Appendix II

Variants of Checkers

In addition to the customary way of playing checkers, there are several interesting variants. These include:

Spanish checkers.

Played the same way as ordinary checkers, with the following exceptions.

1. With a choice of captures, a player must capture the maximum possible of adverse pieces.
2. A King may move any distance along an open diagonal and capture by jumping to an adjacent vacant square beyond an adverse piece which is any distance away on that King's diagonal.
3. The double corner is at the players' left.

Italian checkers.

A single piece cannot capture a King. When a player has a choice, he must take the King rather than a single piece and must take the maximum number of the adverse pieces and also the most powerful of the adverse pieces. The double corner is at the players' left.

Polish checkers.

Played on a 10x10 square board with 20 pieces for each player. The single piece can move forward only but may capture backward or forward. A single piece that reaches the King row by capturing and finds an adverse piece adjacent (with a vacant square beyond) must continue jump­ing. A single piece becomes a King (called "Queen" in Polish) only when it can stop on the King's row.

A piece must take the maximum possible number of adverse pieces. The King ("Queen") is like a chess Bishop in that it may move diagonally; but the King may land on any square on the diagonal beyond the captured piece. The King must land where he is best able to continue jumping, when there is a choice.

German checkers.

Same as Polish checkers except that it is played on an ordinary 8x8 square board with 12 pieces each.

Russian checkers.

Same as German checkers except that a choice of capture is allowed.

Turkish checkers.

All 64 squares are used, and each player has 16 pieces. The single piece moves one square forward, diagonally or sideways, but always captures by leaping the enemy's piece on an adjacent square and landing on the next unoccupied square. A piece must take a maximum number of pieces.

The King moves any distance in any direction and jumps to the adjacent vacant square. Each captured piece is removed from the board before the capturing piece continues jumping. This may make additional captures possible.

MontrealorQuebec checkers.

Played on a 12x12 square board with all 72 dark squares used and with 30 men each.