Comparing Variants
📋 What it is
Every draughts variant shares "jump to capture" but differs in board size, movement, and king power.
🗣️ Coach says
Once you see checkers, International, Turkish, and others side by side, you notice they are one FAMILY. The shared DNA: capture by jumping. The differences: board size, diagonal vs straight, one-step vs flying kings, forced vs optional captures. Knowing the family makes any new variant easy.
🧠 Memory hook
One family, one core rule (jump to capture) — the rest is dials you can turn.
😂 Giggle
Why did the back row stay put early on?
Because keeping the back row guards the promotion squares!
😲 Whoa!
There are over a hundred documented draughts variants worldwide — Frisian, Canadian, Brazilian, Pool — all built by turning the same few dials.
✅ Quick check: What single rule do essentially ALL draughts variants share?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
Capturing by jumping over an enemy piece to the empty square beyond — that is the family's common core.
Jump-to-capture is the shared DNA; board size and movement are the variable dials.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Make a 3-column chart (board size / movement / kings) for standard, International, and Turkish draughts.