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Spanish Checkers Online

Spanish men are deliberately restrained; promotion opens the whole diagonal and turns them into long-range kings.

ManForward-only capturepromotes toKingFull diagonal range

A restrained man, a powerful king

Spanish Checkers begins on 8×8 with 12 pieces each. Men move and capture only forward, so every advance carries weight. Promotion changes the scale of the piece completely.

Position 1 · promotion raceOne step changes the piece

A Spanish man is limited to forward movement and capture. Reaching the far row unlocks long-range movement on every open diagonal.

Promotion opens the whole diagonal

A king is long-range: it can move across open diagonal squares and capture an opponent from distance. The race to the back row matters, but an unsupported runner can still be pulled into a forced exchange.

Position 2 · open diagonalThe king attacks from distance

The white king crosses the dark man and may land farther down the same diagonal. Open lines turn promotion into a board-wide threat.

Prepare the route before you sprint. A connected group can make the final step safe and keep useful diagonals open for the new king.

Quantity first, quality second

Captures are compulsory. When several sequences exist, choose the one that takes the greatest number of pieces. If the totals tie, the route capturing more kings has priority.

1 · QuantityMost piecestie?2 · QualityMost kings

This makes an offered king tactically significant: it can decide the compulsory route even when both lines remove the same number of pieces.

Use the forced route as a guide

  • Check only forward jumps for men.Do not calculate a backward capture until the piece is crowned.
  • Count the entire sequence.The maximum total overrides the safer-looking landing.
  • Count kings in a tie.Quality matters only after quantity is equal.

Spanish vs Italian Checkers

Both variants restrict men to forward captures. Spanish kings fly across open diagonals, while Italian kings remain short-range. Italian also forbids men from capturing kings and uses a deeper capture hierarchy.

FAQ

Can Spanish men capture backward?

No. Ordinary movement and capture are both forward only.

Do Spanish kings fly?

Yes. A king may travel across any number of empty squares on an open diagonal.

Is capturing compulsory?

Yes. You must capture whenever a legal sequence exists.

Which route is compulsory?

Take the route with the most pieces. If routes tie, take the one capturing the most kings.

Can a man capture a king?

Yes, provided that capture belongs to the required route.

How many pieces does each player start with?

Twelve pieces on an 8×8 board.

Why is promotion so important?

It changes a forward-only short-range man into a long-range king that can operate in both directions.

Can I practise against the computer?

Yes. Select Computer in the setup and practise promotion races at your own pace.