Draughts Rules

Draughts Setup

A board of 64 squares, arranged eight by eight and with chequered (hence the American name) squares used. We may label these darker and lighter squares to avoid confusion with the pieces: this is essentially a chessboard. On the nearest twelve dark squares from each of the two opposite ends, twelve checkers are placed: white at one end, black at the other.

There hence exists a complete symmetry between the two players, and the opening player may be decided by a coin toss.

Progress

The checkers game format may be adapted to streamline the game flow and disincentivise errors. For example, one additional rule allows that, whenever no opportunity to capture a piece is taken in a move that would allow it, the moved piece is removed by the opponent before their move.

To reduce the probability of a draw in competition settings, it is common to use a ballot system. A card is drawn randomly from a selection, each with an opening three-move sequence started by black. White begins the voluntary game with the fourth move. As an asymmetry is created by this variant, the situation is reversed in a second game, often as part of a sequence of games.

End of the game

The game concludes when:

• a player may make no legal move, either because:
  • all their pieces have been removed, or;
  • their remaining pieces may make no legal move, or;
• the players agree to a draw.