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Checkers Around the World
Polish Draughts/Checkers Game
Warcaby Polskie
 
Polish Draughts/Checkers game is spearheaded
by the Polish Draughts Federation (Polskie
Towarzystwo Warcabowe), a member of the World
Draughts Federation ~ FMJD. The game of Draughts/Checkers
has been played in Poland since the 18th
century. There are three different variants:
Polish (International) Draughts/ Checkers,
Traditional Draughts/Checkers and Classic
Polish Draughts/Checkers.
Polish Checkers Game Rules:
~ The Game Checker Board ~
This form of Polish checkers is played
by two opposing players on a checkerboard
consisting of 10 x 10 (100) alternating light
and dark squares.
Each opponent uses 20 checkers of contrasting
colors, often referred to as
‘white’ and ‘black’,
though they may be colored differently.
~ Object of the Game Polish Checkers ~
The game objective is to prevent an opposing
player from making a legal move on his/her
turn.
In order to do so, the checkers player
tries to capture all of the opponent’s
pieces or tries to block the opponent’s
moves so that no pieces can move forward.
~ Polish Checkers Starting Position
~
At the beginning of the checkers game,
the checkerboard is positioned squarely between
the two opponents and turned so that single
corner or dark square is situated to the
left of the players and a double corner or
two dark squares are situated to the right
of the players.
Each opponent places the 20 checkers on
the four rows closest to his/her side.
The player with the light checkers commences
the game with the first move of the game
and afterward, the opponents alternate turns,
moving one square at a time.
~ Game Moves & Captures ~
Single checkers are called ‘men’ and
may only move one space at a time on a forward
diagonal line to an empty square.
Capturing is compulsory and is achieved
by jumping over the opponent’s checker
on a diagonally adjacent square but there
must be an unoccupied square in between.
Checkers may jump forward or backward
and continue jumping as long as there are
opposing pieces on the diagonal path.
If there is more than one way to jump,
the player must choose the sequence of jumps
that result in capturing the most checkers
(men and kings) of the opposition.
A“huff” of
a checker is not permitted if a player fails
to jump correctly, but instead the incorrect
move must be retracted and replaced with
a correct one; if possible, the new move
must be made with the checker that was originally
moved incorrectly.
A player may not jump over his/her own checkers.
~ Crowned to be King ~
When a checker reaches the far side of
the checkerboard at the opponent’s king
row, it is crowned a king.
If, however, the checker reaches the king
row by means of a capturing jump and is then
able to jump backward away from the king
row to continue the capture of a man or king,
it must do so and then it is not promoted
to king.
The checker becomes a king at the king
row only if its jump or series of jumps end
there.
Once a checker reaches the king row, the
opponent must crown the checker by placing
another checker on top to signify its kingship;
it is then the other player’s turn,
but he/she must not make a move until the
king is crowned.
~ King Moves & Capture ~
Kings are able to move forward or backward
diagonally on any number of squares to an
empty square.
Capture is achieved from any distance
along a diagonal path through jumping forward
or backward over the opponent’s pieces
as long as there are empty squares adjacent
to the occupied squares.
The capturing king will land on any unoccupied
square but must continue the jump until all
men in the path are captured.
The capturing king may jump along one
diagonal in the same line or may change directions
by making a right angle turn to another diagonal
line.
A player may never use a king to jump
over his/her own checkers.
A checker or king may not jump over the
opponent’s men more than once.
Captured checkers are not removed from
the checkerboard until all jumps made on
any given move are completed and the player’s
hand has been removed from the board.
~ Poland Checkers Win or Draw ~
If a checkers player captures all the
opposing pieces, the result is a win.
If the opponent is blocked from making
any further moves, the result is a win for
the other player.
If neither player can make any further
moves or they encountered the same
position three times, then the game is a
draw.
The game is also a draw if both opponents
agree to this result.
Draughts/Checkers Rules of Play:
~ The Polish Game Board ~
Traditional polish checkers is played on
an 8 x 8 standard checkerboard of 64 light
and dark squares.
Two opponents play the game with 12 checkers
each that are contrasting colors, usually
referred to as ‘white’
and ‘black’.
~ The Object of the Game ~
The game objective is to employ strategy
and experience to outmaneuver one’s
opponent and thus capture all his/her checkers
or prevent the opposing player from being
able to make any future moves.
The result is winning the Polish checkers
game.
~ Checkers Game Starting Position ~
The players position the checkerboard
squarely between them so that it is turned
with a single dark corner on the left and
a double dark corner on the right of each
opponent.
The checkers are placed on the first three
rows of dark squares nearest each player.
The opponent with the light checkers begins
the game with the first move and then players
alternate turns thereafter, making only one
move at a time.
~ Game Moves & Capture ~
The players move the checkers forward
only from square to empty square in a diagonal
direction towards the opponents end row,
viewing the board strategically.
Opposing checkers are captured by jumping
over them to an adjacent square that is unoccupied.
Jumps are also completed in a diagonal line across the checkerboard.
Checkers may jump forward or backward
as long as they encounter opposing men or
kings along the diagonal path and there are
empty squares adjacent to the checkers being
captured.
A player may not jump over his/her own checker pieces.
~ Crowned to become a King ~
A checker can only be crowned a king
when it reaches the opponent’s king
row in a single move or if a capturing jump
or series of jumps terminate there.
