This draughts variant follows the same rules as International Draughts, except for one important difference: a King may not slide passed a square threatened by an enemy King to an unthreatened square — only to squares threatened. (The King is always allowed to sacrifice itself.) The rule is only valid for slides. Thus, the King may always jump over a threatened square while performing a capture. This rule is designed to make the game less drawish. In an endgame with two Kings against one, it is easy to force the latter to a square where it can be captured, as it may not slide passed squares threatened by the two enemy Kings. Constitutional Draughts was invented by Mike Zapawa in 2020.
The ancestor of this variant, Minor Polish draughts, was known already in the 16th century, and possibly even earlier. It was a popular board game in Holland, especially in Amsterdam.
Examples
The white King may not slide beyond 23, because the square is threatened by an enemy King. Yet, it may sacrifice itself at 12. For the same reason, it may not slide beyond 33, but may sacrifice itself at 42.
Here black is forced to go to a square where it can be captured.
Reference
‘Constitutional Draughts’. BGG forum (2020). (here)
See also:
Winther, M. (2015). ‘International/Polish Checkers Variants’. (here)
------- (2017). ‘Spanish Checkers Variants’. (here)
------- (2017). ‘Gothic Checkers Variants’. (here)
• You can download my free Constitutional Draughts program here (updated 2020-10-18), but you must own the software Zillions of Games to be able to run it (I recommend the download version).
© M. Winther (Sept 2020).
