At a glance
| Board | 8×8 — the 32 dark squares |
|---|---|
| Pieces | 12 men per side |
| First move | White |
| Men | Move forward; capture forward and backward |
| Kings (дамки) | Flying — any distance along open diagonals |
| Captures | Mandatory, but you choose freely among capture lines — no majority rule |
| Crowning | A man crowned mid-capture continues the same move as a king |
| Draws | Threefold repetition, or long sequences of quiet king moves on both sides |
The starting position
How Russian draughts plays
Shashki keeps the 8×8 board and twelve men but arms them: men move forward yet capture forward and backward, and captures are mandatory — though you pick freely among available lines, with no majority rule. Kings (damki) are flying: they travel any distance along open diagonals and capture at range.
The signature rule
A man whose capture chain touches the back row is crowned on the spot and continues the same move as a king — often lifting off immediately for a long-range king capture. Whole combinations are built around delivering a man to the back row mid-jump and letting the newborn king clean up. This rule is exactly what Boardgammon's engine implements, and it is what separates shashki from pool checkers, where crowning ends the turn.
Learn it hands-on with the four-lesson Russian draughts path — the mid-jump crowning gets a lesson of its own.
How Russian draughts differs from English draughts
| Aspect | English draughts | Russian draughts |
|---|---|---|
| First move | Darker color | White |
| Men capturing | Forward only | Forward and backward |
| Kings | One diagonal step | Flying kings — any distance |
| Capture choice | Free choice | Free choice (unlike international — no majority rule) |
| Crowning mid-jump | Ends the move | Man becomes a king and CONTINUES capturing in the same turn |
| Character | Positional squeeze | Tactical melee — kings appear early and dominate |
Learn Russian draughts 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.