Canadian Checkers (Under construction)

le jeu de dames canadien

An interesting form of the game that many of us Americans know as 'Checkers' developed in Quebec and is known primarily by the French-speaking majority of that province. I call it Canadian Checkers translating the French name of the game. It is played on a 12 x 12 board and the rules are somewhat different from our Checkers. It is played with cylindric pieces that are piled 2-high to indicate a promoted piece.

The main differences between our pawns and the Canadian game are that an unpromoted piece may capture backwards or forwards and that a promoted piece has greater powers. I call the promoted pieces 'queens'. The French word is dame. Some players call it cochon. I call the unpromoted piece a 'pawn'. The French word is pion. I use the word 'piece' to mean pawn or queen.

A series of books on the game were written in the 1970's by two of the strongest players, Gérard Lefebrve and Henri Tranquille. In Voir Clar aux Dames they give a list of 20 rules which are restated below. They also describe the standard notation.

Rules of Canadian Checkers

Source Voir Clair aux Dames , Les Editions de l'Homme, 1973, Gérard Lefebrve and Henri Tranquille.

• 1. Canadian Checkers is played on a board divided into 144 squares which are alternatively light and dark. The long diagonal of of dark squares, called the main line, ( le grand rang ) runs from the left corner as seen by each player.
• 2. Each of the two players starts with 30 pawns . The two sides are called black and white although other colors are often used for the pieces. Play occurs only on the 72 dark squares always moving diagonally.
• 3. At the beginning of a game each player's 30 pawns are placed on the dark squares in the first five rows in front of the player.The two middle rows are left empty.
• 4. When playing a series of games, the players alternate colors. The colors for the first game is decided by drawing lots ( tire au sort ). 5. A play consists of moving a piece from one square to another of making a capture.
• 6. A pawn moves forward one square at a time. It can capture forwards or backwards.
• 7. A pawn is obliged to capture a neighboring opponent's piece when the following square is vacant. The capture continues as long as the pawn encounters a neighboring opponents's piece followed by a vacant square. It stops at the final vacant square.
• 8. When a pawn ends a play on the opponents first row, the opponent covers the pawn with another pawn creating a queen.
• 9. A queen can move to any vacant square in the series of of vacant squares on the diagonals surrounding it. The move of a queen resembles that of a bishop in chess.
• 10. A queen captures when it is separated from an opponent's piece by a series of vacant squares and the opponents piece is followed by a sequence of vacant squares. The queen may land in any of the vacant square that follow the opponent's piece. The player's turn continues as long the queen can make captures.
• 11. When several pieces are captured in one play, the player first indicates the route the piece will take and places the piece in its final destination and then removes the opposing places.
• 12. A play must capture the largest number of pieces possible on a play regardless whether they are queens or pawns.
• 13. When a player touches a piece the piece must be moved. The opponent may choose between requiring that the opponent move the touched piece or make a normally required capture.
• 14. A play is completed when the player releases a piece at the place where the piece was left.
• 15. When a piece is out of place a player may correct it but must first warn the opponent by saying 'j'adoube' or 'j'arrange'.
• 16. If a player forgets to remove one or several captured pieces, to capture the maximum number of pieces available, or removes too many pieces or removes one or several of his own pieces, the opponent can require either the erroneous move or the proper move.
• 17. When an improper play is made the opponent excercises the option of leaving the improper play or requiring the player at fault play elsewhere.
• 18. If a player leaves the game, mess up the pieces or refuses to play, the player looses.
• 19. In certain doutful endgame positions special limits apply. When there are three queens against one queen, the player needs to win in 21 plays to prevent a draw. In other cases the game is a draw when there are 30 plays without a capture. If the same sequence is played three times, the game is a draw.
• 20. Judges decisions are final except when they violate the rules.

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