Dama · Variants

Dama straight movement

Dama men do not move diagonally. They move straight forward or sideways on the full board.

4 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 · Forward and sideways

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On the board: Straight lanes

Dama men do not move diagonally. They move straight forward or sideways on the full board.

Coach narration

Step 2 · How do Dama men move?

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This man has a forward move and a sideways move. How do Dama men move?

Choose the Dama movement rule.

Quick check

  • Straight forward or sideways
  • Only diagonal dark squares
  • Straight backward quiet moves
Show the correct answer

Correct answer: Straight forward or sideways — Correct. Dama men use orthogonal lanes, not diagonals.

  • Only diagonal dark squares — That describes English and diagonal draughts, not Dama.
  • Straight backward quiet moves — Men never move backward in Dama. Only kings can move backward, and they slide any distance along a straight lane.

Coach narration

Step 3 · Slide sideways

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On the board: Sideways

Make the sideways move. This is the move that feels most different after diagonal checkers.

Tap the light man, then tap the highlighted sideways square.

The move: 42-41

Sideways move complete.

Common mistake: Use the highlighted square directly beside the piece.

Coach narration

What you learned

You can now move Dama men correctly: straight forward or sideways, using every square of the full board.

Coach narration