Spanish Checkers Rules
Spanish 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.
Play Spanish 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) on the dark squares of their three nearest rows. The board sits in the mirrored orientation traditional to the Spanish 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 — unlike Pool or Brazilian, a man can never jump backward.
Capturing
- You capture by jumping over an adjacent enemy piece into the empty square beyond it.
- Capturing is mandatory, and multi-jumps continue until no further capture is possible.
- Maximum capture: when several capturing sequences are available, you must take the one that captures the most pieces.
- Most-kings tiebreak: if two or more sequences capture the same number of pieces, you must take the one that captures the most kings. This is the signature Spanish rule.
- 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 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 — it does not keep jumping. Kings are "flying": they move any number of empty squares along a diagonal, and they capture by jumping an enemy piece from a distance 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. Draws occur by threefold repetition, or when no progress (no capture or man move) is made for 40 moves by each side.
Know the rules and want to win more? Learn strategy in our complete Spanish Checkers strategy guide and the rest of the lessons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who moves first in Spanish Checkers?
White moves first, then players alternate turns.
Is capturing mandatory in Spanish Checkers?
Yes. Capturing is mandatory and you must take the sequence that captures the most pieces (maximum capture).
What is the most-kings tiebreak in Spanish Checkers?
If two or more capturing lines take the same number of pieces, you must take the one that captures the most kings. This is the signature Spanish rule.
Can a man capture backward in Spanish Checkers?
No. Men capture diagonally forward only; a man can never jump backward.
How do kings move in Spanish Checkers?
Kings are flying: they slide any number of empty squares along a diagonal and capture from a distance. If a man lands on the far row mid-capture, the sequence ends there and it crowns.
Why is the near-left corner square light in Spanish Checkers?
Spanish uses the mirrored orientation, with the double corner on each player's left, so the near-left corner square is light.
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