Help For Checkers

Introduction

Welcome to the network Checkers server. The rules of Checkers are below. The checkers "challenge" and "set" commands are described below. Other commands are the same for all pbmserv games.

This is the variant known as American Checkers or British 8x8 Draughts, as played by the American Checkers Federation and the British Draughts Federation. For the 10x10 International Draughts variant, see the draughts help page.

A note on checkers notation:
Traditional Checkers Notation numbers the dark squares from 1 to 32 and uses these numbers to indicate the move. This server uses algebraic notation mainly because it is easier to display, however the numbered notation is also accepted for moves. The number 1 square is at B8, so an possible opening move could be sent as either D6-C5 or 10-14.

checkers challenge userid1 userid2 [ -reverse | -misere | -losing ]

Start a new game of Checkers between userid1 and userid2.

The -reverse or -misere or -losing option turns the game into Reverse Checkers: the winner is the first player to lose all their pieces.

checkers set userid password [ options ]
or
checkers move board userid password option

Selects optional ways of viewing the board. Available options:

    flip    : Rotate the board if you are playing Black (default)
    noflip  : White is always at the bottom.

    large   : Large board display (default)
    small   : Small board display

Rules of Checkers

Checkers is played on the dark squares of a 8x8 checker board. As shown below, each player starts with 12 men on the three rows closest to the player. The dark color (Black) moves first, and players alternate turns.

The winner is the last player to complete a legal move. Normally a player loses when all of his pieces are captured, thus leaving him with no legal moves. But a player also loses if his remaining pieces have no legal moves.

      A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H
    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
  8 |   |*C*|   |*C*|   |*C*|   |*C*| 8 
    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ 
  7 |*C*|   |*C*|   |*C*|   |*C*|   | 7 
    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
  6 |   |*C*|   |*C*|   |*C*|   |*C*| 6 
    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
  5 |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   | 5 
    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
  4 |   |:::|   |:::|   |:::|   |:::| 4 
    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
  3 |:C:|   |:C:|   |:C:|   |:C:|   | 3 
    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
  2 |   |:C:|   |:C:|   |:C:|   |:C:| 2 
    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+  
  1 |:C:|   |:C:|   |:C:|   |:C:|   | 1 
    +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+   
      A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H

Checkers move 1 space diagonally forward, or jump diagonally forward over an adjacent piece to an empty space immediately beyond. The piece which is jumped over is captured. A series of jumps with the same piece may be done in a single turn.

When a checker reaches the far side of the board it is "crowned" and becomes a King.

Kings move and jump the same as checkers, but may move and capture backwards as well as forwards.

If a player has jumps available, he must jump. If a piece can continue jumping, it must. However, if a player has a choice of jumps he can choose any of them, not necessarily the longest one.

When making multiple jumps, all jumps are first completed, and then the captured pieces are removed from the board. However, you may not jump over the same piece twice.