English Draughts
(Dams, Dames, Forçat, Forcé, Dammes, Checkers)DLP Game
PeriodModern
RegionSouthern Europe, Western Europe
CategoryBoard, War, Leaping, Diagonal
Description
One of the most popular versions of Draughts, derived from the medieval game of Draughts but with the difference of the forced capture, hence its early name "Forçat." It probably originated in France, but it gained greater popularity in Britain, and spread from there to the American colonies and to some Native American populations. It remains a popular game today.
Rules
Played on an 8x8 board with each player having twelve pieces. Pieces move diagonally one space forward, and can capture opponent's pieces by jumping them in a forward direction if they are adjacent. Capturing must happen if it is possible. Multiple captures are allowed. Once pieces reach the opposite side of the board from their starting position, they become kings and can move diagonally either forwards or backwards. The goal is to capture all of the opponent's pieces.
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Sources
Murray, H.J.R. 1951. A History of Board-Games Other Than Chess. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Rabelais, F. 1534. Gargantua.
van der Stoep, A. 1984. A History of Draughts: with a Diachronic Study of Words for Draughts, Chess, Backgammon, and Morris. trans. by Monique de Meijer. The Hague: CIP-Gegevens Koninklijke Bibliotheek.
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