At a glance
| Board | 8×8 — all 64 squares, numbered 1–64 |
|---|---|
| Pieces | 16 men per side on rows 2–3 |
| First move | White |
| Men | Move straight forward or sideways — never diagonally, never backward |
| Kings (dama) | Flying — any distance along ranks and files, like a rook |
| Captures | Mandatory, majority rule: the line capturing most stones is forced |
| Chain rules | Captured stones are removed immediately; no 180° turn-back inside a chain |
| Draws | Threefold repetition, one piece each, or long quiet-king sequences on both sides |
The starting position
How dama plays
Forget the diagonal. Dama's sixteen men stand on every square of each player's second and third rows and move straight ahead or sideways — never diagonally, never backward. Captures jump the same three directions and are mandatory with the majority rule: the chain that takes the most stones is forced.
Chains work differently here
Two dama-specific mechanics shape every combination, and the engine enforces both: a captured stone is lifted from the board immediately, mid-chain — so the square it stood on can be crossed again later in the same chain — and a chain may never reverse 180° onto the square it just came from.
The dama itself
A man reaching the back row becomes a dama — a flying, rook-like king that sweeps any distance along ranks and files. Reaching the back row mid-capture crowns the man and ends the turn. One more tradition the engine honors: when both sides are down to a single piece, the game is declared drawn on the spot.
The five-lesson dama path teaches the orthogonal habits interactively — sideways escapes are the move diagonal players always miss.
How Turkish dama differs from English draughts
| Aspect | English draughts | Turkish dama |
|---|---|---|
| Movement axis | Diagonal | Orthogonal — straight ahead and sideways |
| Squares used | 32 dark squares | All 64 squares |
| Pieces | 12 men | 16 men |
| First move | Darker color | White |
| Kings | One diagonal step | Rook-like flying kings |
| Capture choice | Free choice | Majority rule: longest chain forced |
| Captured stones | Removed at the end of the move | Lifted immediately, mid-chain |
| One-vs-one ending | Playable | Automatic draw |
Learn Turkish dama interactively — step-by-step coached lessons, free
New to the family? Start with the English draughts rules, compare the seven variants, or jump into the interactive lessons.