Portuguese Checkers Rules
Portuguese Checkers (Damas) plays on an 8×8 board with flying kings and forward-only men. Maximum capture is mandatory — and when two lines capture the same number of pieces, you must take the one that captures more kings. The rules below follow the official rulebook of the Federação Portuguesa de Damas (FPD).
Play Portuguese Checkers free →The Board and Setup
The game uses an 8×8 board and only the 32 dark squares. Each player has 12 pieces (men, or peões) on the dark squares of their three nearest rows. The board sits in the mirrored orientation of the Iberian game: the double corner is on each player's left, so the near-left corner square is light. White moves first, then players alternate.
Moving
- Men move one square diagonally forward to an empty dark square.
- Men capture diagonally forward only — the FPD rules explicitly forbid a man from jumping backward.
Capturing
- You capture by jumping over an adjacent enemy piece into the empty square beyond it.
- Capturing is mandatory (the lei da obrigatoriedade), and multi-jumps continue until no further capture is possible.
- Maximum capture (the lei da quantidade): when several capturing sequences are available, you must take the one that captures the most pieces.
- Most-kings tiebreak (the lei da qualidade): if two or more sequences capture the same number of pieces, you must take the one that captures the most kings — a dama is worth more than a peão.
- Captured pieces are removed only after the full jumping sequence is complete, so you cannot jump the same piece twice in one turn.
Flying Kings
A man promotes to King (dama) when it reaches the far row. If a man lands on the far row in the middle of a capture sequence, the sequence ends there and the man crowns — the new king can only be played after the opponent has moved. Kings are "flying": they move any number of empty squares along a diagonal, and they capture by jumping an enemy piece from a distance — forward or backward — and landing on any empty square beyond it along the same diagonal.
How to Win
Capture all of your opponent's pieces, or leave them with no legal move. The FPD draw law recognises three draws:
- Threefold repetition — the same position occurs three times.
- No progress — 20 moves by each player with no man moved and no capture.
- The "Forçada" — three kings against a lone king, with at least one of the three on the long diagonal (the rio), must win within 12 moves or the game is drawn. On this site the 12-move count runs from the moment three kings face a lone king, whether or not one of them stands on the rio.
Know the rules and want to win more? Learn strategy in our complete Portuguese Checkers strategy guide and the rest of the lessons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who moves first in Portuguese Checkers?
White moves first, then players alternate turns.
Is capturing mandatory in Portuguese Checkers?
Yes (the lei da obrigatoriedade), and you must take the line that captures the most pieces (the lei da quantidade).
What is the most-kings tiebreak in Portuguese Checkers?
The lei da qualidade: if two lines capture the same number of pieces, you must take the one that captures the most kings — a dama is worth more than a peao.
Can a man capture backward in Portuguese Checkers?
No. The FPD rules forbid a man from jumping backward; men capture diagonally forward only.
How do kings move in Portuguese Checkers?
Kings (damas) are flying: they move any number of empty squares along a diagonal and capture from a distance, forward or backward.
Why is the near-left corner square light in Portuguese Checkers?
Portuguese uses the mirrored Iberian orientation, with the double corner on each player's left, so the near-left corner square is light.
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