Italian lady
The Italian checkers (dama) is a variant of the classic checkers game that is particularly widespread in Italy and has been documented since the 16th century. Like the classic checkers game, it is usually played on a chessboard with 64 fields, 8 × 8. It differs from this in the orientation of the game board and in the striking rules for the queen.
Style of play
As with the classic checkers game, the Italian checkers is a board game for two players who sit opposite each other on the game board. One player plays the white and the other the black pieces and the two players take turns making a move. In the starting line-up, the 12 pieces are set up on the black fields of the first to third rows on both sides of the game board. The game board is aligned so that there is a white field each at the bottom left and top right, i.e. offset by 90 ° to the alignment of the classic checkers and chess boards.
The colors are drawn or chosen, the white player begins the game. Both players now alternately each draw a piece, whereby the pieces can be moved diagonally forward on the black fields. When a player reaches the baseline on the opposite side, his checker becomes a queen. This may move in any diagonal direction, including backwards, but as with Drafts, only one space at a time.
As with the classic checkers, a piece can be captured if an adjacent piece can jump over it onto a free field behind it. The Italian Queen may only hit forward and if another stroke is possible from the new position, this is also carried out. There is a compulsion to hit, so a stone must be hit if this is possible. In addition, the move must always be chosen in which the highest possible number of opposing stones can be captured. The queen may also only capture single stones in her diagonal neighborhood if there is a free space behind it, and she must also capture several stones one after the other if this is possible. All captured stones are removed from the playing field after the turn. In contrast to the classic checkers game, a queen may only be captured by a queen, never by a simple piece.
As in the classic checkers game, the winner is the player who succeeds in capturing all of the opponent's stones or immobilizing them. It is also possible to win the game if the opponent only has one stone left.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d Italian Checkers (Drafts) In: Brian Burns (Ed.): The Encyclopedia of Games. Brown Packaging Books, 1998; Pp. 155-156.
Web links
- Italian Checkers (Drafts) In: Brian Burns (Ed.): The Encyclopedia of Games. Brown Packaging Books, 1998; Pp. 155-156.
- Italian Checkers in the games database BoardGameGeek (English)