StackersTM is a game played with a standard set of 24 checkers and a checkerboard.
Note: I've tried to make the rules as clear as I can. If you can't figure out how a rule works, I encourage you to work it out any way you can between yourselves: armwrestle, flip a coin, or play a game of checkers to see who's "right". Whatever. After all, it's only a game!
Beginning with black, each player takes turns placing his checkers one at a time anywhere on his own home rank, creating any stacks he wishes as he goes.
A stack is comprised of one or more checkers in any combination of colors in any order. You control any stack that is topped by one of your checkers.
Note: In examples, stacks will be denoted between brackets, using "r" for red and "b" for black. Leftmost letter is the top of the stack, and rightmost the bottom. [rbbrb], for example, denotes a stack of 5 checkers with red on top, followed by black, black, red, and black on the bottom.
Two players with very different startgame strategies have finished the setup phase and are ready to start the game.
Players take turns manipulating any one stack they control per turn. (This stack is referred to as the base stack.) Manipulations are: moving, splitting, building, capturing, or restacking. You can also make a combination split & capture move in the same turn.
Moving: Move a stack you control in a straight line horizontally, vertically, or diagonally for a number of spaces exactly equal to the number of checkers in the stack. You may not move over an opponent's stack, but you may move over your own.
Splitting: Split off the top of a stack and move it as a new stack, moving a number of spaces dictated by the new stack. The checkers left behind form a new stack under the control of the player who owns the topmost colored checker. Splitting must leave behind at least one checker in the base stack at the end of the turn.
Example #1: You control [rbbb]. Move [rbb] 3 spaces, leaving behind [b]. Note that in this example, [b] is now controlled by your opponent!You may split a single base stack into as may smaller stacks as you wish in a single turn, as long as the base stack remains under your control at each stage in the process.
Example #2: You control [rbrr]. Move [rb] 2 spaces, leaving behind [rr]. Then move [r] 1 space, leaving behind [r] on the original space.
Note: During a single turn, you may not split off a stack and then split off a new stack from the moved stack! All splits during one turn must come from the original base stack!
Building: Move any number of stacks you control onto a single stationary base stack you control to build a taller stack. All stacks must make legal moves. Contributing stacks may be split.
Example: Base stack is [rrb}, with [rb] 2 spaces away and [rbr] 2 spaces away. [rb] moves onto [rrb] creating [rbrrb] and leaving behind an empty space; then [rbr] moves [rb] onto the base stack, creating [rbrbrrb] and leaving behind [r]
Spitting contributing stacks more than once for reordering purposes is legal, as long as the contributing stack remains under your control at every stage.
Example: [rbrbrr] splits off [rb] to contribute to the base stack, leaving [rbrr], then splits [rbr] leaving [r]. Since a red checker remained on top of the contributing stack at each stage of the process, this is a legal move. Had red moved [rbr] initially, that would have left [brr] behind under black's control, ending the process (and handing over a nice stack of 3 to black!)
Capturing: Move a stack you control and land on a stack of equal or smaller size controlled by your opponent to capture it and add it to your stack.
Example: You control [rb] and your opponent has [b] sitting 2 spaces away. Capture by moving [rb] onto [b], creating [rbb].
Black is ahead at midgame, having captured five red checkers while red has only captured two black.
Split & Capture:You may make a combination split and capture move which counts as a single turn, as long as you:
Example: If you control [rbrr] and your opponent has [bb] sitting three spaces away, you can capture it by moving [rbr] 3 spaces onto [bb]. This leaves behind [r] and creates [rbrbb].
Restacking: Rearrange the checkers in a stack you control in any order.
Example: Rearrange [rbbrb] as [rbbbr].
The game ends when one player controls no stacks.
Discuss this game on the message board.
The rules to StackersTM are licensed under 
and are copyright © 2004 by Mark R. Brown.