WHAT IS DAMATH?
Damath is a two-player board game combining the board game “Dama” (Filipino Checkers) and Mathematics. Each piece has a corresponding number and every white square on board has a mathematical operation.
On this page, you’ll learn the rules of Damath and how to play it step by step.
DAMATH RULES
The game of Damath follows these rules:
- Objective: The goal is to have the most points at the end of the game.
- Scoring: Points are scored for each capture made during play and for each piece still on the board at the end of the game.
- Capturing: To capture an opponent’s chip, the ‘Taker‘ must jump over the ‘Taken‘ chip and use one of the four operation symbols where the ‘Taker‘ lands.
- Dama:
- If a piece is a “Dama” (king), the score for that capture is doubled.
- If both the ‘Taker‘ and ‘Taken‘ chips are “Dama“, the score is quadrupled.
- Maximizing Captures: It is required to take the move that captures the highest number of chips.
- Remaining Chips: Any remaining chips are added to the player’s score at the end of the game.
- If the remaining chip is a ‘dama‘, then its score is also doubled.
- End of Game: The game ends when a player either has no pieces left or cannot make a legal move.
These Damath rules ensure a strategic and engaging gameplay experience. It is important to master these rules to gain advantage and to maximize your score.
HOW TO PLAY DAMATH?
In this tutorial, we will use the standard “Integer Damath Board” which is a category used by Grade 7 students. Check this link if you want to download a printable damath board set to start playing the game right away.
Damath Board Setup
Before starting the game, arrange the chips on the board as shown:
Each player starts with 12 chips, which are placed on alternating dark squares of the first three rows. The middle two rows are left empty, creating space for movement and captures.
How to Move
In Damath, chips move diagonally across the board.
- A normal chip can only move one diagonal space forward (toward your opponent) during a turn.
- If a chip reaches the opposite side of the board, it becomes a “dama”
- A dama chip can move forward or backward diagonally as far it can go as long the box is not occupied.
How to Capture
Capturing an opponent’s chip happens by jumping over it to an empty square. After the jump, the player must perform the mathematical operation corresponding to the symbol on the square where they land. Here’s how it works:
- Addition (+): Add the value of your chip and the opponent’s chip.
- Subtraction (-): Subtract the opponent’s chip value from your chip.
- Multiplication (×): Multiply your chip’s value by the opponent’s.
- Division (÷): Divide your chip’s value by the opponent’s.
The score from the operation is added to your total. Remember: if a chip becomes a dama, its value doubles, and if both the “taker” and “taken” chips are dama, the score quadruples.
Important Reminder: It is mandatory to take the move that captures the highest number of chips. If there is a choice, you must choose the capture that maximizes the number of pieces taken.
Example:
