Frisian Checkers

Frisian Checkers Rulebook

Table of Contents

The Rules

The Rules

2a The draughtsboard

Frisian draughts is played by two players on a square game board divided into 100 squares, alternately light and dark in colour. The dark squares are used for the game. They are numbered from 1 to 50.

2b Normal starting position

At the start of the game, the black men stand on squares 1 to 20 and the white men on squares 31 to 50.

2c Alternative starting position

It is also possible to start with five black and five white men, on squares 1 to 5 and 46 to 50 respectively. This starting position leads to shorter games, which are very useful for learning how to play the endgame of the normal version.

Where there is a significant difference in skill, this starting position can also be used to handicap the better player by reducing the number of his men by one or two.

2d-I Moving and capturing: the move

The players take it in turns to move one of their own men. A man is allowed to move forward diagonally one square. The player with the white men starts. Before the game starts, the players can draw lots to see who plays with white. In organized competitions, a list is usually drawn up in advance.

In the figure, white has played the first move: 32-27. A move is noted down using a -. Moves 31-26 and 32-27 are the most common opening moves.

The word 'move' has several meanings in draughts. It is used to indicate the movement of a man belonging to either player, for example. Sometimes 'move' is used to contrast with 'shot', but it can also be used to indicate any movement by a man. 'What was your last move?' - of one player. 'How many moves have we played already?' - of both players, known as match moves. Match moves are numbered. If a shot is not made, this can also be referred to as a 'simple move'.

One of the possible black responses is 20-24; white can then follow with 33-29. In this position, black must now make a shot.

2d-II Moving and capturing: the shot

A shot is executed by jumping over an opponent's man with your own man. When it is your turn, you can make a shot when three consecutive squares (regardless of direction) are occupied as follows: your own man - enemy man - empty square.

A shot is noted down using an x. In this case black makes a shot 24x33.

After the shot, the white man is removed from the board by the black player.

A shot is mandatory if there is an opportunity on the board. If you can make a shot you are not allowed to make a simple move.

2d-III Moving and capturing: choice of shot

After black's shot, white can choose between four possible shots. White can make a diagonal shot with 38x29 or 39x28, a vertical shot with 43x23 or a horizontal shot with 34x32. White is free to choose which shot to make.

2d-IV Moving and capturing: highest shot value

It is sometimes possible to jump several men in one move. This is the case when a man that has jumped a piece can jump another piece from the position after the first jump. It is mandatory to do this if it is possible.

In the figure, white plays 38-42. Black must now jump two men: 31x35. White can then jump all three of black's men: 45x12.

2d-V Moving and capturing: highest shot value takes priority

If such a situation arises, the move that jumps the most pieces must be made. In the figure, white plays 42-38. Black jumps 39x37. White must now jump three pieces with 47x29. Jumping two pieces, 47x16, is not allowed.

2e-I The king: promotion and moves

A man can be promoted to a king if it ends up on the king row after a move. The white king row is squares 1 to 5, and the black king row is squares 46 to 50. When a man is promoted to a king a second man is stacked on top.

In the figure, white's last move was 10-5. This man has thus become a king. Black plays 37-42.

A king is allowed to move forwards and backwards along the diagonals, and as far as possible along unoccupied squares (flying king).

White now plays 5-46 to block the black man.

2e-II The king: capturing

A king, just like a man, can move in eight directions. The positions must then be

king – enemy piece – empty square,

king – unoccupied square(s) – enemy piece – empty square.

After jumping a piece, the king may move to any of the unoccupied squares behind that piece, and if possible continue the shot from that square.

In the figure, black can create a king on squares 47 or 48. However, the black king will then immediately be jumped by the white king: 46x49 or 46x50.

2e-III The king: highest shot value

In the figure, white can jump three men: from square 3 via 20 and 50 to either 17, 11 or 6, whichever it prefers.

From 3 via 25 to 21 is also a shot possibility, but this one only results in two jumps. The highest shot value move is also mandatory for a king. The 3x21 move is thus not allowed.

2f Removing the pieces after a highest shot value move

Only once the entire highest shot value move has been performed may the pieces be removed from the board; this may not be done during a shot. It is possible to move across the same square several times, but not to jump over the same enemy piece more than once. This also applies to shots performed by men.

In the figure, white must jump three men: 4x5. White is not allowed to jump over man 41 a second time. Black now plays 41-46 and creates a king. From now on, every move by the white king is beaten by black and black wins.

