Spanish

Checkers Variants

Malay players of draughts on a 12 x 12 board. (YouTube)

Spanish checkers (Damas Espanola ) denotes variants with flying King and where a Man cannot capture backwards. Nor does it continue capturing at promotion. Capture is mandatory. The board is often mirrored. In 1547, Anton de Torquemada published the first book about Spanish checkers. Variants of the game are today played all over the world; in Germany, Tanzania, Argentina, Thailand, etc. Below are described the variants that have been implemented.

Spanish/Portuguese checkers (8x8) (Damas )
If capturing lines are equally long, one must choose the one with the most valuable pieces, or else one must choose the longest line. Board is mirrored.

Spanish II (8x8) (Killer Spanish )
Same as Spanish, except that the "killer King" rule is introduced. If the last captured piece is a King, the King captor must stop at the immediate next cell after the jump. It serves to reduce the drawishness of the game, since it means that two Kings will win against a lone King. After all, in Spanish checkers, three Kings versus one is not generally won. (This Spanish variant is a suggestion of the author.)

German checkers (8x8) (Dame/Damspiel )
It is not mandatory to capture the longest line.

Czech checkers (8x8) (Dama )
Capture with King always has preference over capture with Man, even if the latter can capture more pieces. (It is a curious rule, but it is veridical.) It is not  mandatory to capture the longest line.

Slovak checkers (8x8) (Dama )
Number of checkers is eight per player. Capture with King always has preference over capture with Man, even if the latter can capture more pieces. It is not  mandatory to capture the longest line.

Moroccan/Algerian/Tunisian checkers (8x8)
One must choose the longest capture sequence. Board is mirrored.

Myanmar checkers (8x8) (Dama )
One must choose the longest capture sequence. Board is mirrored.

Tanzanian/African-American Straight (8x8)
It is not mandatory to capture the longest line. Typically, black side begins.

Malaysian checkers (8x8) (Penang/Dam Haji )
It is mandatory to select the longest capturing line. If even, one must give precedence to the capture of a Dame. Otherwise, the Dame’s capturing move has precedence.

Malaysian checkers II (8x8)
One must choose the longest capture sequence.

Singaporean checkers (8x8) (Dum )
Capture with King always has preference over capture with Man, even if the latter can capture more pieces. It is not  mandatory to capture the longest line.

Singaporean checkers II (8x8)
It is not  mandatory to capture the longest line.

Argentinian checkers (8x8) (Damas)
The King must land directly behind every captured piece. If capturing lines are equally long, one must choose the one with the most valuable pieces, or else one must choose the longest line. Board is mirrored.

Central and South German checkers (8x8) (Süddeutsche Dame/Damspiel)
The King must land directly behind every captured piece. It is not mandatory to capture the longest line.

Central and South German II (8x8)
The King must land directly behind every captured piece. It is mandatory to capture the longest line.

Central and South German III (8x8)
The King must land directly behind the last captured piece. It is not mandatory to capture the longest line.

Central and South German IV (8x8)
The King must land directly behind the last captured piece. It is mandatory to capture the longest line.

Bulgarian checkers (8x8)
Capture with King always has preference over capture with Man, even if the latter can capture more pieces. The King must land directly behind the last captured piece. It is not mandatory to capture the longest line. (Reference: Dama.)

Thai checkers (8x8) (Makhos)
Number of checkers is eight per player. Pieces are removed instantly from the board. Thus, the King can reverse direction during a capture sequence. The King must land immediately behind every captured piece. Thus, two Kings always win against one. It is not mandatory to capture the longest line. Typically, black side begins.

Argentinian draughts (10x10) (Damas )
The King must land directly behind every captured piece. If capturing lines are equally long, one must choose the one with the most valuable pieces, or else one must choose the longest line. Board is mirrored.

Argentinian draughts II (10x10) (Damas)
Number of checkers is fifteen per player. It is mandatory to select the longest capturing line. If even, one must give precedence to the capture of a King. Otherwise, the King’s capturing move has precedence. Men cannot capture backwards. At promotion, capture terminates and the Man becomes a King. Board is standard.

Indonesian draughts (10x10) (Dam blas )
Number of checkers is twenty per player. One must choose the longest capture sequence.

Ecuadorian draughts (10x10)
Number of checkers is twenty per player. It is mandatory to select the longest capturing line. If even, one must give precedence to the capture of a Dame. Otherwise, the Dame’s capturing move has precedence.

Malaysian draughts (12x12) (Penang/Dam Haji )
Number of checkers is thirty per player. It is mandatory to select the longest capturing line. If even, one must give precedence to the capture of a Dame. Otherwise, the Dame’s capturing move has precedence.

Malaysian draughts II (12x12)
One must choose the longest capture sequence.

Singaporean draughts (12x12) (Dum )
Capture with King always has preference over capture with Man, even if the latter can capture more pieces. It is not  mandatory to capture the longest line.

Singaporean draughts II (12x12)
It is not  mandatory to capture the longest line.


Piece movement

The object is to capture all your opponent’s men by jumping over them, or stalemate the opponent so he has no moves. A Man can move forward, by sliding diagonally to an adjacent empty square. It may also jump over an enemy piece in any direction to a vacant square on the other side. Jumping over a piece captures it. Capturing is mandatory, and you must keep jumping and capturing as long as it is possible.

When your Man reaches the other end of the board, it becomes a King and can then move and capture forwards and backwards over any distance. It also jumps to capture, but only one Man at a time. If a Man reaches the promotion square as part of a capture sequence, it promotes but cannot continue capturing.


References

Ratrout, S. ‘A Guide to Checkers Families and Rules’. (Academia.edu, here)

Freeling, C. ‘On the evolution of draughts variants’. (Mindsports.nl, here)

See also:

Winther, M. (2015). ‘International/Polish Checkers Variants’. (here)

  -------    (2017). ‘Gothic Checkers Variants’. (here)


A thanks to Sultan Ratrout for valuable guidance.

☛  You can download my free Spanish Checkers Variants program here (updated 2024-10-25), but you must own the software Zillions of Games to be able to run it. (I recommend the download version.)

© Mats Winther (May 2017).