Digit Draughts 1981

Digit Draughts is a set of three related games played using the same equipment: a standard 8x8 Checkers (Draughts) board and two sets of 12 checkers. Each set of checkers is numbered 1-6 twice.

In each game the pieces are randomly placed in the usual Checkers starting positions. (A variant is given where after determining first player, the second player's pieces are re-arranged to match the first player's.)

Game 1 is played like Checkers except that a piece can only jump a piece with an equal or lower number. The object is to capture both opposing 6s, although a player also wins if their opponent can no longer move.

In Game 2 players score points every time they make a jump - normally the absolute difference between the jumping piece's number and that on the piece being jumped, but if the numbers add to seven or eleven that many points are scored instead. When no captures can be made remaining pieces are added to players' scores.

Game 3 also uses scoring, in a different way. In this game when a piece is jumped the capturing player keeps it in front of them in a scoring area, and when a piece reaches the back row it is removed and added to its owner's scoring area. (There are no kings.) The winner is the first player to reach 30 points.