Dama

• Board
• Objective
• Play
• Captures

Dama is played on a common 8x8 checkerboard.

The initial position of dark and light checkers is shown in the following picture:

Players move alternately, starting with the player with the light checkers.

Ordinary checkers can move one square forward or sideways.

When an ordinary checker ends its move on the last row of the board it is promoted to a king.

Kings can move any number of squares horizonally or vertically (exactly like a rook in Chess).  Kings cannot jump over their own pieces or over two or more enemy pieces standing one after another.

Neither ordinary checkers nor kings can land on an occupied square.

An ordinary checker can capture an enemy piece standing on an adjacent square to the left, to the right or in front of it if the next square in the same direction is empty.  The capture is made by jumping over this enemy piece and placing the player's own checker on the next empty square.  The captured enemy piece is immediately removed from the board.  If the same player's checker can continue capturing another enemy piece then it must do so.

A king can capture an enemy piece standing on the same horizontal or vertical line if there are no other pieces between them and the next square or squares in the same direction are empty too.  The capture is made by jumping over this enemy piece and placing the king on any of the following empty squares.  If the same player's king can continue capturing another enemy piece then it must do so.

In either case, captured pieces are immediately removed from the board, that is, before the capture is continued.  Thus squares may become vacant that allow the capture, in the same turn, of pieces that previously could not be captured.

Capturing is mandatory.  This means that if a player can capture an enemy piece (or pieces) on his turn then he must do so.

If a player has a choice of jump sequences then he must choose the sequence that captures the most enemy pieces.