Description

Diamond Checkers is played on a nine by nine grid of checkered squares. The game is played on the light colored squares, of which there are forty-one, including all four corners. The squares on two opposite corners of the board are marked with a diamond shape and are called the Diamond King squares. Each player has one of these corners of the board closest to him or her. The next two light squares following the edges of the board to left and right are marked with rings and are called the King Squares. Each player begins with twelve stackable checker pieces, each with its crown side facing down, on the nine closest light squares and on the middle three squares of the next row closest to the center of the board.

Players take turns moving their pieces with the goal of eliminating their opponent from the board. The ordinary pieces may move to one adjacent square vertically towards the opponent, or horizontally to the left or right. Upon arriving on any of the opponent's King squares, a piece is turned over to become a King, and may now also move back towards his own side of the board. Upon arriving on the opponent's Diamond King square, a piece has another stacked upon it with its crown side up and becomes a Diamond King. Such a piece may move in any direction to an adjacent square, including diagonally.

Pieces are removed from the board as in Checkers, by jumping over them to an empty adjacent square. Pieces may capture in any direction in which they normally move. Jumps may be continued as long as there is opportunity to capture more pieces in a single move. Capture is compulsory, but a player is not required to inform his opponent of a missed opportunity. Players with choices of more than one capture may choose which to take.

The first player to remove all of his opponent's pieces wins the game.