Frequently asked questions about Italian draughts
Can the king move across several squares?
No. In Italian draughts, as in the app, the king moves only one square, forward or backward, along all four diagonals. It also captures by jumping a single adjacent piece. A king that travels along a whole diagonal belongs to other variants, such as international draughts.
Can a man capture backward?
No. The man moves and captures only forward, diagonally. Only the king can capture backward. A black man behind a white man therefore cannot be captured by it.
Can a man capture a king?
No, never: this is a rule specific to Italian draughts. A man only captures men. A king, on the other hand, captures both men and kings.
Is capturing mandatory?
Yes. When a capture is possible, you must play it, and continue the multiple capture with the same piece as long as it can capture. If there are several possible captures, 4 priorities decide: the most pieces, then capturing with a king, then the most kings, then the kings captured earliest. If they are all equal, the choice is free.
Can you draw in the app?
Not for now. The app offers neither a draw by agreement nor a move count: the game continues until one side has no pieces or no legal move left. The Italian federation's rules, however, provide for a draw by agreement, or after a 40-move count requested by a player.
Do you need a connection to play?
No. You play against the computer or two players on the same device. The game in progress is saved on the device, with the history for undo and redo.
Can you adjust the computer's strength?
You adjust its thinking time: Short (150 ms), Medium (500 ms) or Long (1,500 ms). A longer time gives it more calculation before each move. You can also switch sides.
When will Dames be available?
The app has not been released yet. iOS and Android versions are planned; no date has been announced. The app page will show the store links as soon as it is released.