Brazilian Draughts

👥 2 players 📍 Indoor📍 Anywhere ⚡ Moderate 🧩 Moderate ⏱ 20-40 minutes 🎂 Ages 8+

Quick Pitch

Brazilian Draughts is a checkers variant where pieces can jump backward as well as forward, captures are always mandatory, and kings can move long distances across the board in a single move.

Hook

Brazilian Draughts uses the same 8×8 board and basic diagonal movement as Checkers, but with rules that make the game feel sharper and more demanding. Every available capture must be taken — you can't ignore a jump even when it leads somewhere dangerous. Kings move like bishops in Chess, sliding across multiple squares in one move. And regular pieces can capture backward from the start. If you know Checkers, you know the basics; the Brazilian rules just add more teeth.

Equipment Needed

  • 8×8 checkerboard (standard board)
  • 12 pieces per player in two distinct colors (24 total)
  • King markers (optional, if pieces aren't naturally distinguishable when promoted)
  • Can be improvised with:
    • Paper grid with alternating colored squares
    • Coins or buttons in two colors (use stacked coins to mark kings)
    • Standard checkers set

Setup

  1. Place the board so each player has a dark square in the lower-left corner
  2. Each player places 12 pieces on the dark squares of their closest three rows
  3. The remaining two rows in the center are left empty
  4. Dark pieces move first

Rules

Movement

Regular Piece:

  • Move diagonally forward one square
  • Backward movement only during capture

King:

  • Move diagonally forward or backward any distance
  • Capture at distance along diagonal

Capturing

Mandatory capture: If captures are available, you must make a capture

Capture mechanics:

  • Jump over opponent piece to empty square beyond
  • Remove captured piece
  • Multiple captures in one turn allowed (required if available)

Distinctive Features

  • Kings have greater movement freedom than standard Checkers
  • Mandatory captures create forced play sequences
  • Backward capture allowed for regular pieces (unusual in some variants)

Expert Player

Tips

Similar to Checkers but with greater emphasis on:

  • King promotion strategies
  • Mandatory capture sequences
  • Backward movement tactics
Learn More — History & Origins

History & Origins

Brazilian Draughts developed as a regional variant of International Draughts (the 10×10 version played competitively in Europe) adapted to the 8×8 board size common in the Americas. As draughts traditions spread through Portuguese colonial influence in the 19th century, Brazilian players modified the rules of International Draughts to fit the smaller board while preserving the long-range king movement and mandatory-capture rules that distinguish it from the American game. The result is a game that combines the strategic depth of International Draughts with the more accessible board size of American Checkers.

Cultural Context

Brazilian Draughts has an organized competitive scene in Brazil, with national federations and tournaments. The game sits between the casual accessibility of American Checkers and the complex full-board play of the 10×10 international game, making it appealing to players who want a deeper strategic challenge than standard Checkers without committing to the larger board. In Brazil, the game is often simply called "Damas" and taught to children as the default form of draughts — meaning that many Brazilian players grow up with a set of rules significantly more sophisticated than those familiar to North American Checkers players.

See Also