Checkers/Draughts Rule Variations ================================= 1. Initial setup of the 8x8 (10x10) board ----------------------------------------- The board is oriented such that the lower left-hand corner is black. The 12 (20) checkers are placed on the black squares of the first 3 (4) rows of each player. Russian: 8x8 English: 8x8 Tournament: 8x8 Brazilian: 8x8 International: 10x10 Turkish: 8x8 (plain board w/o colors, initial setup: 16-16 checkers in the 2,3 & 6,7 rows) 2. Starting player ------------------ Russian: White English: Black Tournament: Black Brazilian: White International: White Turkish: White 3. Moves -------- Checkers can move diagonally forward to an empty square, kings can also move backwards the same way. Flying kings can move over any number of empty squares. Russian: Flying kings English: Normal kings Tournament: Flying kings Brazilian: Flying kings International: Flying kings Turkish: Flying kings [a checker can move forward/left/right, a king also backward] 4. Jumps -------- A checker can jump over a piece of the opponent, if there is an empty square behind it. Jumps are obligatory; if the checker can continue to jump, it should. The pieces that have been jumped over are removed from the board after the jump is completed. One piece cannot be jumped over twice. Kings can jump backwards, as well; flying kings can jump over empty squares before and after the opponent's piece (but cannot jump over multiple pieces with no empty square between them). Checker jump variations: Russian: Forward & Backward English: Forward Tournament: Forward & Backward Brazilian: Forward & Backward * International: Forward & Backward * Turkish: Forward * [checkers are taken immediately, but a king cannot turn 180 degrees] * In these variations, you have to select the longest jump, and you have to jump with the piece that can jump the longest (where length is the number of pieces taken). 5. Crowning ----------- A checker becomes king if it reaches the opponent's first line. Kings are usually marked by placing a checker on the top, but other methods are also allowed. There are various rules on what happens, when a checker jumps to the crowning line and there is a possible simple/flying jump after that. Russian: Continues the jump as king [simple/flying jump] English: Becomes king, move ends Tournament: Continues the jump without being crowned [simple jump] Becomes king, move ends [flying jump] Brazilian: Continues the jump without being crowned [simple jump] Becomes king, move ends [flying jump] International: Continues the jump without being crowned [simple jump] Becomes king, move ends [flying jump] Turkish: Continues the jump as a simple checker (if it can), becomes king after the move [kings are often not marked] 6. End of the game ------------------ A player wins, if the opponent cannot move (or does not have any pieces left). There are various draw conditions: All variants (Russian/English/Tournament/Brazilian/International/Turkish): - the players agree on a draw - the same position repeats 3 times, with the same player to play - the strength of the players didn't change in the last 30/40/30/25/25 moves (there were no crownings or jumps) Russian (Tournament): - three kings (one on the major diagonal [a1-h8]) vs. one king, and the stronger player cannot win in 15 (13) moves - three kings vs. one king on the major diagonal [a1-h8], and the stronger player cannot win in 5 moves Russian: - two kings or one king and a checker vs. a weaker opponent, and the stronger player cannot win in 10 moves Turkish: - both sides have only one piece (checker or king) left ... and maybe there are a few others. Different tournaments may have different rules.