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Evidence for Dam
1 pieces of evidence found.
Id DLP.Evidence.1194
Type Ethnography
Location Sri Lanka
Date 1909-01-01 - 1909-12-31
Rules 12x12 checkered board. Thirty pieces per player, placed on the white spaces in the first three ranks on each player's side. Pieces move diagonally forward or backward. The opponent's pieces are captured by hopping over them. Multiple hops by one piece are allowed in one turn if they are possible. When they reach the opposite edge of the board from where they started, the become Kings. Kings may move diagonally any number of spaces. It may capture a piece any distance from it along a diagonal, as long as the next space beyond the piece to be captured is empty. It may not hop over any pieces which belong to the same player. Multiple captures for the King can only be made along the same diagonal, except when it makes a capture that brings it to the edge of the board, it can make another capture along the next available diagonal, if possible. The player who captures all of the opponent's pieces wins.
Content " Dam, Draughts: or literally "The Net." This game, which is known in India also, is closely allied to Polish Draughts. The pieces move in the squares instead of going along the lines. It requires two players, who have a rectangular board of 144 squares, twelve beign on each side, alternately coloured red (or black) and white. Each player has thirty pieces called Itta (pl.Itto), which are placed on the white squares at each end of the board, as in Draughts, that is, in six out of each row of twelve squares, thus leaving only the two central rows vacant. The Itto move only diagonally, and capture or "chop" the opposing pieces by jumping over them, and taking several consecutively if possible. They can move backwards as well as forwards from the beginning, thus having the powers of Kings in the ordinary English game. Excepting when capturing the opposing Itto, the ordinary pieces move to the distance of only one square at a time. Every Itta which succeeds in reaching the last square on the opponent's side of the board is doubled, and is termed a "King." With this increase in rank it acquires additional powers, and it may proceed to the end of each diagonal at one move, if the end square be empty and the way be open, or to any intermediate square, as in Polish Draughts, jumping over and capturing any opponent's pieces on the way if there be any in suitable positions on that diagonal. If cannot pass over Itto or Kings of its own side, and only over opposing ones if the next square to them be empty. If any of the opponent's pieces be captured on this diagonal and the king can enter the end square, it may continue its course in the same manner, as part of the same move, to the end or to an intermediate square of the second diagonal, at a right angle from the last one, and so on over a third or more. To be permitted to do this, however, it must capture one or more pieces on each diagonal passed over, and there must always be an empty square for it to enter in the diagonal. If the King take no pieces whether Itto or Kings, on the first diagonal, he cannot proceed further than its end at one move. He has the option of remaining at any empty intermediate square before reaching the end of a diagonal. All pieces must jump over every opposing piece which they capture; they cannot stop in its square, or jump over it unless the next square be empty. In other respects the play is the same as in English Draughts, the game being won by the player who captures all the pieces of his opponent." Parker 1909: 584-585.
Confidence 100
Source Parker, H. 1909. Ancient Ceylon. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services.
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