Bashni
Bashni Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1.1. Board
The checkerboard is a square divided into 64 equal, alternating light (white) and dark (black) squares. Each side of the board has 8 squares (fields). Play takes place only on the dark squares. The board is placed between the players so that the dark corner square is on the player's left. In official competitions the board side must measure between 40 and 45 cm.
Note: the surface of the board should be matt (not glossy), with clearly alternating light and dark squares. The dark squares should not be too pale.
1.2. Pieces
1.2.1. Each player is given 12 flat, round checkers at the start of the game: one player has white checkers and the other black checkers. They are placed on the dark squares of the first three horizontal rows on each side. The construction of all checkers must allow the towers to remain mechanically stable while they are being built and moved. In official competitions each player is additionally provided with a set of 12 kings. Kings are the same checkers with transverse stripes of a neutral colour (neither white nor black) marked on them.
Note: the checkers must be identical in appearance and size (smaller than a board square by 5–10 mm; the height of a checker must be between 1/4 and 1/5 of its diameter). The checkers must not be glossy, and their colour should match the colour of the board's dark squares. All checkers of each side must be of the same colour.
1.2.2. Checkers are divided into simple checkers (men) and kings. At the start of the game all checkers are simple checkers.
1.2.3. During play, moves with captures (see 1.6.1) produce towers of various sizes and compositions, made up of several checkers. From then on the term "checker" is used only as a component part of such a tower; a single checker or a single king is a one-checker tower.
1.3. Object of the Game
The game of tower checkers is played by two partners. A partner (opponent, side) may be a single person or a group of people; in the latter case the game is called a consultation game.
For each side the final aim of the game is to win (see 1.11).
1.4. Move
The partners make their moves alternately, one move at a time, until the game ends. A move in the game is the movement of a tower from one square of the board to another in accordance with 1.5 and 1.6.
1.5. Moves of Towers
1.5.1. Towers move with the rights of their top checker.
1.5.2. A simple checker moves only forward, onto an adjacent free square on a diagonal. If during play a tower reaches one of the squares of the last, eighth (counting from the player's own side) horizontal row, the top simple checker is replaced by a king and acquires the rights of a king. The checkers below it remain unchanged. Each side may have several kings on the board at the same time, both single and as part of any tower.
1.5.3. A king, unlike a simple checker, moves to any free square on a diagonal in any direction (both forward and backward). Like a simple checker, however, it may stop only on squares not occupied by other towers, and it may not jump over its own towers (see 1.6).
1.6. Moves with Capture
1.6.1. On its move a tower must capture (take prisoner) a checker of the partner (a single checker or the top checker of a tower) if that checker stands on an adjacent diagonal square and the square directly behind it is free. The capturing tower moves onto that free square, taking the captured checker underneath itself. When several checkers are captured in one move (a multiple capture), they all immediately go under the capturing tower in the order in which they were captured. It is therefore possible to capture several checkers with the same tower in one move. The tower formed in this way consists of the capturing tower with all the captured (taken prisoner) checkers of the partner beneath it, in the order of their capture.
1.6.2. A simple checker captures not only forward but also backward.
1.6.3. In one move a tower must capture as many of the partner's checkers as stand on its path (provided the conditions of the capture are met).
A capture of one or more of the partner's checkers in one move counts as one move. If a capture is possible in two or more directions, the choice, regardless of the number or quality of the checkers removed (kings or simple checkers), is left to the capturing player.
Editor's note: the source prints the heading "1.6.3" twice. The first is the rule above on multiple captures; the second, which follows, is the king's capture rule. It is transcribed here with the source's numbering.
1.6.3. A king on its move must capture a partner's checker (a single checker or the top checker of a tower) both forward and backward, regardless of how many free squares lie between the king and that checker, provided the captured tower stands on the same diagonal as the king and the square behind that tower is free.
If there are several free squares in a row behind the partner's tower, then the king, having captured the checker (a single one or the top checker of a tower) of the partner, may stop on any of the free squares.
If, however, during the capture the king's diagonals cross other partner towers which have free squares behind them, the king must continue the capture of those towers too, however many of them lie on its path. If there are several possible captures, the capturing player may choose any of the intersecting diagonals.
If a simple checker, during a capture, reaches the last (eighth, counting from its own side) horizontal row and is then given the opportunity to continue capturing, it must continue the capture in the same move, but now with the rights of a king.
If a simple checker reaches the last horizontal row without a capture and is afterwards given the opportunity to capture, it may capture with the rights of a king only on its next move, if that opportunity still exists.
