of a standard 8x8 checkerboard. Each player commences with only eight counters arranged on all available cells of their first two rows. Black has the first move. Singletons move and capture diagonally forward only. The Crownhead Stop Rule applies. Doubletons have the long move but its capture has restrictions unique to this game. A capturing doubleton may jump an opposing counter from any distance along a diagonal, but is required to land at the cell immediately after the counter it has taken. This capturing doubleton is allowed to make the normal enchained captures, provided that it lands at the next cell after each capture. Diagram? The Compulsory Free Capture Rule applies. A similar game using the same capturing doubleton restrictions is known from southern Germany, but it commences with twelve counters per

player.

Damenspiel (German Draughts) is a Long Draughts variation played on the dark cells of a standard 8x8 checkerboard. Each player commences with twelve counters arranged on all available cells of their first three rows. White has the first move. A singleton, called a stein, moves and captures diagonally forward only. The Crownhead Stop Rule applies and upon promotion in the crownhead, steins become dames. The Compulsory Free Capture Rule also applies.

Damspel (Swedish Draughts) is a Long Draughts version played in Sweden and Norway. It is played on the dark cells of a standard 8x8 checkerboard. Each player commences with twelve counters arranged on all available cells of their first three rows. Black has the first move. A singleton, called a bricka, moves diagonally forward only, but may capture diagonally forwards and backwards. The Crownhead Continue Rule applies. Upon promotion in the crownhead, brickas become dams. The Compulsory Free Capture Rule also applies.

Shashki (Russian Draughts) is a Long Draughts variation played in Russia and countries of the former Soviet Union, also in Israel. It is played on the dark cells of a standard 8x8 checkerboard. Each player commences with twelve counters arranged on all available cells of their first three rows. White has the first move. A singleton, called a shashka, moves diagonally forward only, but may capture diagonally forwards and backwards. A shashka is promoted to a doubleton, called a dam, if it reaches the far edge of the board. It is always promoted upon landing in the crownhead, regardless if it stopped there at the end of its move or if it only temporarily landed there as part of an enchained capturing move. If it reaches that edge as part of a capturing move, it may continue capturing as a newly promoted dam in the same turn. The Compulsory Free Capture Rule also applies.

Pool Checkers, also known as Spanish Pool Checkers, is a Long Draughts variation primarily played in the southeastern United Sates. It is played on the dark cells of a standard 8x8 checkerboard. Each player commences with twelve counters arranged on all available cells of their first three rows. Black has the first move. A singleton moves diagonally forward only, but may capture diagonally forwards and backwards. The Crownhead Continue Rule applies for promotion to doubletons. The Compulsory Free Capture Rule also applies.

International Draughts, also known as Continental Draughts, European Draughts or Polish Draughts (inappropriately) is a Long Draughts variation played in France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname, much of eastern Europe, and many other countries. This variation was invented in France in 1723. It is played on the dark cells of a standard 10x10 checkerboard. Each player commences with twenty counters arranged on all available cells of their first four rows. White has the first move. A singleton, called a pion, moves diagonally forward only, but may capture diagonally forwards and backwards. The Crownhead Continue Rule applies and upon promotion in the crownhead, pions become dames. The Compulsory Maximum Capture Rule also applies.

Brazilian Draughts, and Philippine Draughts (also known as Derecha) seem to be International Draughts applied to the standard 8x8 checkerboard. Each player commences with twelve counters arranged on all available cells of their first three rows. From there, the rules of International Draughts are applied.

Of interest is that the Philippine game is often played on the intersections of a diagonally-lined board that is topologically equivalent to the playable cells of a standard 8x8 checkerboard. Games historians are quick to note that this is likely similar to an intermediate step in the evolution of Alquerque into the Draughts games of today and may be similar to a game, Andarraya, mentioned in Spanish Renaissance literature. It is even possible, but not verified, that the Philippines have retained the board of this game as it was introduced to them by the Spaniards as early as the 16th century.

Frysk damjen (Frisian Draughts), also known as Babylonian Draughts, Fries Dammen, Jeu du Dame Bablionique, Makvaer, Marquern or Molkwerums Dammen, is played in the Northern Netherlands (Frisian Islands), parts of Germany and parts of Denmark. It is a Long Draughts variation played on the dark cells of a standard 10x10 checkerboard. Each player commences with twenty counters arranged on all available cells of their first four rows. White has the first move. A singleton, called a man, moves diagonally forward only, but may capture diagonally forwards, diagonally backwards, and orthogonally. In other words, a singleton may capture in any of eight directions. Orthogonal capture is rare for any Draughts variant. Since light squares are not used, this kind of jump implies to move a man four squares away when making an orthogonal jump. The Crownhead Continue Rule applies and upon promotion in the crownhead, men become wolves. Wolves move and capture any distance in any direction diagonally or orthogonally. The Compulsory Maximum Capture Rule also applies and is very specific for Frisian Draughts. Precedence is given to a wolf's capturing move over a man's (singleton's) capturing move. Capture of a wolf is given precedence over capture of a man, but capture of two men is given precedence over the capture of a single wolf.

Canadian Draughts, also known as Le jeu de dames canadien, Quebec Checkers or Montreal Checkers is almost identical (probably coincidentally) with Draughts played in India and Sri Lanka. It should be noted that, despite this variation's nomenclature of Canadian Draughts, most of Canada plays the same version of Draughts (Checkers) played in the UK and USA and this version described here is mostly endemic to French-speaking Quebec. It is a Long Draughts variation played on the dark cells of a standard 12x12 checkerboard. India and Sri Lanka, however, play on a mirrored 12x12 checkerboard. This being the only notable difference between the Canadian and Indian/Sri Lankan versions. Each player commences with thirty counters arranged on all available cells of their first five rows. White has the first move. A singleton, called a man, moves diagonally forwards only, but may capture diagonally forwards and backwards. The Crownhead Continue Rule and upon promotion in the crownhead, men become kings. The Compulsory Maximum Capture Rule also applies.

