International Checkers

International Checkers (also called Polish draughts or international draughts) is a variant of the strategy board game “draughts”. The gameboard of International checkers is 10×10 alternating dark and light squares. The moves are made only on the dark squares. Each player begin with 20 pieces placed on the first 4 rows of each side of the board. The game-board is set in a way that the lower-left corner square have to be dark.

International Checkers rules

The basic rule for all checkers variants is that all the moves and captures must be made diagonally. The only differences between English draughts and International Checkers are in the size of the gameboard (10×10), number of pieces (20), the pieces can also jump backward (not only forward), the flying moves and captures power of the king, and the requirement that the max number of simple pieces be captured whenever a player has jump options.

Starting position

1. The player begin the game with 20 pieces on a 10×10 squares board. The lower-left square must be dark.
2. The pieces are placed on the black fields of the first 4 rows of each player. The two rows in the center are left unoccupied.

Moves and captures

1. The first player who begins the game is the one who has the lighter pieces. The next move is for the other one and so on.
2. The pieces move diagonally only one square forward to an empty field.
3. To capture your enemy’s pieces you must jump over them (forward or backward) to the next empty square.
4. If you have an eligible option to jump, you must take it, even if it’s in your disadvantage.
   1. Multi- jump must be made if it’s possible. If after each jump there is an option to continue capturing your enemy’s pieces. It is obligatory to capture as many pieces as you can. You must take the option that let you make the max number of jumps.
   2. After piece is captured, it must be removed from the checkers board at the end of the jump.
   3. A piece can not be jumped over more than once.

Crowning

A piece must be crowned if it reaches the last row of the opponent side of the board. It is then crowned by putting another simple piece on top of it. Crowned pieces, becomes kings and gain more power and abilities. They can move multiple squares diagonally in any direction and can jump over any opponent piece even if it’s far from it. They can also choose the square where to lands on after making a capture ( or multiples captures). But, as normal pieces, they must capture all the possible and eligible enemy’s pieces.

Winning and draws

1. A player loses if he can’t make any valid move with his pieces, all of them are blocked by his enemy.
2. A player loses if he has no more pieces to play with, all of them having been captured by his opponent.
3. The game is a draw if no player can win the game.
4. The game is a draw when a player repeats the same move in the same position three times (not necessarily consecutive).
5. The game is a draw if all remaining pieces on the board are king versus king, one for each player.

Other rules can be also applied in some checkers tournaments:

1. The game is a draw if, during 25 moves of the game, only the kings move, without any jumps or simple pieces movements.
2. The game is a draw if a player have 1 king and the opponent have 3 kings, 2 kings and 1 piece or 1 king and 2 pieces, and the two players have each made 16 moves without any capture.