Draughts Rules

International draughts, also known as Polish draughts, is the globally recognized standard for competitive play. Governed by the Fédération Mondiale du Jeu de Dames (FMJD), this 10×10 board version is more complex and strategically deep than common 8×8 checkers variants. Its rules produce a dynamic and decisive contest of skill.

The game is an abstract strategy board game for two players. The goal is to capture all opponent’s pieces or trap them so they have no legal moves. Understanding its unique capturing rules and the powerful “flying king” is essential for any aspiring player.

This guide provides a complete set of rules for the 10×10 international game. While sharing common ancestry with other board games, its specific regulations create a distinct challenge. For a broader look at its place in mind sports, see the main draughts discipline overview.

Setup and Objective

International draughts is played on a 10×10 board of 100 alternating colored squares. The board is oriented so each player has a dark square at their bottom-left corner. All gameplay occurs on the 50 dark squares.

Each player starts with 20 “men” pieces, placed on the first four rows of dark squares on their side. One player uses light pieces (White), the other dark (Black). White always makes the first move.

For game recording, the 50 playable dark squares are numbered 1 to 50. Numbering starts on Black’s back rank (squares 1-5) and ends on White’s back rank (squares 46-50). This standardized notation allows for unambiguous recording and study.

How Pieces Move

The Man’s Move: A man moves one step diagonally forward to an adjacent, unoccupied dark square. Men only move forward in non-capturing moves. Reaching the opponent’s back row promotes a man to a king, a more powerful piece.

Capturing with a Man: A capture is a forced jump over an adjacent opponent’s piece to the vacant square immediately beyond it. Men can capture both forwards and backwards. The captured piece is removed from the board.

If, after a jump, the landing square offers another immediate jump, the player must continue jumping with the same piece. This can result in a multi-jump sequence capturing several pieces in a single turn. The turn ends only when the piece has no more available captures.

Compulsory Capture Rule: Capturing is mandatory. If a capture is available, a player must make it; non-capturing moves are illegal. Overlooking a capture can lead to immediate forfeiture in tournaments.

The game also follows the “majority rule” or “maximum capture” rule. If multiple capturing sequences are available, the player must choose the one that captures the greatest number of opposing pieces. If sequences capture the same maximum, the player chooses.

Piece Removal and “Turkish Strike”: Captured pieces are removed only after the entire multi-jump sequence is complete. They remain on the board until the turn ends. This matters in the so-called “Turkish strike”: because a jumped piece stays on the board until the turn ends, it acts as an obstacle, and no piece may ever be jumped twice in the same capturing sequence.

The King

Promotion to a King: When a man’s move finishes on any square in the opponent’s back row (kings’ row), it is immediately promoted to a king. This is typically indicated by placing a second piece of the same color on top, creating a “crowned” piece.

Promotion only occurs if the man’s turn ends on the back row. If a man lands on the back row mid-jump but must continue, it remains a man for that turn. It gains king’s powers only when it can stop on a back-row square.

The Flying King: A king is far more powerful than a man. It can move any number of empty squares along any open diagonal, forwards and backwards. This “flying king” rule allows it to influence the entire board.

When capturing, a flying king jumps over an opponent’s piece from any distance along a diagonal, provided the path is clear. After the jump, the king must land on any unoccupied square behind the captured piece on the same line. Like a man, a king must continue to capture if possible and adhere to the majority rule.

Winning and Drawing the Game

A player wins by capturing all opponent’s pieces or blocking them so they have no legal moves. A player may also resign, granting the win to the opponent.

A game can end in a draw under several conditions. The most common is mutual agreement. A draw is also declared if the same position occurs three times with the same player to move (threefold repetition). To prevent indefinite games, if 25 consecutive moves involve only kings with no captures or man moves, the game is a draw.

International Draughts vs. English Checkers

Draughts is one of many mind sports disciplines with regional variations. The international 10×10 version differs significantly from the 8×8 game known as English or American checkers. The table below highlights key distinctions for players familiar with the smaller game.

Feature	International Draughts (10×10)	English Checkers (8×8)
Board Size	10×10 (100 squares total)	8×8 (64 squares total)
Pieces per Side	20	12
Man Captures	Forwards and backwards	Forwards only
King Movement	“Flying king” moves any distance on an open diagonal	Moves only one diagonal step at a time
Mandatory Capture	Compulsory, must choose sequence with most captures (“majority rule”)	Compulsory, but player may choose any available capture
Promotion	Man must end its move on the back row to be promoted	Man is crowned on reaching the back row; the move ends there

Frequently Asked Questions