Fifty playable squares, forty men and one uncompromising rule: when a capture appears, count every possible route.
International Draughts is played on a 10×10 board with 20 men per side. That extra space gives the opening room to breathe: pieces develop in groups, important diagonals take time to contest, and the first exchange is rarely the whole story.
White moves first. Men step one dark square diagonally forward, while the goal remains familiar — take every opposing piece or leave the opponent without a legal move.
Captures are compulsory. If more than one sequence is available, you must choose a route that takes the greatest number of pieces. You cannot stop early because another landing looks safer.
White has two legal starts, but only the route across the board captures three pieces. The short jump to the edge cannot be chosen.
When two routes take the same maximum number, either is legal. Kings and men count equally for this comparison, so count pieces first — then decide which equal route leaves the better position.
A quiet move goes forward. A capture may go forward or backward, and the same man can change direction during a multi-capture. A piece behind the action is therefore not necessarily out of the game.
A man crowned on the far row becomes a flying king. It can travel across any number of empty diagonal squares and capture an opponent from distance, provided there is an open landing square beyond it.
The king jumps the dark man from a distance and may land on any free square beyond it. A farther landing can reveal the next capture.
Do not look only at the piece being taken. The landing square decides which diagonal opens next — and often whether the combination continues.
You do not need an opening book yet. Start with three habits that fit the larger board:
The rules feel closely related: both games allow backward captures by men, use flying kings and enforce maximum capture. The difference you notice immediately is space.
Brazilian Checkers fits 12 pieces per side onto an 8×8 board, so contact comes sooner. International keeps 20 pieces on 10×10, rewarding patient development before the position breaks open.
Twenty, placed on the dark squares of the first four rows.
Not on an ordinary move. A man may, however, capture both forward and backward.
Yes. You must choose a sequence that takes the greatest number of pieces.
You may choose either route. A captured king does not outweigh a captured man when the totals are compared.
It may land on any free square beyond the captured piece along that diagonal, as long as the resulting sequence is legal and satisfies the maximum-capture rule.
It is crowned only if it finishes the complete move on the promotion row. Merely passing through that row during a capture is not enough.
Only the 50 dark squares are playable. Numbering them makes it easy to record and replay complete games.
Yes. Choose Computer in the game setup to learn the movement and maximum-capture rules at your own pace.