Overview

Dipole is a two-player abstract strategy game played with a Checkers set on the dark squares only. Players start with two tall stacks and maneuver them by splitting and moving portions, trying to remove all of the opponent’s checkers from the board. Draws cannot occur.

Components

• Standard 8x8 Checkers board (dark square in lower left corner)
• 12 white checkers and 12 black checkers (standard game)
• Optional: coins (e.g., nickels) to represent 5 checkers in a stack
• Advanced variant: 10x10 board with 20 checkers per side

Setup

Place two stacks of 12 checkers (one white, one black) on the board. Both stacks are positioned asymmetrically, just left of center from White’s perspective.

If tall stacks are unwieldy, hold the top 6 checkers in reserve off-board and maintain a maximum on-board stack height of 6.

Advanced variant (10x10 board): Two stacks of 20, one in each player’s nearest row, both just right of center from White’s perspective. Keep 8-stack on board, 12 in reserve.

Turn Structure

Players alternate turns. On each turn, a player moves one stack (or portion of a stack) of their own checkers.

Actions

Basic Moves

• Move an entire stack or a portion of a stack.
• Basic moves go forward or diagonally forward only.
• The number of squares moved must equal the number of checkers in the moved stack.
• Count includes white squares even though only dark squares are used.
• Even-numbered stacks can move directly forward; odd-numbered stacks can only move diagonally forward.

Moving Out of Bounds

• If a stack is moved out of bounds, remove it from play.
• Stacks can only be removed in forward or diagonally forward directions.
• Players typically remove singletons from their far row.

Merging Moves

• Stacks can be moved onto other like-colored stacks.
• Merging moves go forward or diagonally forward only.
• Intervening stacks (of any size or color) do not block movement.

Capturing Moves

• Captures can be made in any of 8 directions.
• A stack can only capture an entire enemy stack of equal or smaller size.
• Must be in a straight line.
• Intervening stacks do not block captures.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Win condition: Remove all of your opponent’s checkers from the board.

Draws cannot occur in Dipole.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• If you have no moves available, you must sit out until you do have a move.
• If you have any moves available, you must move.
• There will always be a move available to one player or the other.
• Stack movement is never obstructed by intervening stacks regardless of size or color (applies to basic, merging, and capturing moves).
• A capturing stack captures the entire enemy stack, not just part of it.

Player Reference

Move Type	Directions	Stack Size Rule
Basic	Forward, diagonally forward	Squares moved = stack size
Merging	Forward, diagonally forward	Squares moved = stack size
Capturing	All 8 directions	Squares moved = stack size; target must be equal or smaller
Out of Bounds	Forward, diagonally forward	Stack removed from play

Board	Standard: 8x8, 12 checkers per side
Advanced	10x10, 20 checkers per side