Dama (Graeco-Turkish Draughts), also known as Orthogonal Draughts, is played in Greece, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and other areas of the Middle East. It is a unique Long Draughts variation played on an 8x8 uncheckered board. All sixty-four cells of the board are square and uniform. Each player commences with sixteen counters arranged on all of the cells of their second and third rows. A singleton, called a pioni, moves and captures orthogonally forward or sideways. The Crownhead Stop Rule applies and upon promotion in the crownhead, a pioni becomes a dama. Damas move any amount of squares orthogonally and capture via an orthogonal Long Jump in any direction (forwards, backwards and sideways). Another unique feature to this game is that counters are removed as they are captured (rather than at the end of the capturing move). This means that a enemy counter that is captured as part of an enchained capture may not serve to block the capturing counter from landing on its cell of occupation during the move that captures it. There are no diagonal moves or diagonal captures in this game. The Compulsory Maximum Capture Rule applies.

Armenian Draughts is very similar to Graeco-Turkish Draughts except that it also allows diagonal movement, but not diagonal capture. Unpromoted singletons move directly forward, sideways, or diagonally forward for a total of five possible movements. Promoted counters have the long move and long jump, as in Turkish Checkers, but also may move diagonally any number of cells forward or backward. This means that a promoted counter has moves like those of the Queen in Orthochess. Although diagonal movement is allowed, counters, whether promoted or unpromoted, may not capture diagonally.

Gothic Draughts is reportedly one of the oldest forms of Draughts described. It is an unusual form of Short Draughts from Germany. It is played on all the cells of a mirrored 8x8 checkerboard. Each player commences with sixteen counters arranged on all the cells, both dark and light, of their first two rows. Unpromoted singletons move diagonally forward one row at time but capture diagonally forward and orthogonally forward or sideways. That is, they may capture, by short jump, in any of the five non-retreating directions. Upon promotion to doubletons, counters may move forwards or backwards diagonally one row at time, but may capture via the Short Jump in any horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line. Presumably, the Crownhead Stop Rule applies. Note that any counter will never change the color of the cells that it can be played on and thus each player has two disjoint groups of counters, commencing with eight for the dark cells and eight for the light. Some descriptions of this game apply the Compulsory Maximum Capture Rule but this may only be a rule brought into the reconstruction. Capture may not have even been compulsory in the original of this game.

Ossetian Draughts is played on the intersections of a non-checkered 6x6 square grid. Ossetia is a region of the Caucasus Mountains that lies in both Russia and Georgia. Each player commences with twenty-one counters arranged on all the intersections of their first three rows. This version has no promotion and capture is not compulsory. Counters move orthogonally or diagonally forward to the next row (three possible movements). Counters that end up at the last row may no longer move but can still capture. Capture is by the Short Jump in any orthogonal or diagonal direction. Captures may be enchained and direction may be changed after each jump. Ossetian Draughts may be a hybrid or intermediate form between Draughts or Alquerque and Dablot Prejjesne and similar games of Lappland. Larger versions of this game are known to be played on a 7x7 square grid or the 6x6 square grid with diagonals added and commencing with more counters.

Dameo, also invented by Christiaan Freeling in 2000, is a Long Draughts variation played on all the cells of the standard 8x8 checkerboard. Each player commences with eighteen counters arranged as shown below in the cells of their first three rows. White has the first move. A singleton, called a man, moves diagonally or orthogonally forward only (in one of three directions) to a vacant cell. A unique feature of Dameo is that it allows linear movement of an unbroken line of men, of any number, one step orthogonally or diagonally forward if the cell ahead is vacant. Men are promoted to kings upon reaching the crownhead. Linear movement does not apply to kings. Capture by all counters, men and kings, is orthogonal only. Men capture by the short leap in any of four orthogonal directions (forwards, sideways, or backwards). Kings may move any unimpeded distance diagonally or orthogonally (in any of eight directions) as the normal Long Draughts promoted doubleton (or Queen in Orthochess), but may only capture via the Long jump in an orthogonal manner (in any of four directions), landing at any unoccupied cell behind the counter being jumped. The Compulsory Maximum Capture Rule and the Crownhead Continue Rule both apply.Croda, invented in 1995 by Ljuban Dedić of Croatia, Associate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Split and the 1989 International Checkers champion of the former Yugoslavia. It is based on Turkish Draughts and is itself the basis for Dameo. The rules are the same as in Dameo only that there is no linear movement of men; the game commences with each player having twenty-four men arranged in all of the cells of their first three row; and kings are not allowed diagonal movements (even tough men are).

Hexdame or HexDame is another Draughts variant invented by Christiaan Freeling in 1979. It is a Long Draughts variation played on a 5x5x5 hexagonal board (an Abalone board may be used here). Each side commences with sixteen counters arranged on their side of the board as shown below. White has the first move. A singleton, called a man, moves forwards in any one of three directions but may capture by the short leap in any direction (in any of six directions on a hexagonal board). The nine hexagonal cells along the opponent's side of the board are all crownhead positions. Upon promotion a man becomes a King. Kings may move any unimpeded distance in any of six directions as the normal Long Draughts promoted doubleton (as applied to a hexagonal board) and capture via the Long jump (also in any of six directions), landing at any unoccupied cell behind the counter being jumped. The Compulsory Maximum Capture Rule and the Crownhead Continue Rule both apply.

Diagonal Checkers or Triangular Checkers is played exactly as Checkers (English Draughts) with a different board opening position. The board is turned 45° to obtain one of the two following opening positions: