PDN standard

[Wieger Wesselink]

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[GameType "20,W,10,10,N2,0"]     {10x10 draughts}
[GameType "21,B,10,10,N1,0"]     {English draughts}
[GameType "22,W,8,8,N2,1"]       {Italian draughts}
[GameType "25,W,8,8,A1,0"]       {Russian draughts}
[GameType "26,W,8,8,A1,0"]       {Brazilian draughts}
[GameType "30,W,8,8,A1,0"]       {Turkish draughts}
[GameType "31,W,8,8,N1,0"]       {Thai draughts}

Does anyone know them for other draughts variants?

I think you mean for English draughts to be played on a 8x8 board. Here are some more variants, found from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draughts . I am still puzzled by Portugese draughts: it's in Adrian Millet's original list as well as on Wikipedia, but I don't know if it is not actually the same as Spanish draughts. I also have taken the liberty to give Frisian draughts gametype 29, and Czech checkers gametype 32.

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[GameType "20,W,10,10,N2,0"]     {10x10 international draughts}
[GameType "21,B,8,8,N1,0"]       {English draughts}
[GameType "22,W,8,8,N2,1"]       {Italian draughts}
[GameType "23,B,8,8,N1,0"]       {American pool draughts}
[GameType "24,W,8,8,N1,1"]       {Spanish pool  draughts} 
[GameType "25,W,8,8,A1,0"]       {Russian draughts}
[GameType "26,W,8,8,A1,0"]       {Brazilian draughts}
[GameType "27,W,12,12,N2,0"]     {Canadian  draughts}
[GameType "28,W,8,8,?,?"]        {Portugese  draughts}
[GameType "29,W,10,10,N2,0"]     {10x10 Frisian draughts}
[GameType "30,W,8,8,A1,0"]       {Turkish draughts}
[GameType "31,W,8,8,N1,0"]       {Thai draughts}
[GameType "32,W,8,8,A1,0"]       {Czech draughts}

Official rules are given below. Most of these rules can be read through http://translate.google.com , and they often have numbered diagrams :

// International rules: http://www.fmjd.org/docs/Annex%201%20of ... aughts.doc
// English rules: http://www.usacheckers.com/rulesofcheckers.php
// Italian rules: http://www.fid.it/regolamenti/2008/RegTec_CAPO_I.pdf
// Pool rules: http://americanpoolcheckers.us/american ... &Itemid=56
// Portugese rules: http://fpdamas.home.sapo.pt/regrasclass.htm
// Russian rules: http://www.shashist.ru/kodeks/kodeks2004.doc
// Czech rules: http://www.damweb.cz/pravidla/cdfull.html

The Czech also have their PDN files: http://www.damweb.cz/2008/mrdrcd08.pdn

Thanks for the info Rein. You're right about English draughts, I see now that someone just gave this as an example. Do you have a specific reason to choose game type 29 for Frisian draughts and 32 for Czech draughts? I found two references on Google that game type 29 is actually being used for Czech draughts. I have verified some of the game types using playok (kurnik), and I plan to check the conventions of ludoteka soon, but I need a second player for that. I will ask Theo Dijkstra if he knows more about Portuguese draughts.

[Rein Halbersma]

Code: Select all

[GameType "20,W,10,10,N2,0"]     {10x10 international draughts}
[GameType "21,B,8,8,N1,0"]       {English draughts}
[GameType "22,W,8,8,N2,1"]       {Italian draughts}
[GameType "23,B,8,8,N1,0"]       {American pool draughts}
[GameType "24,W,8,8,N1,1"]       {Spanish draughts} 
[GameType "25,W,8,8,A1,0"]       {Russian draughts}
[GameType "26,W,8,8,A1,0"]       {Brazilian draughts}
[GameType "27,W,12,12,N2,0"]     {Canadian draughts}
[GameType "28,W,8,8,N1,1"]       {Portugese draughts}
[GameType "29,W,8,8,A1,0"]       {Czech draughts}
[GameType "30,W,8,8,A1,0"]       {Turkish draughts}
[GameType "31,W,8,8,N1,0"]       {Thai draughts}
[GameType "40,W,10,10,N2,0"]     {10x10 Frisian draughts}
[GameType "41,W,10,8,N2,0"]      {10x8 Russian draughts, "Spantsireti"}

Official rules are given below. Most of these rules can be read through http://translate.google.com , and they often have numbered diagrams :

