Checkers Lover (part 3)

Moves: Men and Kings
Same as International checkers, normal moves may be done only diagonally one square forward and captures diagonally forwards and backwards. However, men are crowned immediately when they reach the last row and, if this happens during a capture move, they may continue jumping backwards in the same move as a king. Kings move any number of squares, diagonally forwards or backwards.

Capture compulsory
If possible, any capture move must be made, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be the move that captures the maximum amount of pieces. When one king jumps over an opponent piece and there are several possible squares to land on, there is a higher priority for the squares from whom it is possible to go on jumping.

Particularities about the end of the game

• The game ends in a draw after doing 25 king moves in a row without advancing any man nor doing any capture.

Poddavki variant
Poddavki is a give away variant of Shashki. This means that the rules are the same but the objective of the game is inverted: the winner is the player that runs out of pieces or can’t move any of the remaining pieces.
Give away versions may be played for any draughts game, but usually they are not seriously considered. In Russia, however, Poddavki is a prestigious variant and tournaments are held the same as in the case of Shashki.

Turkish Checkers

This variant is quite different from the more widespread variants of draughts. It’s mainly played in Middle East countries.

Board and pieces
8x8 board. Each player starts with 16 men (white and black) placed on all the squares of the second and third rows. All the squares are used.



Moves: Men and Kings
Men move one square horizontally or vertically forwards, but never backwards while Kings move and jump vertically and horizontally any number of squares.

Maximum capture compulsory
If there are two or more different chances to make capture, it’s compulsory to make the move that captures the maximum amount of the opponent's pieces.

Taking away the captured pieces
Unlike most variants of the game, captured pieces are immediately taken away from the board. As a result, the same square may be crossed more than once in the same move, therefore sometimes giving the option to capture a higher amount of pieces during the move.

Particularities about the end of the game

• The game ends in a draw after doing 25 king moves in a row without advancing any man nor doing any capture.

Thai Checkers

This variant is very similar to classic draughts.

Board and pieces
8x8 draughtboard with lower right white corner. Each player starts with 8 men (white and black) placed on the first 3 rows. Dark squares are used.



Moves: Men and Kings
Men move and capture only diagonally forwards. Kings move and capture diagonally forwards and backwards. It’s a flying king, so it has the chance to jump over empty squares, but with this limit: when capturing, it must land just on the next square beyond the captured opponent piece.

Particularities about the end of the game

• The game ends in a draw after doing 25 king moves in a row without advancing any man nor doing any capture.

Frisian Checkers

This variant is played in some areas of Netherlands. Rules are mainly similar to International Checkers, but there are two big differences.

Board and pieces
10x10 draughtboard with lower right white corner. Each player starts with 20 men placed on the first 4 rows. Dark squares are used.



Moves: Men and Kings
Men move only diagonally one square forward, but captures may be made diagonally forwards and backwards. Unlike most draughts games, they have also de option to make capture moves vertically and horizontally; since clear squares are not used, this kind of jump implies to move on the man four squares. They are crowned only when the move finishes in the last row; if one man reaches the last row during a capture move but it must continue jumping backwards, it does not become a king.
Kings can move any number of squares, diagonally forwards or backwards. And, same as men, they may jump horizontally, vertically or diagonally. The same king may not be moved more than three times in a row, unless he makes some capture move or the player has not any man.

Capture compulsory
Like most of variants, there are some rules that set the priorities for capture moves.

• Maximum capture compulsory: if there are two or more different chances to make capture, it is compulsory to make the move that captures the maximum amount of the opponent's pieces.
• Quality capture compulsory: if there are still two or more different chances with the same priority, it is compulsory to capture the maximum amount of kings.
• Between different maximum capture options, captures made with kings have higher priority than captures made with men.

Particularities about the end of the game

• The game ends in a draw after doing 25 king moves in a row without advancing any man nor doing any capture.