2g-I The role of the king in capturing: capturing with king

If a king can jump a man that is of equal value, that shot is mandatory.

In the figure, white has moved the king to 45. Black responds with 21-26.

White could jump with 36x16, but white must use the king: 45x5. Black then jumps 26x46 and wins.

2g-II The role of the king in capturing: highest shot value

When determining the highest shot value move, the rule is that the value of two men is higher than that of one king.

In the figure, white has played 31-26. Black now plays 50-33.

White could now use the king to jump the other king: 24x38, 24x42 or 24x47. However, the highest shot value rule requires white to jump two men: 26x17. Black now jumps 33x46 (via 20 and 16).

If several kings can be jumped, the rule is that the number of kings equals the value of twice the number of men minus ½. Thus if three kings can be jumped, they are worth 5½ men when determining the highest shot value.

2h-I The three-move rule: blocked king

A player with a king (or several kings) as well as one or more men may only use the king (or the same king) three times in a row to make an ordinary move.

If it is white's turn to move in the figure, and his previous three moves were ordinary ones with the king, then he must play 21-16 or 21-17. He will then lose the game.

2h-II The three-move rule: released king

A king that is blocked by the three-move rule is allowed to make a shot. After a shot, the king is free to move up to three ordinary moves in a row again.

A king blocked by the three-move rule can also be released by the player making an ordinary move or a shot with a man or a different king.

The three-move rule does not apply to a player with several kings and no more men.

In this figure white plays 45-50••• as his third move and black plays 28-41. White is no longer allowed to move that king and plays 26-21; after the 41x1 shot, the white king is released.

The strokes after the move indicate how often that king has been moved. During a match, the number of king moves played is often kept track of with the help of men next to the board.

2i The seven move rule

As soon as a situation of two kings versus one king is reached in the endgame, the seven move rule comes into effect. From now on the player with the two kings may only make another seven moves. If the match is not finished within these seven moves, it is declared a draw.

In the figure, white can win by playing 43-34. Black makes a jump 14x44, and white then makes a jump with the king on 50. If this last move was actually the eighth from the moment that the seven move rule came into effect however, it may no longer be performed and the match ends in a draw.

In this situation too, the number of moves played is often kept track of with the help of men next to the board.

2j-I Draw: one king against one king

A match can also end in a draw when both players each only have one king, and the player whose turn it is is not able to jump his opponent's king.

There is one exception to this rule. If the two kings are on squares 46 and 5, the player whose turn it is loses.

2j-II Draw through controlling the long diagonal

White has a material advantage but needs two kings to capture the single black king. The man on 15 must thus cross the line 46-5 (the long diagonal). This is impossible because black is occupying this line. The three move rule forces white to sacrifice his man at some point, and then the match, with a single king versus a single king, ends in a draw.

In such a situation it is permitted to agree a draw.

2j-III Draw through controlling diagonals 47-15 or 4-36

In the figure, black controls the diagonal 47-15. White must cross this line at some point, and is then jumped.

If white moves his king first to 5, black will play to 15, after which the man will always be jumped.

In this situation it is also permitted to agree a draw. In all other situations where there are more than two pieces on the board, it is not permitted to agree a draw.

2k Win and loss

The match is lost by the player who has no pieces over or can no longer make a move with any of his pieces.

In the figure, black has moved to 48. White now plays 1-23. Black then makes a shot 48x46. White now wins immediately by moving 23-37. Black cannot move.

2l Further rules of play

The rules given below, unless otherwise stated, only apply to play on a physical board with pieces. Games played on the computer or via the internet do not need these rules (unless otherwise specified).

I If the player whose turn it is touches one of his pieces, he must move that piece unless it cannot move.

II If a player can jump an equal number of his opponents pieces with several of his own pieces, then the move must be executed with the piece that he first touches. This rule also applies to games played on the computer or via the internet.

III If a player overlooks a compulsory move or shot and touches a piece other than the piece (or one of the pieces) that he should have moved or made a shot with, then he is initially required to play that piece unless his opponent requires him to make the (or a) compulsory move or shot.

IV If a player makes an illegal move, his opponent has the right to oblige the player to make the (or a) legal move. However, if the opponent had already touched one of his pieces after the illegal move, then the illegal move cannot be undone. This applies to all possible illegal moves.

V Incorrectly positioned pieces may be repositioned by both players, on condition that they announce this in advance.