// International rules: http://www.fmjd.org/docs/Annex%201%20of ... aughts.doc
// English rules: http://www.usacheckers.com/rulesofcheckers.php
// Italian rules: http://www.fid.it/regolamenti/2008/RegTec_CAPO_I.pdf
// Pool rules: http://americanpoolcheckers.us/american ... &Itemid=56
// Portugese rules: http://fpdamas.home.sapo.pt/regrasclass.htm
// Russian rules: http://www.shashist.ru/kodeks/kodeks2004.doc
// Czech rules: http://www.damweb.cz/pravidla/cdfull.html

The Czech also have their PDN files: http://www.damweb.cz/2008/mrdrcd08.pdn

Thanks for the info Rein. You're right about English draughts, I see now that someone just gave this as an example. Do you have a specific reason to choose game type 29 for Frisian draughts and 32 for Czech draughts? I found two references on Google that game type 29 is actually being used for Czech draughts. I have verified some of the game types using playok (kurnik), and I plan to check the conventions of ludoteka soon, but I need a second player for that. I will ask Theo Dijkstra if he knows more about Portuguese draughts.

Aurora Borealis http://aurora.shashki.com/ has support for Czech and Frisian draughts and designates gametypes 29 and 40 for these variants. Which sources did you find for Czech, Thai and Turkish?

Aurora also has a 10*8 (10 rows, 8 columns) variant called Spantsireti (named after a Charkov GM) and designates gametype 41 for this variant. http://www.hot.ee/kabeaken/80r.htm This game is also mentioned in the book "3 vs 1" by De Bruijn & Thoen on page 153, but then in a the 8*10 form (8 rows, 10 columns). It is mentioned that the May 1986 of DamEldorado has an article on this game. Does anyone have a scanned copy available? This leaves us with giving gametypes for Ktar draughts (10x12 and 10x11) as well as Killer draughts.

I am now convinced that Portugese draughts is a variant of Spanish draughts with an extended majority capture rule (where kings count as more than a man in case the number of captured pieces gives multiple choices). The Dutch wikipedia also makes that distinction, but that same page states that capturing with a king has precedence (not in the Portugese official rule book). Spanish draughts is not called Spanish pool draughts, the latter being a synonym for Pool checkers (same as Spanish but without majority capture rule and a different board layout). See Arthur Olsen's page:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepage ... olchec.htm

[Wieger Wesselink]

Aurora Borealis http://aurora.shashki.com/ has support for Czech and Frisian draughts and designates gametypes 29 and 40 for these variants. Which sources did you find for Czech, Thai and Turkish?

Aurora also has a 10*8 (10 rows, 8 columns) variant called Spantsireti (named after a Charkov GM) and designates gametype 41 for this variant. http://www.hot.ee/kabeaken/80r.htm This game is also mentioned in the book "3 vs 1" by De Bruijn & Thoen on page 153, but then in a the 8*10 form (8 rows, 10 columns). It is mentioned that the May 1986 of DamEldorado has an article on this game. Does anyone have a scanned copy available? This leaves us with giving gametypes for Ktar draughts (10x12 and 10x11) as well as Killer draughts.

I am now convinced that Portugese draughts is a variant of Spanish draughts with an extended majority capture rule (where kings count as more than a man in case the number of captured pieces gives multiple choices). The Dutch wikipedia also makes that distinction, but that same page states that capturing with a king has precedence (not in the Portugese official rule book). Spanish draughts is not called Spanish pool draughts, the latter being a synonym for Pool checkers (same as Spanish but without majority capture rule and a different board layout). See Arthur Olsen's page:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepage ... olchec.htm

Kurnik (playok.com) writes games in pdn format, they use 30 and 31 for Thai and Turkish draughts. I found the 29 of Czech draughts using google (search for "gametype 29"). The numbers for Frisian draughts and Spantsireti I found using Aurora Borealis. The list you compiled seems fine with me, so I will put it in the PDN document.

[Rein Halbersma]

Aurora Borealis http://aurora.shashki.com/ has support for Czech and Frisian draughts and designates gametypes 29 and 40 for these variants. Which sources did you find for Czech, Thai and Turkish?

Aurora also has a 10*8 (10 rows, 8 columns) variant called Spantsireti (named after a Charkov GM) and designates gametype 41 for this variant. http://www.hot.ee/kabeaken/80r.htm This game is also mentioned in the book "3 vs 1" by De Bruijn & Thoen on page 153, but then in a the 8*10 form (8 rows, 10 columns). It is mentioned that the May 1986 of DamEldorado has an article on this game. Does anyone have a scanned copy available? This leaves us with giving gametypes for Ktar draughts (10x12 and 10x11) as well as Killer draughts.

