Dama Stars

About Dama Stars

Dama Stars is Italian checkers — dama — played on a clean digital board. You advance your pieces diagonally, jump over your opponent's pieces to capture them, and promote to a powerful king when you reach the far side, at which point your movement options open up considerably. The Italian ruleset is a little different from the draughts most people grow up with, so the first few games are worth playing slowly.

Three difficulty levels cover everything from a first game to a genuine challenge, and there is a head-to-head mode for two people on one device. Turn-based and played with a click or a tap, it is one of the most classroom-friendly games on the site.

How to play

Click or tap a piece to select it, then click or tap the square you want it to move to. Jumping over an opponent piece captures it. Reach the far side of the board to promote a piece to a king. Play solo against one of three computer difficulty levels, or take turns on the same device in two-player mode.

Controls

• Mouse click or tap — select a piece and choose its square
• Two-player mode — take turns on one device
• Three AI difficulty levels for solo play

Tips to win

• Keep your back row intact early — it stops the computer promoting a king against you.
• Advance pieces in connected pairs so a capture can always be answered with a recapture.
• Trade pieces when you are ahead in material; a simplified board favours whoever has more left.

Dama Stars strategy guide

Start on the easiest of the three difficulty levels to learn the Italian board. Dama Stars is Italian checkers, and the ruleset differs a little from the draughts many players grew up with. The lowest computer level lets you see how pieces move diagonally, how captures work and how promotion happens without being punished for every slip. Move up a level once you are winning comfortably.

Protect your back row early. A piece that reaches the far side of the board is promoted to a king, and kings have far more movement options than ordinary pieces. Keeping your back row filled in the opening makes it hard for the computer or a friend to crown a piece against you. Pull those pieces forward only when the middle of the board has settled.

Move pieces in connected pairs so every capture can be answered. You capture by jumping over an opponent's piece, which means a lone piece out in front is an easy target. Advancing side by side gives you a recapture whenever your opponent takes. Before each move, check which of your pieces could be jumped on the very next turn.

Trade pieces when you are ahead and avoid trades when you are behind. Simplifying the board favours the side with more pieces left, because every exchange makes the remaining advantage bigger. When you are down material, keep the position crowded and look for a chance to promote. A single king can swing a close game.

Use two-player mode as a slow, thoughtful match with a friend. The head-to-head mode puts two people on one device, taking turns clicking or tapping their pieces. Because the game is turn-based, there is no pressure to move quickly, so talk through the options and learn from each loss. It works well on a laptop or Chromebook passed across a desk.

Dama Stars FAQ