Lasca
Encyclopedia
Lasca is a draughts
(or checkers) variant, invented by the second World Chess Champion Emanuel Lasker
(1868–1941). Lasca is derived from English Draughts (American Checkers) and a Russian game, Bashni (Towers).
The game is played on a 7×7 board; as with draughts and most descendant games, play takes place only on alternating squares, so that only 25 of the 49 squares are actually used. The playing pieces are known initially as "soldiers"; when they reach the last row of the board, they become "officers", with the same ability as kings in English draughts
to move and jump backwards.
The major difference between Lasca and other draughts variants is that instead of pieces being removed from the board when they are jumped, they are placed under the piece that jumped them, forming a "column". A column is under the control of the player whose piece is on top, and has the move and jump capabilities of that piece (so that, for instance, a column with a Black officer on top is under Black's control, and can move and jump in either direction.) If a column is itself jumped, only the top piece is removed to go under the column doing the jumping.
There are a few other changes in the rules, as well. Capturing is mandatory when possible; this means that a clever player may be able to force his opponent to capture several pieces of his color, then capture his opponent's piece from the top, leaving a powerful column composed of several pieces of his own color. Also, the game is won when one player (a) leaves his opponent with no legal way to move (b) has captured all his opponent's pieces or (c) when the opposing player resigns.
Lasca allows multiple captures per turn (as does Draughts
).
An otherwise identical variant known as Bignor Ludus
allows only a single capture per turn.
Draughts
Draughts is a group of abstract strategy board games between two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over the enemy's pieces. Draughts developed from alquerque...
(or checkers) variant, invented by the second World Chess Champion Emanuel Lasker
Emanuel Lasker
Emanuel Lasker was a German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher who was World Chess Champion for 27 years...
(1868–1941). Lasca is derived from English Draughts (American Checkers) and a Russian game, Bashni (Towers).
The game is played on a 7×7 board; as with draughts and most descendant games, play takes place only on alternating squares, so that only 25 of the 49 squares are actually used. The playing pieces are known initially as "soldiers"; when they reach the last row of the board, they become "officers", with the same ability as kings in English draughts
English draughts
English draughts or checkers , also called American checkers or straight checkers or in Israel damka, is a form of draughts board game. Unlike international draughts, it is played on an eight by eight squared board with twelve pieces on each side...
to move and jump backwards.
The major difference between Lasca and other draughts variants is that instead of pieces being removed from the board when they are jumped, they are placed under the piece that jumped them, forming a "column". A column is under the control of the player whose piece is on top, and has the move and jump capabilities of that piece (so that, for instance, a column with a Black officer on top is under Black's control, and can move and jump in either direction.) If a column is itself jumped, only the top piece is removed to go under the column doing the jumping.
There are a few other changes in the rules, as well. Capturing is mandatory when possible; this means that a clever player may be able to force his opponent to capture several pieces of his color, then capture his opponent's piece from the top, leaving a powerful column composed of several pieces of his own color. Also, the game is won when one player (a) leaves his opponent with no legal way to move (b) has captured all his opponent's pieces or (c) when the opposing player resigns.
Lasca allows multiple captures per turn (as does Draughts
Draughts
Draughts is a group of abstract strategy board games between two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over the enemy's pieces. Draughts developed from alquerque...
).
An otherwise identical variant known as Bignor Ludus
allows only a single capture per turn.
External links
- The game of Lasca - detailed information about the rules and history of the game.
- Emanuel Lasker's original paper describing the game, in HTML or PDF.
- Angerstein, Wolfgang. Das Säulenspiel Laska: Renaissance einer fast vergessenen Dame-Variante mit Verbindungen zum Schach. In: Board Game Studies 2003 (Issue 5).