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Checkers Games Around The World
International Checkers Draughts
Over the years, the popularity of International
Checkers Draughts has spread worldwide. This
can readily be seen in the number of places
that International Draughts/Checkers is both
played with a serious determination and a
heart for total, unabashed enjoyment. This
international checkers version is mostly
played in Europe and Africa, although there
are also good players in other countries
as well. International Draughts/Checkers
is one of the many variants of the original
strategic game of Checkers that exists today.
International Rules of Play:
~The Checkers Game Board ~
- International checkers game is played
on a 10 x 10 checkerboard with 100 alternating
light and dark squares, of which only the
fifty dark squares are used for the play.
- Before play is begun, the board is placed
squarely between the two players so that
there is a double corner on the right of
each opponent and a single corner on the
left.
~ Object of International Checkers
Games ~
- Using strategy, experience and determination,
each checkers player tries to outplay the
opponent by either capturing all the checkers
or by blocking any moves the other player
may try to make.
~ Game Starting Position ~
- Each checkers player has 20 checker
pieces of contrasting colors, which are
placed on the first four rows closest to
each opponent so that the two middle rows
are empty.
~ Game Moves & Captures ~
- The player with the light checkers makes
the first move and then the two opponents
alternate turns with each play thereafter.
- Each player is only allowed one move at a time.
- The checkers may only be moved forward
diagonally, one square at a time, to an
empty square adjacent to the original position.
- The forward move may be to the left
or right to the unoccupied square.
- Captures are compulsory moves.
- In order to capture the opponent’s
checkers, a player may use his/her checker
to jump forward or backward.
- The capturing jump continues as long
as there are empty spaces before or behind
opposing checkers.
- Multiple jumps must be made over these
opposing pieces in a single turn either
forward or backward, making 90 degree angles.
- Jumps must be made to capture as many
checkers as possible, whether this move
is to the advantage or disadvantage of
the player making the captures.
- Captured pieces are not removed from
the board during the jump but after the
move is complete.
- Checkers may not jump over men of the same color.
~ Crowning to become King ~
- When a player moves a checker to the
opponent’s ‘king
row’ or far row, the checker
is crowned ‘king’ by
placement of another checker of the same
color on top.
- If a checker reaches the king row by
means of a jump and can continue the jump
backward to capture an additional man or
men, then the checker must continue the
jump and is not crowned as king.
- The checker becomes king only if the
jump or series of jumps terminate at the
last row of the opponent.
- Once the checker is crowned by the opponent,
this player commences his/her turn.
- The opponent is not allowed to make
a move until the king has been crowned.
~ King Moves & Captures ~
- Kings can move both forward and backward
on any number of squares in a diagonal
with an empty square.
- Capture may be made from any distance
along the diagonal by jumping either forward
or backward over an opposing checker piece
or king as long as there is at least one
unoccupied square between each checker.
- The capturing jump continues along the
diagonal or by making a right angle turn
to another diagonal as long as there are
opposing checkers on the path.
- All capturing moves are compulsory.
- In a move with more than one way to
capture the opposition, the player must
choose the sequence of capturing jumps
that amasses the most checkers, whether
single checkers or kings.
- A king may not jump over his own checkers.
- If an improper jump or move is made,
this must be retracted and a correct move
must then be made instead.
- If at all possible, this correction
should be made with the original checker
that was moved incorrectly.
- No checker may jump over the same opposing
piece more than once.
- All jumps in a given move must be complete
and the player’s hand must be away from
the board before the captured checkers are removed from the play.
~ International Checkers Time Limits ~
- A fixed amount of time is given for
a certain number of moves for each player,
regardless of how much time is actually
used in each move.
- When both opposing players have made
the given number of moves but neither player
has used the allotted time issued, then
an additional allotment of time and moves
will be given to each opponent.
- Unused time is retained when each new
allotment is awarded.
- This procedure continues until the end of
the international checkers/draughts game and the
decision of a winner or a draw.
~ Win or Draw at International Checkers~
- An International checkers player wins
the game when he/she has successfully captured
all the opponent’s checker pieces,
or has blocked the opposing player so that
no further legal move can be made by this
player.
- The checkers game is a draw if neither
opponent has the possibility of winning
the game.
- The game is a draw if both players agree
to this decision.
- The checkers game is a draw if the same
position is repeated for the third time
with the same opponent making the move;
this need not be as a result of a consecutive
situation.
- A one king against one king or a two
king against one king endgame is declared
a draw automatically.
- A checkers player loses the game if
the time expires before the required number
of moves are made.
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