01 / 10 × 10
International 100
The flagship game: 20 pieces, flying kings and maximum capture.
FMJDA field guide to a global game
One game.
A hundred ways
to play.
Draughts is a family of games, not a single set of rules. From the international 10×10 classic to fast-moving Turkish dama, discover the ideas that make every variant its own game.
30+documented variants
4FMJD disciplines
∞combinations to find
Start here
What holds the
family together?
Draughts games are two-player, turn-based strategy games played with opposing sets of pieces on a grid. Players move, capture opposing pieces, and usually promote a man on the far side of the board. The usual aim is to remove or immobilise the opponent.
The familiar details are not universal: boards may be diagonal or orthogonal, captures may be compulsory or optional, kings may be short- or long-range, and a few relatives use stacking or placement. This atlas includes games that preserve that shared draughts idea while making a meaningful change to its rules.
“Draughts” is the international name; “checkers” is commonly used in North America. Both describe this remarkable family of strategy games.
The competition family
Recognised by FMJD
Seven established forms are represented by FMJD disciplines or sections. Select a card for its Atlas profile; use the FMJD mark to open the federation’s page.
FMJD02 / 8 × 8
English-American Checkers
Short kings and forward-only man captures.
FMJD03 / 8 × 8
Brazilian
International rules compressed to 64 squares.
FMJD04 / 8 × 8
Shashki
Flying kings, backward capture and immediate promotion during a sequence.
FMJD05 / 8 × 8
Portuguese / Spanish
Forward men, flying kings and maximum capture.
FMJD06 / 8 × 8
Turkish
Orthogonal movement, long kings and maximum capture.
FMJD07 / 10 × 10
Frisian
Diagonal and orthogonal capture on the 100-square board.
FMJDRule explorer
See a variant in action
Choose any game from the complete atlas below to load its rule profile and prepared example here.
Beyond the tournament hall
A wider world of draughts
Diagonal tradition
European & American
Played on dark squares. This is the largest branch, with different choices about long kings, backward capture and capture priority.
Straight-line tradition
Turkish & neighbours
Pieces travel orthogonally rather than diagonally. Turkish Dama's long kings and 16-piece setup create a very different rhythm.
Inventive cousins
Special systems
These variants bend the familiar formula — stacking pieces, mixing movement directions, or placing pieces during play.
A complete field guide
Browse the draughts atlas
Every entry is tagged by the rule that changes the game. Select a card to load its rules profile and prepared positions, or use the filters to compare families.
Board sizeThe dimensions of the board; only the stated playing squares are used.
Movement geometryDiagonal, orthogonal, or both. This describes how men move between captures.
Flying kingA king can travel any number of open squares along its permitted lines.
Backward captureAn uncrowned man may capture toward its own side of the board.
Majority ruleWhen captures exist, the player must choose a sequence taking the greatest number of pieces.
Tower captureA captured piece stays under the capturing piece, forming a tower; it is not removed from play.
Promotion on last rankInternational: continue as a man if another capture exists. Classic/Russian: crown and continue as a king. Portuguese/Spanish: crown and stop the sequence.
King haltAfter a flying-king capture, the king must land on the first available square beyond the captured piece.
Man captures kingWhether an uncrowned man is allowed to take a crowned opponent piece.
How to compare variants
The rule fingerprint
Each variant should be described through the same independent dimensions. This prevents labels such as “maximum capture” or “flying king” from hiding the decisive exceptions.
1. Board and setupBoard dimensions; playable-square colour; number of men; starting player; initial arrangement; notation.
2. Quiet movementMan direction and distance; king geometry; whether a king is flying; orthogonal, diagonal, or mixed movement.
3. Capture geometryMandatory or optional capture; man forward/backward/sideways capture; king range; king landing rule; may a man capture a king?
4. Quantity priorityAny legal sequence, or the sequence taking the greatest number of pieces. This is the first capture-choice test.
5. Quality priorityApplied only after quantity ties: no preference; capture a king if available; or capture the greatest number of kings. If still equal, the player may choose.
6. Multiple-capture mechanicsWhether a piece may revisit squares; whether captured pieces are removed immediately or only after the full sequence; whether a king may reverse direction.
7. Promotion during captureStop and crown; continue as a man then crown; or crown immediately and continue as a king. This is a separate field, never an implied detail.
8. Endgame and draw rulesRepetition; move-count limits; material-specific endings such as three kings versus one king; blocked-player outcome.
9. Competition layerOpening system; clocks; recording notation; colour/board orientation. These are shown separately from the core game rules.
Portuguese exampleMaximum quantity first; then capture the best quality - a king before a man - if quantities tie; captured pieces are removed after the full sequence; men capture forward only; crown and stop on the far row.