~ Win or Draw ~

• The player who has successfully blocked his/her opponent from making any further legal moves wins.
• The game ends in a draw if both players agree to this term.
  
  
• There is a draw if the same position is encountered three times.
  
  
• The checkers game ends in a draw after completing 80 Dama moves in a arrow without the player. advancing any Pedine or Dama or making a capturing move.

Italian Damone – A Unique Checkers Variant

~ Rules of Play ~

~ The Game Board ~

• Players use a standard 8 x 8 checkerboard consisting of 64 light and dark squares.
  
  
• Instead of checkers men and kings, this game employs three types of playing pieces in two contrasting colors, one for each player: Pedine (checker man), Dama (king) and Damone or Imperatore (Emperor).

~ Object of the Game ~

• The game objective is to capture all the opponent’s pieces, or alternatively, capture all the opposing Damones.

~ The Starting Position ~

• Both the starting and playing positions are unique to Italian Damone.
  
  
• Only dark squares are used by the two players, who each have one Damone, two Dama and four Pedines.
  
  
• The checkers pieces are placed as follows: Damone in the right single corner to the player, the Dama situated in the dark square left of the Damone on the base line and then the Pedine is left of the Dama on the row closest to the player; in the next row, a Pedine is placed on the second dark square in from the right; in the third row a Dama sits on the first dark square and a Pedine on the next dark square left of the Dama; a Pedine occupies the first dark square in rows four and five; these positions are also taken by the opponent on his/her side of the checkerboard.

~ Game Moves and Captures ~

• A player can move his/her Pedine in three directions along the diagonal towards the opponent’s Damone.
  
  
• Pedines can move forward and sideways to the right and left along the game diagonal, called h1-a8, one square at a time.
  
  
• Damas and Damones move one square at a time forwards or backwards on the diagonals
• Capturing is mandatory for all checker pieces.
  
  
• Pedines capture moving forward along the diagonal or to the sides on adjacent dark squares.
• All checker men must continue jumping and capturing as long as they can.
  
  
• Pedines may not capture Damas and Damones; Damas may not capture Damones.
  
  
• Damas and Damones move and capture in a forward or backward direction along the diagonals.
  
  
• The Damone’s capturing move ranks over both the Dama’s and Pedine’s capturing moves and the Dama’s capturing move ranks higher than the Pedine’s capturing move.
  
  
• The checker opponents must always follow the longest capturing line, or if still equal, then preference must be given to the capture that will result in the most pieces; players must capture two Pedines over one Dama or Pedines/Damas over one Damone.
  
  
• The two opponents must choose a Damone’s or Dama’s capturing move before that of a Pedine, and likewise, must choose a Damone’s capturing move over that of a Dama.

~ Promotion to Dama or Damone ~

• Pedines are promoted to Damas when they move to the squares originally occupied by the opponent’s Damas.
  
  
• Damas promote to Damones on squares a1 and h8.

~ Special Considerations ~

• This checkers variant is very different from a regular checkers game because material advantage is far less important than the prospect of capturing the opponent’s Damone(s).
  
  
• Sometimes a player must be prepared to sacrifice a few ‘men’ if this means that the opponent’s Damone will be exposed to capture.
  
  
• A player achieves a gain if a Dama can be promoted to a Damone because of the power the piece carries.
  
  
• Ultimately, a win will only be achieved if all the opponent’s pieces are captured.
  
  
• Although checkers sources did not clarify who begins the game, it may be assumed that the opening is left to random selection by the players such as the toss of a coin or simply by players choosing the light or dark coloured checker pieces and determining if light or dark commences the play; it is also assumed that the players alternate turns with each move.