International draughts
The 10 by 10 draughts played in the Netherlands as dammen and in world championships. Men capture backwards too, kings fly along the diagonals, and you must always take the most pieces.
How to play International draughts
How to play
Each side has 20 men on the dark squares, and white moves first. Tap one of your men, then a marked square, or drag it there. Men move one square diagonally forward. You play white; tap Play second before your first move to play black and let the computer open.
Captures
Jump over an enemy piece next to you onto the empty square behind it, forwards or backwards. Capturing is compulsory, and you must choose a route that takes the most pieces; kings count the same as men. Captured pieces come off only when the move ends, so you can’t jump the same piece twice. When two routes take different pieces but end on the same square, tap the landing squares in turn to pick yours.
Kings
A man that ends its move on the far row is crowned and gets a crown mark. A man that only passes through the far row during a capture and jumps on stays a man. Kings fly: they move any distance along a diagonal and can capture a piece from afar, landing on any empty square beyond it.
Winning and draws
You win when the computer has no pieces or no legal move left. It is a draw when the same position comes up three times, after 25 moves each with only kings moving and no capture, or when three pieces with a king can’t beat a lone king in 16 moves each (5 moves each with two pieces or fewer).
Questions
What is the difference between international draughts and checkers?
International draughts uses a 10 by 10 board with 20 men each instead of 8 by 8 with 12. Men may capture backwards, kings fly over any distance, and you must take the most pieces. Checkers (English draughts) has short kings and no majority rule.
Is this the same game as dammen?
Yes. Dammen is the Dutch name for international draughts, the 10 by 10 game with flying kings and the majority capture rule. It is also the main form of draughts in Belgium, France and many African countries.
Do I have to take the most pieces?
Yes. When you can capture, you must choose a capture that takes the largest number of pieces, and a king counts as one piece like a man. Among routes that take the same number you may choose.
Does a man become a king if it reaches the far row during a capture?
Only if its move ends there. If it can jump on and away from the far row, it must carry on and stays a man.
How strong is the hard computer?
It looks several moves ahead within a fixed amount of work per move, so it plays the same way on every device, follows every capture sequence to the end and knows the draw rules. Careful play can still beat it; Easy and Medium are gentler.