I am now convinced that Portugese draughts is a variant of Spanish draughts with an extended majority capture rule (where kings count as more than a man in case the number of captured pieces gives multiple choices). The Dutch wikipedia also makes that distinction, but that same page states that capturing with a king has precedence (not in the Portugese official rule book). Spanish draughts is not called Spanish pool draughts, the latter being a synonym for Pool checkers (same as Spanish but without majority capture rule and a different board layout). See Arthur Olsen's page:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepage ... olchec.htm

Kurnik (playok.com) writes games in pdn format, they use 30 and 31 for Thai and Turkish draughts. I found the 29 of Czech draughts using google (search for "gametype 29"). The numbers for Frisian draughts and Spantsireti I found using Aurora Borealis. The list you compiled seems fine with me, so I will put it in the PDN document.

The people on this site http://pasqil.wz.cz/draughts/f1.htm use gametype 30 for Frisian draughts, a contradiction with Kurnik & Aurora Borealis. What shall we do?

[Wieger Wesselink]

Aurora Borealis http://aurora.shashki.com/ has support for Czech and Frisian draughts and designates gametypes 29 and 40 for these variants. Which sources did you find for Czech, Thai and Turkish?

Aurora also has a 10*8 (10 rows, 8 columns) variant called Spantsireti (named after a Charkov GM) and designates gametype 41 for this variant. http://www.hot.ee/kabeaken/80r.htm This game is also mentioned in the book "3 vs 1" by De Bruijn & Thoen on page 153, but then in a the 8*10 form (8 rows, 10 columns). It is mentioned that the May 1986 of DamEldorado has an article on this game. Does anyone have a scanned copy available? This leaves us with giving gametypes for Ktar draughts (10x12 and 10x11) as well as Killer draughts.

I am now convinced that Portugese draughts is a variant of Spanish draughts with an extended majority capture rule (where kings count as more than a man in case the number of captured pieces gives multiple choices). The Dutch wikipedia also makes that distinction, but that same page states that capturing with a king has precedence (not in the Portugese official rule book). Spanish draughts is not called Spanish pool draughts, the latter being a synonym for Pool checkers (same as Spanish but without majority capture rule and a different board layout). See Arthur Olsen's page:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepage ... olchec.htm

Kurnik (playok.com) writes games in pdn format, they use 30 and 31 for Thai and Turkish draughts. I found the 29 of Czech draughts using google (search for "gametype 29"). The numbers for Frisian draughts and Spantsireti I found using Aurora Borealis. The list you compiled seems fine with me, so I will put it in the PDN document.

The people on this site http://pasqil.wz.cz/draughts/f1.htm use gametype 30 for Frisian draughts, a contradiction with Kurnik & Aurora Borealis. What shall we do?

The site pasqil.wz.cz is very obscure (there isn't even contact information available), so I think it can be safely ignored. I also tried the game site ludoteka.com, that is possibly related to pasqil. Unfortunately it doesn't provide game notations in pdn, so this doesn't help.

[Rein Halbersma]

The site pasqil.wz.cz is very obscure (there isn't even contact information available), so I think it can be safely ignored. I also tried the game site ludoteka.com, that is possibly related to pasqil. Unfortunately it doesn't provide game notations in pdn, so this doesn't help.

http://pagesperso-orange.fr/alemanni/comparison.html
Jean-Bernard Alemanni wrote a book about draughts variants around the world (it's in French) but on his website he has a summary. According to him, the Spanish and Portugese games are identical. The Czech game also has identical game rules as the Spanish rules, but it has an inverted board.

[steenslag]

I use this format to store stuff, so I'm very happy with Wieger's efforts. Hoping this is the right place, I propose two additional tags:

• Author
  Source

The author tag is useful for storing composed positions like endgames, problems or studies.
The source tag has a wider use, it should reference the original publication of the game/analysis/composition.

[Wieger Wesselink]

I use this format to store stuff, so I'm very happy with Wieger's efforts. Hoping this is the right place, I propose two additional tags:

• Author
  Source

The author tag is useful for storing composed positions like endgames, problems or studies.
The source tag has a wider use, it should reference the original publication of the game/analysis/composition.

In chess they have the following tags:

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Mandatory tags
   1. Event (the name of the tournament or match event)
   2. Site (the location of the event)
   3. Date (the starting date of the game)
   4. Round (the playing round ordinal of the game)
   5. White (the player of the white pieces)
   6. Black (the player of the black pieces)
   7. Result (the result of the game)

