• Board
• Objective
• Play
• Captures

Tama is played on a common 8x8 checkerboard.

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

Players move alternatively, starting from the player with the light checkers.

Ordinary checkers can move one cell straight or diagonally 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 cells horizonally, vertically or diagonally (exactly like Queen in Chess). Kings cannot jump over own pieces or over two or more enemy pieces standing one after another.

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

An ordinary checker can capture an enemy piece standing on an adjacent cell to the left, to the right or in front of it if the next cell in the same direction is empty. The capture is made by jumping over this enemy piece and placing the own checker on the next empty cell. 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 it.

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 cell or cells 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 next empty cells. If the same player's king can continue capturing another enemy piece then it must do it.

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.

Capture is mandatory. It means that if the player can capture an enemy piece (or pieces) on his turn then he must do it. If a player has a choice of jump sequences then he must choose the sequence that captures the most enemy pieces.