Russian Checkers

Rules of the Russian Checkers (Shashki) Game

This variant of the game is played on an 8x8 board with 12 white and 12 black checker pieces.

The goal of the game is to capture all of the opponent's pieces or make it impossible for them to move.

Course of the Game

• In the initial position, the pieces (“men”) are on dark squares in the rows closest to the player.
• The participants take turns moving one piece to an empty space.
• ”Men” (simple pieces) strike forward and backward for one square diagonally.
• If a “man” reaches the last horizontal row (closest to the opponent), it turns into a “king”. The advantage of a “king” is the ability to move diagonally in any direction to any number of empty ells.
• Capturing the opponent's piece is mandatory. If there are several options for capturing, the player can choose the way.
• If, after capturing one piece, it is possible to beat one or several more, the player must continue the move.

Final

If one of the participants has all the pieces beaten or locked so that there is no way to make a move, the game is considered over.