Introduction to Checkers (or Draughts) Part 3

Laws of the Game

1. The first move of each game is to be taken by the players in turn, whether the game be won or drawn. For the move in the first game at each sitting, the players must draw lots or flip a coin, as they must for the men, which are thereafter to be switched every game so that each player gets to play black and white alternately. Whoever wins the toss may move first or call upon his opponent to do so.

2. You must never point over the board with your finger, nor do anything which may interrupt your adversary's full and continued view of the game.

3. At any part of the game you may adjust the pieces properly on the squares as long as you indicate your intention to your adversary prior to doing so. But after they are adjusted, if you touch a man while it is your turn to move, you must play him in one direction or other if practicable; and if you move a man so far as to be in any pare visible over the angle of an open square, that move must be completed, although by moving it to a different square you might have taken a piece, for the ommission of which you incur huffing. The rule is "touch and move." No penalty, however, is attached to touching any piece which cannot be played.

4. In the cast of your standing the huff, it is optional on the part of your adversary to take your capturing piece, whether man or king, or to compel you to take the piece or pieces of his which you omitted by the huff.

The necessity of this law is evident when the young plaer is shown that it is not unusual to sacrifice two or three men in succession, for the power of making some decisive 'coup.' Were this law different, the players might take the first man so offered, and on the second's being placed 'en prise,' might refuse to capture, and thus spoil the beauty of the game, (which consists in the brilliant results arising from scientific calculation) by quietly standing the huff. It should be observed, however, that on the principle of 'touch and move,' the option ceases the moment the huffing party as so far made his election as to touch the piece he is entitled to remove. After a player entitled to a huff has moved without taking his adversary, he cannot remedy the ommission, unless his adversary should still neglect to take or to change the position of the piece concerned, and so leave the opportunity. It does not matter how long a piece has remained 'en prise,' it may at any time either be huffed or the adversary be compelled to take it.

When several pieces are taken in one move, they must not be removed from the board until the captureing piece has arrived at its destination; the opposite course may lead to disputes, especially in Polish draughts. The act of huffing is not considered a move, a 'huff and a move' go together.

5. If, when it is your turn to play, you delay moving for longer than three minutes, your adversary may require you to play; and should you not move within five minutes of being called on, you lose the game.

6. When you are in a situation to take on either of two forward diagonals, you may take whichever way you please.

7. When, at the end of the game, a small degree of force alone remains, the player appearing the stronger may be required, to win the game in a certain number of moves; and if he cannot do this the game must be abandoned as drawn. A move is not completed until both sides have played; therefore twenty moves, so called, consist of twenty on each side. In giving the odds of 'the draw,' the game must, however, be played to a more advanced state than is required in any other case. When in such a game the situations become so equal that no advantage can be taken, he who gives the draw shall not occasion any unnecessary delay by uselessly repeating the same maneuvers; but shall force his adversary out of his strong position, or, after at most 20 moves, lose the game through its being declared drawn.

8. Respecting a false move, such as giving a common man the move of a king, or any other impropriety of the same sort, we cannot but suppose that such mistakes are unintentional, and consider it sufficient penalty that in all such cases the piece touched must be moved to whatever square the adversary chooses; or, he has the option of allowing the false move to stand, if more to his advantage. Should the piece be unable to move at all, that part of the penalty cannot be inflicted.

The rule is to play on the white squares. In all cases a player refusing to take, to play or to comply with any of the rules loses the game.

9. By-standers are forbidden to make any remarks whatever, relative to the game, until that game shall be played out. Should the players be contending for a bet or stake, and the spectator say anything that can be construed into the slightest approach to warning or intimation, that spectator shall pay all bets pending on the losing side, should that side win which has received the intimation.

10. Should any dispute occur between the players, not satisfactorily determined by the printed rules, the question must be referred by the players to a third party, whose decision shall be considered final. Of course, should a player commit any breach of the laws, and refuse to submit to the penalty, his adversary is justified in claiming the game without playing it out.

11. Respecting a false move, such as giving a common man the move of a king, or any other impropriety of the same sort, the law varies in different countries as to the penalty to be exacted by the opposite party. We cannot but suppose that such mistakes are unintentional, and consider it sufficient penalty that in all such cases the piece touched must be moved to whichever square the adversary chooses; or, he has the option of allowing the false move to stand, if more to his advantage. Should the piece be unable to move at all, that part of the penalty cannot be inflicted.

12. The rule (almost universal with English Draughts) is to play on the white squares. The exception (limited, we believe, in Scotland) is to play on the black. When, therefore, players are pledged to a match without any previous agreement as to which squares are to be played on, white must be taken as the law. The color of the squares, ex-tenting so far as habit is concerned, makes no difference in their relative position on the board.

In all cases, a player refusing to take, to play, or to comply with any of the rules, loses the game. Hence the saying "Whoever leaves the game loses it."