If, however, a checker can jump backward
away from the king row to capture another
man or king, then the checker is NOT crowned
a king.
Once the checker has reached the king
row, it must be crowned by the opponent,
and only when this is done can the opposing
player take his/her turn.
Kings move in a forward or backward diagonal
on any number of squares to empty squares
adjacent to the move.
~ The Capturing Moves of the King ~
In this variation, kings may also capture
from any distance along any diagonal to
unoccupied squares by jumping either forward
or backward over the opponent’s man
or king.
As long as there are opponent’s
checkers in the player’s path, he/she
must continue to jump either on the same
diagonal or by making a right angle turn
to another diagonal line.
As with checker men, capture is mandatory.
If more than one way to capture presents
itself, the player may choose the path that
best suits his/her strategy; capturing with
the king does not mean that the player has
to jump the line that captures the most checkers
from the opponent.
In a capturing move, once the king has
jumped over a man or king of the opponent
and there is more than one unoccupied square
beyond the one the king landed on, then the
king piece must land on a square that will
lead to a continuous jump.
If there are more than one such square,
the player may choose the direction he/she
wishes to proceed in.
Once an opponent chooses a sequence of
captures, he/she must take advantage of all
the capturing jumps possible in that sequence.
A “huff” of
a checker is not permitted for failure to
jump properly, though this rule was allowed
years past.
Any incorrect move must be retracted and
a proper move must be made in its place;
if at all possible, the new move must be
made with the original checker or king that
made the wrong move.
Kings may not jump over any of their own
checkers and may not jump over an opponent’s checker
or king more than once.
Captured checkers or kings are not removed
from the checkerboard until all jumps on
that move are finished and the player’s
hand has been removed.
~ Polish Style Win or Draw ~
If a player has captured all the opponent’s
checkers, then he/she has won the game.
If a player has successfully blocked his/her
opponent from making any further legal move,
then the game is won.
If neither player can continue to make
any moves, the game is a draw.
The game is also a draw if both players
agree to this outcome.
Should a situation arise wherein one player
has three kings and the opponent has only
one king, and no other checkers remain on
the checkerboard, then a count is begun of
the moves made by the lone king.
If this lone king can make 13 moves, then
the game is a draw, even if the next move
made by the opponent would have resulted
in the capture of the lone king.
Generally speaking, a win is only possible
if the side with 3 kings has possession of
the diagonal running from the lower left
to upper right corner.
(Polish Minor Checkers)
~ Polish Minor Game Board ~
The game of Classic Draughts/Checkers
or Little Polish Draughts is played on a
smaller checkerboard than Polish Draughts/Checkers.
Two opposing players use the dark squares
of an 8 x 8 checkerboard/ 64 alternating
light and dark squares.
Each player has 12 checkers of contrasting colors.
~ Polish Minor Game Objective ~
The object of the checkers game is to
prevent the opponent from making a move on
his/her turn, either by capturing all the
opponent’s checkers or by blocking
any future move by this player.
~ The Starting Position ~
Each checkers player places the checker
pieces on the first three rows closest to
self.
The board is positioned squarely between
the two opponents with a single dark corner
to the left and a double dark corner to the
right of the players.
The checker player with the lighter checkers
begins the game with the first move and then
they alternate turns thereafter.
Each player may only make one move at a time.
~ Game Moves & Captures ~
As in many other variations, the players
may only move the single checkers diagonally
forward one space at a time to their position
on an empty square.
A player captures the opponent’s
checker by jumping over it to an adjacent
unoccupied square.
Capturing jumps may move forward or
backward diagonally over the opponent’s
checker(s) to an empty square beyond.
The jump may continue as long as there
are checkers to be captured on the diagonal
path of the move.
A player may not jump over his/her own men.
~ Crowned to become King ~
When a checker reaches the king row of
the opponent, it is crowned a king; however,
if the checker lands on the king row through
a jumping sequence and can continue to jump
away from the last row, it is not crowned
a king, but must continue the capture.
A checker is kinged only if the move,
whether through a jump or sequence of jumps
ends at the king row.
The opponent crowns the new king and then
may take his/her turn.
~ King Moves & Captures ~
Kings are able to move forward or backward
diagonally on any number of squares to reach
an unoccupied square.
Capture is compulsory throughout the game.
Capture is achieved from any distance
along a diagonal path through the process
of jumping either forward or backward over
the opponent’s men or kings until the
checker lands on an empty square adjacent
to the jump or series of jumps.
A king continues to jump if at all possible
along this diagonal path or by making a right
angle turn to another diagonal line.
A player may not use the checker or king
to jump over his/her own pieces.
If a king has an option of several ways
to jump, the player must choose the path
that results in the largest number of captures.
As in all other forms of checkers, a “huff” is
not permitted if a player fails to make a
proper move; the improper move must be retracted
and a new move made using, if possible, the
same checker that made the wrongful move.
Each opponent may only jump over the opposing
man or king once in a capture.
Captured checkers are not removed from
the checkerboard until all jumps in a given
move have been completed and the player’s
hand has been removed from the capturing
king or man and the board itself.
~ Polish Checkers Minor Win or Draw ~
- When a player has captured all the opponent’s
checkers or blocked the opponent from making
further moves, the result is a win for
this player.
- If neither player can complete all the
moves of the game, the end result is a draw.
- If both parties agree to the draw, this
is how the game from Poland ends.
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