International Draughts
Big-board draughts with flying kings. Take the most pieces you can.
How to play International Draughts
International Draughts is the world championship form of draughts, played in the Netherlands, France, Africa and much of Eastern Europe. It uses a 10×10 board and 20 pieces for each player, set on the dark squares of the four rows nearest to them. White moves first, then the players take turns.
Goal
Capture all of your opponent's pieces, or block them so they have no legal move.
Turn by turn
- Move. A man moves one square diagonally forward to an empty square. Tap a glowing piece, then tap a marked square.
- Capture. Jump over an enemy piece next to you onto the empty square just behind it. Men may capture forward and backward.
- Capturing is a must. If you can capture, you have to. Pieces that must capture glow gold.
- Take the most. If there are several ways to capture, you must choose a sequence that takes the largest number of pieces. A king counts the same as a man. The game only offers you sequences that follow this rule.
- Keep jumping. A capture can chain many jumps. Jumped pieces stay on the board, marked with a red cross, until the whole sequence is over. You may not jump the same piece twice. Tap each landing square in turn; the next piece to be taken has a dashed red ring.
- Crown a king. A man that ends its move on the far row becomes a king. If it only passes through the far row in the middle of a capture, it stays a man.
- Flying kings. A king moves any distance along a diagonal. It can capture a piece far away and land on any empty square beyond it.
End of the game
You lose when you have no pieces left or cannot move. The game is a draw if the same position appears three times, or if both players make 25 moves each with only kings and no capture. With just one king against up to three pieces, the stronger side gets 16 moves (or 5 moves against two pieces or fewer) to win.
The small numbers on the dark squares are the official square numbers, 1 to 50. If you prefer a smaller board, try Checkers.
Strategy tips
- Own the centre. Squares 22, 23, 27, 28 and 29 are the heart of the board. Pieces there cut the enemy army in two.
- Count every capture. Because the longest capture is forced, you can set traps: give one piece so your opponent must take a route that lets you take back three.
- Keep your pieces linked. A man with a friend behind it cannot be jumped from the front. Remember men also capture backward, so gaps behind you are dangerous.
- Do not rush to the side. Edge pieces are safe but weak. They control only one diagonal and are easy to lock in.
- Watch the long diagonal. A king on the long diagonal (squares 5 to 46) is very hard to trap and controls the whole board.
- Trade when ahead. With more pieces, simple one-for-one swaps bring you closer to a won ending.
International Draughts FAQ
How is this different from Checkers?
The board is 10×10 with 20 pieces each, men can capture backward, kings fly across the board, and you must take the sequence that captures the most pieces.
Why can't I choose a shorter capture?
The majority rule says you must capture the largest possible number of pieces. Only those sequences are offered; if two routes take the same number, you may pick either.
Why does a jumped piece stay on the board?
This is the Turkish strike rule. Pieces are removed only when the whole capture ends, so a jumped piece can block your path and cannot be jumped a second time.
How strong is the computer?
Easy often plays random moves. Medium looks a few moves ahead. Hard searches as deep as it can for about one second and punishes loose pieces.
