What is Italian draughts?
Italian draughts, dama italiana, is played on the 8×8 board with 12 men a side. Men move and capture one square diagonally forward and kings move and capture one step in any direction, as in checkers.
Two rules make it different. A man may never capture a king. And capturing is not only compulsory but tightly ordered: you must take the most pieces; if that ties, you must capture with a king rather than a man; if that still ties, you must take the most kings; and finally, the capture that meets a king earliest.
These rules leave very little choice in captures, which makes Italian draughts a game of precise calculation.
Rule changes
| Rule | Standard Checkers | Italian draughts |
|---|---|---|
| What men may capture | Standard CheckersMen may capture men and kings. | Italian draughtsMen may capture only men; a king can be taken only by a king. |
| Choosing a capture | Standard CheckersCapturing is compulsory, but you may choose any capture. | Italian draughtsIn order: take the most pieces; then capture with a king; then take the most kings; then the capture that takes a king first. |
History
Draughts has been played in Italy since at least the 16th century, and the Italian game grew its own rules, above all the protection of kings against men and its detailed capture priorities.
The Federazione Italiana Dama runs national championships in both Italian and international draughts.