Hi! I'm new to this site. I have implemented an interesting checkers variant with Halma-like moves. Please have a look at it:
http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/hopperdame.htm
These are the rules:
In HopperDame with promotion rule you win by capturing all the opponent's pieces. Pieces move forwards and sideways, orthogonally or diagonally, by shifting to an adjacent square, or by jumping over an adjacent friendly piece (also termed 'hopper'). Jumps must only occur over a piece of the same colour. It's not allowable to step or jump backwards. The exception to this is the "king", which can jump over any piece, and step in all directions.
To promote to king one must conquer the "castles", that is, the corner squares behind the enemy position, by holding both these positions with a piece, so called "double-promotion". If a piece steps or jumps into the enemy corner then it is promoted to king only if the other enemy corner is already occupied by a friendly piece. Also, a piece which steps into the corner square may later be promoted if the other corner has subsequently become occupied by a friendly piece. The promotion is then done by dropping the piece on the same square. But this costs a move.
HopperDame employs the rule of exchange-capture: the counter jumps over a friendly counter. If the square where it lands is occupied by an enemy counter, then this is captured. It is only when leaping that the counter can make captures. A leaping counter may continue to leap over friendly counters until there are no more to leap over or the player decides to stop. It's not allowable to jump back to the square you just came from.
Note that capture is only made when jumping. Thus, a single piece cannot make a capture by itself. The exception to this is the king, which has an additional capture method: it can capture an adjacent enemy piece directly, like a king in chess.
There is also a faster variant of HopperDame. It is played with terminal rule: to win you must simply conquer the "castles", that is, the corner squares behind the enemy position, by holding both these positions with a piece. So promotion does not take place in this faster variant.
Strategy: A vital stratagem is the advancement into enemy territory (the other half of the board) and the building of bridgeheads there. These can then be used as springboards for a continued attack with pieces that arrive from the back ranks. The first rank is a weak spot as pieces cannot go backwards and are with time forced to leave the first rank for defensive or attacking purposes.
