Fourplay Checkers

An adaptation of Checkers for 3 or 4 players, Fourplay uses a 10 x 10 grid of squares for its board, with four corners of four squares each left off. A border surrounds the central 6 x 6 "Field." The outer portions of the board are called "Bases." There are four colors of pieces; each player begins with 6 each and places them on the dark squares of their base. The game plays essentially the same as English Draughts, but with a few differences. Once players move into the Field, they may not move back into their own or any other player's Base, unless it is as part of a multiple jump that ends back in the Field. Once a piece is in the Field, it moves as a promoted piece, in any direction. Captures are compulsory, and a player's own pieces may be captured. Variations are provided, either for last-man-standing victory conditions, or for scoring points. Also a more challenging variation called "DUBL-CHEKRS" is described. The board itself is reversible, with a standard 8 x 8 checkerboard on the reverse. The board and instructions feature small diagrams of variations of the Fourplay board, with larger Base areas; it is unknown if the game was ever published with these alternate boards.