Use and Care Manual

Figure 2. Direction of
movement of White's
checkers. Red's
checkers move in the
opposite direction.
Movement of the Checkers
To start the game, each player throws a single die. This determines both the
player to go first and the numbers to be played. If equal numbers come up, then
both players roll again until they roll different numbers. The player throwing the
higher number now moves his checkers according to the numbers showing on
both dice. After the first roll, the players throw two dice and alternate turns.
The roll of the dice indicates how many points, or pips, the player is to move his
checkers. The checkers are always moved forward, to a lower-numbered point.
The following rules apply:
1. A checker may be moved only to an open point, one that is not occupied
by two or more opposing checkers.
2. The numbers on the two dice constitute separate moves. For example, if a
player rolls 5 and 3, he may move one checker five spaces to an open
point and another checker three spaces to an open point, or he may move
the one checker a total of eight spaces to an open point, but only if the
intermediate point (either three or five spaces from the starting point) is
also open.