Cam Rules

THE WORLD CAMELOT FEDERATION
OFFICIAL RULES OF CAM

(To see the differences between Cam and Camelot, go here.)

PLAYERS: The game of Cam is played between two opponents who move pieces alternately on a Cam board. The two players are called White and Black. The players choose for color. White moves first.

PLAYING SURFACE: The Cam board contains 67 squares of identical size. Ranks are rows of squares, numbered 1 through 13, running horizontally from one side of the board to the other. Files are columns of squares, lettered A through G, running vertically from one end of the board to the other. The squares of the board, with their actual Cam designation used for game notation, from the bottom rank to the top rank, from the left-most file to the right-most file, are: D1, C2, C3, C4, B3, C3, D3, E3, F3, A4, B4, C4, D4, E4, F4, G4, A5, B5, C5, D5, E5, F5, G5, A6, B6, C6, D6, E6, F6, G6, A7, B7, C7, D7, E7, F7, G7, A8, B8, C8, D8, E8, F8, G8, A9, B9, C9, D9, E9, F9, G9, A10, B10, C10, D10, E10, F10, G10, B11, C11, D11, E11, F11, C12, D12, E12, D13. White’s Castle is composed of one Castle Square D1, and Black’s Castle is composed of one Castle Square D13.

PIECES: Each player begins the game with seven pieces: two Knights and five Men. The starting positions are: White Knights on C4 and E4, White Men on B5, C5, D5, E5, and F5, Black Knights on C10 and E10, and Black Men on B9, C9, D9, E9, and F9.

THE PLAIN MOVE: A piece (either Knight or Man) may move one square in any direction (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) to any adjoining unoccupied square. This move is called a Plain Move.

The Plain Move

THE CANTER: A piece (either Knight or Man) may leap in any direction (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) over a friendly piece (either Knight or Man) that occupies an adjoining square, provided that there is an unoccupied square immediately beyond it in a direct line onto which the leap may be made. This move is called a Canter. Pieces cantered over are not removed from the board. A player may canter over more than one piece during the same move, but may not make a Canter that ends on the same square from which it began. When cantering over more than one piece in a move, the direction of the move may be varied after each Canter. A player is never compelled to canter, nor when cantering is he compelled to canter as far as possible.

Before and after the Canter

THE JUMP: A piece (either Knight or Man) may leap in any direction (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) over an opposing piece (either Knight or Man) that occupies an adjoining square, provided there is an unoccupied square immediately beyond it in a direct line onto which the leap may be made. This move is called a Jump. Each enemy piece jumped over is captured and immediately removed from the board. A player is obliged to jump if any one of his pieces is next to an exposed enemy piece. Having jumped over one enemy piece, the jumping must continue as a part of that same move if the player’s piece reaches a square next to another exposed enemy piece. When jumping over more than one piece, the direction of the move may be varied after each Jump. If presented with capturing alternatives, a player may choose which opposing piece to capture, and with which of his pieces to effect the capture. When compelled to jump, a player may, if he can, capture by a Knight’s Charge instead. The only situation in which a player may ignore his obligation to jump is when, on his previous move, he has jumped one of his pieces over an opponent's piece into his own castle, ending his turn there, and must, on his next turn, immediately move that piece out from his castle.

Before and after the Jump

THE KNIGHT’S CHARGE: A Knight (only) may combine a Canter and a Jump in a single move, called a Knight’s Charge. A Knight’s Charge must follow the order of first the Canter(s) and last the Jump(s). A Knight is never obliged to make a Knight's Charge. When cantering over more than one piece during the cantering portion of a Knight’s Charge, the direction of the move may be varied after each Canter. If the Canter of a Knight brings it next to an enemy piece that can be jumped, it must do so, unless by a different route later in that same move it captures one or more enemy pieces elsewhere. During a Knight's Charge, the directions of the last Canter and first Jump need not be the same. Having jumped over one enemy piece during the jumping portion of a Knight’s Charge, the jumping must continue as a part of that same move if the player’s Knight reaches a square next to another exposed enemy piece. When jumping over more than one piece during the jumping portion of a Knight’s Charge, the direction of the move may be varied after each Jump.

Before and after the Knight's Charge

NOTATION: The Plain Move is indicated by the notation “-” placed between the starting square and the ending square, e.g., C8-D9. The Canter is indicated by the notation “-” placed between the starting square, landed upon intermediate squares (if any), and the ending square, e.g., E6-C8-A8. The Jump is indicated by the notation “x” placed between the starting square, landed upon intermediate squares (if any), and the ending square, e.g., A4xC4xE6. The Knight’s Charge is indicated by the notation “-” placed between the beginning square of the cantering portion, landed upon intermediate squares (if any), and the ending square of the cantering portion, and the notation “x” placed between the ending square of the cantering portion (the beginning square of the jumping portion), landed upon intermediate squares (if any), and the ending square of the jumping portion, e.g., F6-F8-D8xB10xD12.

OBJECT: The game is won if a player moves any one of his pieces (Knight or Man) into his opponent’s castle. Or, the game is won if a player captures all of his opponent’s pieces.

PLAYER’S OWN CASTLE: A player may not plain-move or canter one of his pieces (Knight or Man) into his own castle. If an enemy piece reaches a square adjacent to his own castle, a player may jump, or make the jumping portion of a Knight’s Charge, over that enemy piece into his own castle. A player may not, during the cantering portion of a Knight's Charge, move his Knight into his own castle. If a player jumps over an opponent's piece into his own castle, and the player’s piece is then next to an exposed enemy piece, the jumping must continue (out of his own castle) as part of that same move. A player who has jumped one of his pieces over an opponent's piece into his own castle, and in so doing was unable to continue the jumping out of his own castle as part of that same move, must, on his next turn to move, immediately move that piece out from his own castle, with no exception. A player moving one of his pieces out from his own castle must jump out, if possible, instead of plain-moving or cantering out. If a player has the opportunity to jump out from his own castle, he may, if he can, satisfy the obligation to capture by means of moving out with a Knight's Charge instead.

ILLEGAL MOVES: A player who makes an illegal move must retract that move and make a legal move. If the mistake is only noticed later on, the game must be restarted from the position in which the error occurred.