In international draughts, kings (sometimes called flying kings) move any distance along unblocked diagonals, and may capture an opposing man any distance away by jumping to any of the unoccupied squares immediately behind it. As with non-king men, a king may make successive jumps in a single turn provided that each jump captures an opponent man or king. When a man reaches the crownhead or kings row (the farthest row forward), it becomes a king, and is marked by placing an additional piece on top of the first man, and acquires additional powers including the ability to move backwards (and capture backwards, in variants in which they cannot already do so). In English draughts men can capture only forward, but in international draughts they may also capture (diagonally) backwards. Multiple opposing pieces may be captured in a single turn provided this is done by successive jumps made by a single piece these jumps do not need to be in the same direction but may zigzag changing diagonal direction. Uncrowned pieces (men) move one step diagonally, and (may) capture opponents' pieces by moving two consecutive steps in the same direction, jumping over the opponent's piece on the first step. In almost all variants, the player without pieces remaining, or who cannot move due to being blocked, loses the game. Capturing is mandatory in most official rules, although some rule variations make capturing optional when presented. A piece may move only diagonally into an unoccupied square. Only the dark squares of the checkered board are used. If the adjacent square contains an opponent piece, it may be captured (and removed from the game) by jumping over it to the unoccupied square immediately beyond it. A move consists of moving a piece diagonally to an adjacent unoccupied square. The player with the light pieces moves first unless stated otherwise. It is against the rules to move one of the opponent's pieces.
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One player has the dark pieces, and the other has the light pieces. Draughts (or checkers) is played by two opponents, on opposite sides of the gameboard.