International draughts

International draughts

International draughts starting position
Genre(s)	Board game Abstract strategy game
Players	2
Setup time	< 1 minute
Random chance	None
Skill(s) required	Strategy, tactics
Synonym(s)	Polish draughts International checkers 10×10 draughts 10×10 checkers

International draughts (also called Polish draughts or international checkers) is a strategy board game for two players, one of the variants of draughts. The gameboard comprises 10×10 squares in alternating dark and light colours, of which only the 50 dark squares are used. Each player has 20 pieces, light for one player and dark for the other, at opposite sides of the board. In conventional diagrams the board is displayed with the light pieces at the bottom; in this orientation the lower-left corner square must be dark.

The general rule is that all moves and captures are made diagonally. All references to squares refer to the dark squares only. The main differences from English draughts are: the size of the board (10×10), pieces can also capture backward (not only forward), the long-range moving and capturing capability of kings, and the requirement that the maximum number of men be captured whenever a player has capturing options.

These are extra rules accommodated in some tournaments and may vary:

Each of the fifty dark squares has a number (1 through 50). Number 46 is at the left corner seen from the player with the light pieces. Number 5 is at the left corner seen from the player with the dark pieces.

The first world championship was held in international draughts in 1894. It was won by Frenchman Isidore Weiss, who held the title for eighteen years. Then for nearly sixty years, the title was held by representatives from either France or the Netherlands, including Herman Hoogland, Stanislas Bizot, Marius Fabre, Ben Springer, Maurice Raichenbach, Pierre Ghestem, and Piet Roozenburg. In 1956 the hegemony of the French and the Dutch was broken: the champion was Canadian Marcel Deslauriers. In 1958, the USSR's Iser Kuperman became the world champion, beginning the era of Soviet victories domination in international draughts.