Singaporean Checkers

**Dum**, **Singaporean checkers** or **Malaysian checkers**, is a variant of the board game of draughts played primarily in Malaysia and Singapore, especially among the elder men. Similar to the Canadian checkers, it is played on a 12x12 checkered board.

The game can also be played on a 8x8 board if a 12x12 board is unavailable. However, it is distinct from Checkers and Canadian Checkers in terms of its additional rules. Popular alternative names used locally for this game include Dum and Dam.

## Etymology

In most non-English languages (except those that acquired the game from English speakers), draughts is called dame, dames, damas, or a similar term that refers to ladies. Dum/Dam is likely derived from those names.

## Game rules

Malaysian/Singaporean checkers follows the same rules as international draughts, with exceptions being pieces not able to move backwards (towards the player), the requirement to forfeit a capturing piece if the player fails to or wishes not to capture any enemy piece(s) with it, and a larger gameboard (12×12 squares instead of 10×10), and more checkers per player (30 instead of 20). The starting setup is shown in the diagram.

### Starting position

The game is played on a board of 12×12 alternating dark and light squares. The lower-leftmost square should be dark. Alternatively it may also be played on a 8x8 board with a similarly checkered pattern.
Each player has 30 pieces (12 in an 8x8 board setup). In the starting position (see illustration) the pieces are placed on the first five rows closest to the players. This leaves two central rows empty.
Moves and captures
Each players move one piece per turn. Players choose who goes first (by tossing a coin/rocks paper scissors etc). Then turns alternate.
Ordinary pieces move one square diagonally forward to an unoccupied square.
Enemy pieces can and must be captured by jumping over the enemy piece, two squares forward to an unoccupied square immediately beyond. If a jump is possible it must be done, even if doing so incurs a disadvantage.
Multiple successive jumps forward in a single turn can and must be made if after each jump there is an unoccupied square immediately beyond the enemy piece. It is compulsory to jump over as many pieces as possible with the capturing piece.
A jumped piece is removed from the board at the end of the turn. (So for a multi-jump move, jumped pieces are not removed during the move, they are removed only after the entire multi-jump move is complete.)
The same piece may not be jumped more than once.
If a player fails to capture any possible enemy pieces or simply wishes not to and continues with an non-capturing move, then the capturing piece that was required to jump should be 'forfeited' and removed from the board.

### Crowning

A piece is crowned if it stops on the far edge of the board at the end of its turn. Another piece is placed on top of it to mark it. Crowned pieces, sometimes called kings, can move freely multiple steps in any direction diagonally and may jump over and hence capture an opponent piece some distance away and choose where to stop afterwards, but must still capture the maximum number of pieces possible. 'Forfeiting' rules apply.
Winning and draws
A player with no valid move remaining loses. This occurs if the player has no pieces left, or if all the player's pieces are obstructed from moving by opponent pieces.
A game is a draw if neither opponent has the possibility to win the game.