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Tiers Checkers

Rules of Play:

~ Game Board ~

• The game is played by two opponents on a standard 8 x 8 checkerboard consisting 64 alternating light and dark squares.


• Each player uses twelve checkers of contrasting light and dark colors, usually referred to as Red or White (light) or Black (dark).


• The board is positioned between the two opponents so that there is a dark double corner to the right of each player and a single dark corner to the left.

~ Object of the Game ~

• The game objective of this complex form of Checkers is to maximize on the number of upgrades and to prevent the opponent from making any other moves by capturing as many of the opponent’s pieces as possible by or by blocking in the opponent’s remaining checkers.

~ Starting Position ~

• Before the game commences, the checker colors are chosen by friendly agreement by a game of chance or random selection or by a neutral third person.


• Each player begins with twelve checkers that he/she may arrange in any configuration of his/her choice, but it must be confined to the back three rows on his/her side of the board.


• Both opponents agree to these formations before the checker game starts.


• Player with the light checkers moves first and then they alternate moving one space at a time with each successive turn.

~ Game Moves & Captures ~

• A single checker piece is moved forward straight ahead, diagonally forward right or diagonally forward left to a vacant square adjacent to the original position.


• Maximum capture is mandatory by jumping and this involves moving two spaces in the same direction, then jumping over the opponent’s checker(s) and landing on the adjacent unoccupied square.


• A checker can capture multiple opposing pieces in a single turn through a sequence of jumps as long as there are empty squares immediately beyond the opponent’s checker(s).


• If there are several choices available in a capture, then the player may choose the checker that makes the move.


• A single checker can only capture by jumping in the three forward directions.

~ Promotion to King ~

• When a single checker reaches the opponent’s last row (the crownhead or King’s row), it is crowned and promoted to King.


• A piece is only ‘Kinged’ when the move ends on the king’s row, whether through a single move or a sequence of jumps.


• The opponent must place another checker on top of the original to signify the new position and when this is complete, he/she may then move his/her own checker.


• Kings may move and capture in any direction.

~ Unique Upgrades (Tiers) for the King ~

• Each checker may be upgraded beyond the first tier of King by returning to the original player’s first row.


• Moving back and forth across the checkerboard upgrades each piece tier by tier until it reaches the fifth tier; each tier provides the upgraded checker with new abilities.


• Triple Kings ~ “trip kings” is the first upgrade to the King and is represented by a stack of three checkers of the original colour.


• This tier is achieved by returning a king to the owning player’s closest row.


• Triple kings can jump over two consecutive opposing checkers and have the ability to make standard jumps over friendly pieces (checkers of their own color).


• The process of jumping over a friendly piece is never mandatory, does not sacrifice the jumped checker and does not have any priority over other jumps.


• Triple kings cannot jump over both an opponent’s checker and a friendly piece in one jump.


• Movement along the game board is identical to that of Kings.
• Quad kings ~ is the upgrade of triple kings.


• They have the most complex jumping rules and are represented by four pieces stacked on top of each other.


• They do not possess the ability to jump over their own pieces as triple kings do, but do retain the ability to jump over two consecutive pieces in one jump.


• Quad kings have the unique ability to skip an empty space before they jump a single piece or begin a jumping sequence.


• This process has the same priority as regular jumps.


• Quad kings can also make normal jumps and sequences, and move the same as normal Kings.


• Ultra-kings ~ are the final piece upgrade to be attained by reaching the ends of the board and are signified by placing an opposing player’s piece between two of one’s own checkers.


• Ultra-kings can move or ‘teleport’ to any unoccupied square and can also capture in a way completely unique to standard checkers games.


• Ultra-kings “consume” an opponent’s checker by moving into the occupied square of that piece.
• With this upgrade, this procedure is compulsory.


• Ultra-kings also possess the ability to ‘teleport’ any of its own checkers by moving the ultra-king adjacent to the piece during one turn, placing that checker on top of the ultra-king in another turn (leaving the ultra-king without the ability to attack or move), and then moving the friendly checker to any unoccupied square on the board.


• If a piece is teleported onto the side needed to make an upgrade, the upgrade occurs.


• Once teleported, the checker may not take any further actions for that turn.


• If an ultra-king is placed upon another ultra-king, then the resulting piece achieves the ability to make two complete moves in a single turn; for example, a “double ultra-king ” may capture any piece on the board by moving next to it and then consume it during the player’s turn.

~ Strategy ~

• The game of Tiers maintains a set of complex rules that allow each player to utilize several successful strategies
• To upgrade a single checker quickly before the opposing player has a chance to do so is a common and generally successful strategy because it allows for a greater number of capturing opportunities.


• Another tactic that works well is to trap a stronger piece by forcing it to jump into a place where it can then be captured.


• The ability to create unique formations for each player before the game begins is also considered very important to the overall outcome of the game since it allows each player the option of setting plans into effect from the beginning.

 

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