Dama · Variants

Dama essentials

Dama uses every square, not just dark squares. Men move straight forward or sideways, and captures jump in straight orthogonal lines.

5 min · 3 steps

This is the written edition of an interactive Boardgammon lesson — in the app, the coach narrates while you play every move on a live board.

Step 1 · Turkish checkers

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On the board: Every square

Dama uses every square, not just dark squares. Men move straight forward or sideways, and captures jump in straight orthogonal lines.

Coach narration

Step 2 · Movement shape

What makes Dama look different from English checkers and diagonal draughts?

Choose the Dama board rule.

Quick check

  • Pieces move and jump along rows and columns
  • Pieces stay on dark diagonals
  • Pieces capture along diagonals
Show the correct answer

Correct answer: Pieces move and jump along rows and columns — Correct. Dama plays on the full board, and every move or jump runs along a row or a column.

  • Pieces stay on dark diagonals — That describes English and many draughts games, not Dama.
  • Pieces capture along diagonals — No. In Dama even captures run straight along rows and columns, never along diagonals.

Coach narration

Step 3 · Straight jump

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On the board: Straight jump

This light piece can jump the dark piece in a straight vertical line — no diagonals in Dama.

Tap the light piece, then tap Land here just beyond the dark piece.

The move: dama capture

Captured in a straight line.

Common mistake: Dama jumps straight. Tap the light piece, then the highlighted square directly beyond the dark piece.

Coach narration

What you learned

You can now recognize Dama, explain its full-board straight movement, and complete an orthogonal capture.

Coach narration