If a capture is possible for a simple checker or a king at the same time, the choice of capture is left to the capturing player.
A captured (taken prisoner) king temporarily loses its rights, and regains them in full after it is freed, that is, after all the checkers above it have been removed from it.
1.7. First Move
The right to make the first move of the game belongs to White.
Which partner plays White is decided by lot before the start of a competition.
In a match between two partners, each of them plays White and Black alternately.
In tournaments the colour of the checkers in each game is determined by the table of play order (Appendix 1).
1.8. Moment of Making a Move
A move is considered made when one of the partners has moved his tower from one square to another and taken his hand off it. If the player, while making a move, has moved his tower to another square but has not yet taken his hand off it, he may move this tower to any other square that is possible for its other move.
In a capture, the move is considered made only after the capturing tower has been placed and the captured checkers have been put under it.
If, when several captures are possible, the player who has begun a capture has jumped his tower over an enemy tower, removed a checker from it and placed his tower on a new square, he must continue the capture in that same direction (if such a move is in accordance with the rules of the game).
1.9. Touching a Tower
If a player whose turn it is touches one of his towers, he must move it.
Touching one of his own towers that has no move permitted by the rules of the game has no consequences.
When it is necessary to adjust the position of towers on the squares, i.e. to set them more neatly, the player must warn his partner aloud by saying the word "adjusting" ("поправляю"). Towers may be adjusted only on one's own turn.
1.10. Checkers Notation
Checkers notation is a system of conventional designations for the squares of the board.
Straight rows of squares, consisting of 8 squares (4 dark and 4 light) and running from bottom to top, are called files (vertical lines). Straight rows of squares, consisting of 8 squares (4 dark and 4 light) and running from left to right, are called ranks (horizontal lines).
The eight horizontal lines of the board are designated by the digits 1 to 8, and the eight vertical lines by the small Latin letters from "a" to "h" (in Russian pronunciation: "а", "бэ", "це", "дэ", "е", "эф", "же", "аш"). The letter "a" designates the leftmost vertical line from the side of the player playing White (the rightmost vertical line from the side of the player playing Black). The first horizontal line is the one nearest to the player playing White.
Each square of the board is designated, depending on the vertical and horizontal line on which it lies, i.e. each square is designated by a combination of a letter and a digit showing the vertical and horizontal lines at whose intersection the square lies (see diagram 3).
Using the notation makes it possible to record both whole games and individual positions. For example, the arrangement of the checkers at the start of a game (diagram 2) is recorded as follows: White — a1, a3, b2, c1, c3, d2, e1, e3, f2, g1, g3, h2 (12). Black — a7, b6, b8, c7, d6, d8, e7, f6, f8, g7, h6, h8 (12).
Editor's note: the source prints the square "a3" with a Cyrillic letter "З" in the start-position list; it is rendered here as the Latin digit "3".
In recording the composition of a tower, simple checkers are denoted by the symbol "О" (0) and kings by the symbol "1". [In the source, the simple-checker symbol is printed as a Cyrillic "О"; in the parallel notation of the Laska section it is printed as the digit "0".]
The arrangement of pieces in one of the endings (diagram 4) is recorded as follows: White: c1 – 1/0000, d6 – 000000, f4 – 0000 (3); Black: a1 – 110101/1, b2 – 00 (2), where the checkers captured from the opposing side are shown after the sign "/".
To record a move with any tower, first the square on which the tower stood is written, then a dash, and then the square on which it lands, for example: a3-b4. When recording a capture (a beat), a colon is written instead of the dash.
When several checkers are captured in one move, the move is recorded as follows: first the square from which the moving tower started its move is written, then a colon, and then the square on which it stood after the capture.
If it is necessary to indicate the direction of a capture where captures go in different directions, then after the square from which the capture began, the squares at which the direction changed are written in order. The squares are separated by colons. In such positions a full record must be made on the score sheet.