9: Supplemental tag names
    9.1: Player related information
        9.1.1: Tags: WhiteTitle, BlackTitle
        9.1.2: Tags: WhiteElo, BlackElo
        9.1.3: Tags: WhiteUSCF, BlackUSCF
        9.1.4: Tags: WhiteNA, BlackNA
        9.1.5: Tags: WhiteType, BlackType
    9.2: Event related information
        9.2.1: Tag: EventDate
        9.2.2: Tag: EventSponsor
        9.2.3: Tag: Section
        9.2.4: Tag: Stage
        9.2.5: Tag: Board
    9.3: Opening information (locale specific)
        9.3.1: Tag: Opening
        9.3.2: Tag: Variation
        9.3.3: Tag: SubVariation
    9.4: Opening information (third party vendors)
        9.4.1: Tag: ECO
        9.4.2: Tag: NIC
    9.5: Time and date related information
        9.5.1: Tag: Time
        9.5.2: Tag: UTCTime
        9.5.3: Tag: UTCDate
    9.6: Time control
        9.6.1: Tag: TimeControl
    9.7: Alternative starting positions
        9.7.1: Tag: SetUp
        9.7.2: Tag: FEN
    9.8: Game conclusion
        9.8.1: Tag: Termination
    9.9: Miscellaneous
        9.9.1: Tag: Annotator
        9.9.2: Tag: Mode
        9.9.3: Tag: PlyCount

We can make a selection of these that are useful for draughts. There is no logical place for an author name and a source yet, so we should add a new section for that. I suggest Publication as a somewhat more descriptive name than Source. Are these all tags needed for problemism? May be also a PublicationDate?

Problemism:
Tag: Author
Tag: Publication

Also the idea of Piet to add a URL to for example a youtube site seems useful. We could for example add it to the Miscellaneous section

Miscellaneous:
Tag: URL

[Wieger Wesselink]

I was looking in more detail to the GameType tag. It appears to me that one piece of information is missing. We need to know:

- is the square in the lower left corner a dark or a light square?
- is the game being played on the dark or on the light squares?

On http://10x10.org/pdn/gametype.html we only have the Invert flag for that, but that is clearly not enough. It could be that the Notation flag is meant to encode it, but then someone needs to explain how.

[Wieger Wesselink]

I was looking in more detail to the GameType tag. It appears to me that one piece of information is missing. We need to know:

- is the square in the lower left corner a dark or a light square?
- is the game being played on the dark or on the light squares?

On http://10x10.org/pdn/gametype.html we only have the Invert flag for that, but that is clearly not enough. It could be that the Notation flag is meant to encode it, but then someone needs to explain how.

It seems that all major draughts variants are played on the dark squares, so this can be ignored.

[Wieger Wesselink]

I have added an overview of the most common tags to the PDN description on http://10x10.org/pdn. Most of them are borrowed from chess, and a few extra ones were added. Today I have extended the PDN checker http://10x10.org/pdn/test accordingly.

I consider this work on the PDN standard as finished now, unless I receive feedback.

[FeikeBoomstra]

Wieger,

thanks for all the standardization effort. I remember vaguely that you had a parser written in python. I am interested in it, but I can't find the clue anymore.

kind regards,

Feike Boomstra

[steenslag]

I have added an overview of the most common tags to the PDN description on http://10x10.org/pdn. Most of them are borrowed from chess, and a few extra ones were added. Today I have extended the PDN checker http://10x10.org/pdn/test accordingly.

I consider this work on the PDN standard as finished now, unless I receive feedback.

Regarding the "Setup Commands", would it be a good idea to replace the current proposal by a valid .pdn formatted string or a reference to one? PDN going recursive!
It's just an idea; it could be too hard to implement or a feature nobody will ever use. At this time (just thought of it) I think it would be cool.

[Rein Halbersma]

I was looking in more detail to the GameType tag. It appears to me that one piece of information is missing. We need to know:

- is the square in the lower left corner a dark or a light square?
- is the game being played on the dark or on the light squares?

On http://10x10.org/pdn/gametype.html we only have the Invert flag for that, but that is clearly not enough. It could be that the Notation flag is meant to encode it, but then someone needs to explain how.

It seems that all major draughts variants are played on the dark squares, so this can be ignored.

In an early edition of the magazine "Dammen" the famous player Woldouby is mentioned to have played a few exhibition matches against the best French players of the time (around 1910). It is mentioned that both the French and Woldouby were handicapped as they played on the dark squares with a dark square in the bottom left of the board. The French were used to playing on the white squares with the long diagonal starting on the bottom left, whereas Woldouby was used to playing on the dark squares with the long diagonal starting on the bottom right!

Question for historians: when did the French start playing on the dark squares, and did people in Holland also play on the light squares for some time?

[ildjarn]

I recall having seen somewhere that Turkish draughts was originally played on an uncoloured board (so 64 white squares). No idea anymore where I saw this. In practice, people probably play on chessboards, so that would include colouring.

Murray, a chess historian, has written a book called 'History of Board Games other than Chess. (1952)', so there may be information about draughts/checkers in that book.