English rules
Dark moves first. A man steps one square diagonally forward onto an empty dark square. If an enemy piece stands diagonally in front of it with an empty square behind, the man must jump over it and take it, and if another jump is then possible from the landing square, the chain must be completed. When several captures are available you may choose any of them, not necessarily the longest.
A man that reaches the far row becomes a king and the move ends there. Kings move one square diagonally in any direction and capture backwards as well as forwards; they do not fly along the diagonal. You win by taking all enemy pieces or leaving them without a move. Threefold repetition, or eighty turns in a row without a capture or a man move, is a draw.
Italian rules
The board is turned so that the dark corner square sits on the right, and Light moves first. The capture rules are stricter: you must take the sequence that wins the most pieces; if there is a choice, the one made by a king; then the one that takes the most kings; then the one that meets a king earliest. An ordinary man may never capture a king.
Tactics worth learning
- Use the compulsory capture against your opponent. Give one man so that the forced reply lands where you can jump two.
- Keep two men on your back row as long as you can. They make it much harder for the opponent to crown.
- Advance in groups. A lone man far up the board is a target, while a pair that protects each other's back square cannot be taken.
- When you are a piece ahead, trade. Every exchange makes the extra man count for more.
- Kings win endgames. In a race, count how many moves each side needs to crown before you commit.
Mistakes the computer will punish
- Leaving an empty square behind a man that an enemy piece can jump into.
- Moving the back row early to gain a tempo.
- Missing that your opponent's capture is also compulsory, which lets him lure your men forward.
- In the Italian rules, forgetting that your men cannot take a king even when it stands right in front of them.
Questions at the table
Must I take the longest capture?
With English rules no, any capture is allowed. With Italian rules yes, the sequence that takes the most pieces is required.
Can kings move more than one square?
No. In both rule sets here a king steps one square at a time, forwards or backwards.
Who moves first?
Dark with English rules, Light with Italian rules.
Is draughts solved?
For the English game, computer analysis has shown that perfect play by both sides ends in a draw.
How do I switch rules?
Open the table settings above the board, choose the rules and start a fresh game. Each rule set keeps its own saved game.