When a game is recorded, the moves of the sides are written "in a column": White's moves go in the left column and Black's in the right. The move of White together with Black's reply is numbered as one move. A short example game is given in the code:
White — Ivanov
-
c3-b4
-
b4-a5
-
b2-c3
-
a3:a7
-
a5:e5
-
a1:c3
-
g3-f4
-
h2:f4
-
e3:g5
-
d2-e3 Black — Petrov
-
...b6-c5
-
...a7-b6
-
...c5-b4
-
...c7-b6
-
...f6:b2
-
...d8-c7
-
...e5:g3
-
...g3:e5
-
...h6:f4
-
...f4:b4 (diagram 5)
Editor's note: the full-form score in the source's text export shows the Black move "d8-c7" twice, and the black move-list is column-interleaved. The reconstruction above follows the code's own abbreviated score of the same game, which lists the sequence once: 1. cb4 bc5 2. ba5 ab6 3. bc3 cb4 4. a:a7 cb6 5. a:e5 f:b2 6. a:c3 dc7 7. gf4 e:g3 8. h:f4 g:e5 9. e:g5 h:f4 10. de3 f:b4 11. b2:d4:f6:d8D:a5:d2:h6. Black resigns. The code states that this abbreviated notation may also be used.
1.11. Result of the Game
The winner of the game is the one who first reaches a position in which the partner is deprived of the possibility of making his next move. If a win is impossible for both sides, the game ends in a draw.
1.12. Ways of Losing
A game is considered lost by one of the partners if:
- all of his checkers have been removed from play (taken prisoner), or his towers have been deprived of the possibility of making the next move (blocked);
- he, having recognised his position as lost, has declared that he resigns.
Apart from those listed, there are also cases in which a loss is recorded for breach of discipline (see 3.1) and for violation of the rules for the use of the clock (see 3.3).
1.13. Ways of Drawing
1.13.1. A game is considered drawn if:
- one of the participants offers a draw and the other accepts this offer;
- one of the participants, having established that over the last 15 or more moves the material balance (the number of towers and their composition) has not changed, declares the game ended before making a move;
- the same position (the same arrangement of towers) is repeated three (or more) times, with the move each time belonging to the same side.
1.13.2. Procedure for recognising a draw in the event of a repeated position:
- if a player makes a move as a result of which the position is repeated for the third time or more, his partner has the right, before making his own next move, to declare to the tournament judge that the game is ended and is drawn;
- if one of the players wishes to make a move as a result of which the position would be repeated for the third time (or more), then, without making that move on the board, he must write it down on the score sheet and declare to the judge that the game is ended and drawn.
If the move is nevertheless made, the right of this participant to claim a draw is lost, and it is restored again in the event of a further repetition of the same position.
Notes:
a) The repetition of a position need not follow directly one after another; a draw may be claimed also if the position is repeated three times at different moments of the game, that is, after any number of moves, but with the move each time belonging to the same side.
b) The correctness of a claim of a draw by threefold repetition of a position is checked by the tournament judge at the expense of the time of the player who made the claim. If the check establishes that there was no threefold repetition, the move recorded by the claimant is considered made and the game continues.
c) If the claimant has no record of the game, or the record is unclear, the claim is considered by the judge after a full and legible record of the game has been presented.
d) If, during the check, the time of the participant claiming a draw runs out, but it is established that a threefold repetition of the position has taken place, the game is recorded as drawn; if there was no threefold repetition, the claimant whose time expired during the check is recorded as having lost.
1.13.3. A participant has the right to offer a draw only at the moment of making his own move, before the clock is switched over. The offer and the answer to it must be expressed in brief form: "I offer a draw", "agreed", "not agreed".
A player who has offered a draw has no right to withdraw his offer before the opponent makes his reply move.
If the offer of a draw is not accepted (the reply move is equivalent to a refusal of the draw), the same participant may offer a draw again only after the other participant has used this right of his own.
1.14. Irregularities During Play
1.14.1. If, during a game, the participants or the judges discover irregularities committed in the course of play, the game must be replayed. Thus, if it is established that the checkers were set up incorrectly before the start of the game, or that the board was placed incorrectly, the game is replayed from the beginning; if it is established that a move was made that contradicted the rules, the game is replayed from the moment when the incorrect move was made.
No claims are accepted after the game has ended, and its result is considered valid.
Note: If during the game it is discovered that the participants have been given checkers of a colour other than that prescribed by the schedule, the game continues, even if this is discovered only after the first reply move.
1.14.2. If one of the participants during the game declares that his partner has made an incorrect move, and the partner does not acknowledge that move as incorrect, the game is suspended in order to establish the truth. The time spent on the check is charged to the participant through whose fault the delay occurred.
1.14.3. If the game position on the board has been disturbed through the fault of one of the participants, the judge must start the clock of that participant so that he restores the disturbed position at the expense of his own time.
If the game position has been disturbed without the fault of either partner, it is restored without any loss of time to either partner.