Dama · Variants

Earning your dama

A Dama man that reaches the far row is crowned into a dama — the flying king of Turkish checkers.

4 min · 4 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 · The far row crowns

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On the board: Crown row

A Dama man that reaches the far row is crowned into a dama — the flying king of Turkish checkers.

Coach narration

Step 2 · What does it become?

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This light man is one straight step from the far row. What does it become when it arrives?

Choose the promotion result.

Quick check

  • A dama that flies along rows and columns
  • A king that flies along diagonals
  • Nothing until it captures something
Show the correct answer

Correct answer: A dama that flies along rows and columns — Correct. From its next turn it slides any distance along straight lanes.

  • A king that flies along diagonals — Diagonal flying belongs to Russian and International draughts. Dama kings fly straight.
  • Nothing until it captures something — Crowning needs no capture. Reaching the far row is enough.

Coach narration

Step 3 · Step into the far row

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On the board: Crown

Move the man straight forward into the far row to earn the crown.

Tap the light man, then tap Land here on the far row.

The move: 12-4

Crowned. That is your first dama.

Common mistake: Move straight forward into the highlighted far-row square.

Coach narration

Step 4 · A dama is born

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From its next turn, the new dama flies: any distance along a row or a column, forward, backward, or sideways.

Coach narration

What you learned

You can now earn a dama by walking a man to the far row, and you know it will fly along rows and columns.

Coach narration